Hey, Allergy Warrior! Want to know what freaks me out the most about managing a food allergy? Well, today I made some toast for a mid-morning snack. And as I unapologetically used the exact same knife to spread both almond butter and strawberry jam across dry toast, I thought about the feared, the dreaded, the infamous: cross-contamination.

Cross-contamination is arguably the biggest fear I have as an allergy warrior.

As someone who’s managed a severe peanut allergy for over 30 years, it’s easy to take for granted all I do to protect against accidental exposure. Being proactive against food allergy incidents is like adding an extra layer of worry, thoughtfulness, and action tasks to everyday life. So, even though “not realizing peanuts were even in this dish ranks pretty highly on my worry list, it’s much easier to flat-out avoid peanuts (my main food allergen) than it is to protect against cross-contamination.

Why is that? 

It’s simple, and it’s something that gets talked about a lot at Allergy Scout — if you’re not managing a severe food allergy yourself, it’s shockingly easy to forget about them all together. Many cross-contamination incidents happen when a well-meaning family member, friend, or restaurant staff member, forgets to add that extra layer of care into preparing food for you.

Think about yourself before a food allergy diagnosis flipped your world upside down. Did you think twice about using the same spoon to mix your stir fry and fluff your rice? Using less kitchen tools just means there are fewer dishes to clean up later, right? But now that a soy allergy is in the picture, you're thinking differently about that stir-fry spoon, covered in soy sauce, fluffing that soy-free rice.

So, let's talk about making informed cross-contamination choices. Because, let's face it — paying attention to potential cross-contamination risks, saves lives.

What exactly is cross-contamination? 

Well, it’s actually pretty self-explanatory. Cross-contamination is when small amounts of one food get mixed up with another type of food unintentionally. This usually happens on accident, innocently, like pan-sharing, using the same utensils for multiple items, during prepping or plating, or when you cleaning dishes with the same sponge.

For anyone who doesn't have to think about food allergies, cross-contamination is no big deal. Who cares if you accidentally get an onion ring in your french fries? That's just bonus food! And so what if a little cashew butter ends up in your raspberry jam jar — it's all going on the same sandwich anyway! But, whether you're a parent, babysitter, nanny, teacher, grandparent, auntie, uncle, or family friend, as an allergy warrior, you know how problematic it would be if even a small amount of cashew butter gets mixed into your allergic kiddo's oatmeal. Cue: disaster. 😰

How do you prevent cross-contamination at home? 

The good news is, you have a lot of control over cross-contamination at home.

You get to choose:

➡️ Whether a food allergen is allowed into your house at all! Maybe your entire home and all your family vehicles are allergen-free zones. You could post signs, inform guests, and even have a printed list of allergen-friendly, family-approved restaurants that deliver to your home.

➡️ What the boundaries and habits are around food preparation in your kitchen. Your house, your rules!

➡️ The dishes that are made in your kitchen. Making naturally allergen-free recipes, which are safe and delicious, can give your family plenty of options while giving you peace of mind.** 

➡️ To set up allergy-safe zones in your house. An allergy-safe zone is a physical place where food allergens are allowed to live, usually a fridge or freezer drawer or a tupperware container in a cupboard and pantry. It takes a bit of work up front to set up safety-zones and get everyone in your household used to the system, but it can be totally worth the effort! If your kiddo is allergic to milk but you just can’t survive without a splash of half and half in your morning coffee, a safety-zone can be an excellent compromise.

How do you avoid cross-contamination when dining out?

The not-so-good news? You've got way less control when you eat at other people’s houses or dine out at restaurants. And as much as you might like to, it’s usually not okay to elbow your way into someone else’s kitchen (be it a chef's or your mother-in-law's) to oversee the preparation of your kiddo's food. That means trusting that the person on the other end of the plate fully understands the seriousness of food allergies & has solid systems in place to avoid cross-contamination during meal preparation.

**Don’t feel like doing another six hours of research to find allergen-friendly recipes your family will actually eats? Perfect! We did the work for you and put family-favorite food allergen-free recipes on Allergy Scout Pinterest. Bon appétit! 🫶

So, instead of shutting yourself in your house, sharpening your skills through an online culinary school, and never dining out again, try out creative ways to stay cross-contamination safe in the big, wide world of food.

➡️ Encourage your family to enjoy cuisines that are naturally free of your kiddo’s allergen while staying away from fare that traditionally includes the allergen you're avoiding. Child allergic to peanuts? Asian cuisines (Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, etc.) are probably best left to home-cooking. Wheat or egg allergy? Probably best to stay away from Italian restaurants. Never made these sort of recipes before? Cooking classes, new cookbooks, and Pinterest recipe inspiration can all be fun family bonding experiences that bring you closer and get everyone happily fed.

➡️ Be practical about how dangerous the chance of cross-contamination is. If your child is allergic to walnuts and there are only nuts present in one salad on the menu (and they're not even walnuts!) and the salad bar is clear across the kitchen from where the rest of the food is prepared, it’s probably okay to eat at that restaurant with a sharper eye on how your child reacts to the food.

The most important part of dining out with food allergies is you feeling comfortable & safe with the situation!

When your intuition tells you something’s off, listen & take action on that feeling! Don’t eat food or encourage your child to eat food that you don't believe is safe. It’s much safer to be a little hungry for a little longer than it is to have an allergic reaction (or a panic attack).

Protecting your kiddo against cross-contamination outside of kitchens and meal preparation

Talking with your allergist about oral immunotherapy (OIT) and tolerance introduction programs (TIP) can be a great idea. At a high level, these medical programs very slowly introduce your kiddo’s allergen to them to get their body used to eating a small amount of it every day, in a monitored clinical setting under a doctor’s supervision. Sustaining exposure to a food allergen can build tolerance. That tolerance can create safety from accidental exposures, like from cross-contamination.

These therapies may not be right for every allergy or every situation, but when they are a fit, they can be a wonderful addition to your Allergy Warrior’s safety arsenal.

Sure, safety from cross-contamination takes diligence, but it’s also a totally manageable part of allergy life!

In time, it becomes so routine you barely think about all the things you do in day-to-day life to stay safe. Just like most things, it takes practice and repetition for the habits of cross-contamination safety to stick, but stick it does. And that, in and of itself, makes life easier.

The silver lining of managing cross-contamination is that it opens up a conversation with others about food allergies. And the more people who are aware of food allergy safety, the safer the world for every allergy warrior. ☀️

Soon enough, you, like me, will be in your kitchen unapologetically using the same exact knife to spread almond butter and strawberry jam on toast, knowing that you’re safe because you did the work to become an allergy warrior. 

PS: If you’re ready to learn exactly how to set up allergy-safe zones in your home, or you want to deep dive into all things OIT, it's time to start the Ultimate Field Guide to Child Food Allergies online course. There are easy, how-to’s for these things included, plus helpful bonuses to guide you along the way.