Welcome! This is the 1st post of our Vacation Series, stay tuned for more!
It’s summer! Whether you’re driving down to the beach for a weekend, or flying across the world, it’s important to be careful and make sure others are cautious of your allergies.
Once you arrive, enjoy your trip but continue to follow the safety procedures you do back home! At restaurants, be sure to inform your waiter as well as a manager and/or chef of your food allergies. Go with your gut – if the environment seems safe, and the staff is clear on how to handle your allergy it’s probably fine to eat there.
Pro Tip: Use AllergySmartz – our App to help travelers communicate their allergies to restaurant staff effectively, even when there is a language barrier.
Pro Tip: Remind restaurant staff to be careful of cross-contamination. Tell them to use clean equipment (pans, spatulas, new gloves), emphasize that new oil must be used for frying, and that no pre-marinated foods or pre-made sauces are used.
Hopefully these tips will help you keep safe on your vacation. However, if you start to feel symptoms of an allergic reaction, follow your allergy protocol: take your emergency medicine, call 911 (or its equivalent), and go the hospital immediately! In order to ensure your safety don’t wait it out to see if the reaction resolves itself – get to the ER and let trained medical professionals handle the situation!
Don’t feel intimidated or anxious, most people have an extremely enjoyable trips even with allergies!