Veronica: Food allergies are serious and can be life threatening. Hi, I am Veronica with watchmoJo.com and today we're going to learn how you can dine safely.
Female Speaker: Eating out used to be daunting for those with food allergies. But, that has changed as the food industry becomes more aware and more prepared for those with food allergies.
Mario Julien: You have to be aware. You have to like what you do, you need passion.
Veronica: Awareness is the best way to avoid an allergic reaction, awareness to hidden ingredient that may not be obvious. You should also know the other names for your offending foods. Sometimes products used by chefs such as mixes for sauces or dressings list ingredients by alternate means. To avoid this, allergen-friendly restaurants stick to the basics. They use natural and select only the highest quality of ingredients.
Mario Julien: Olive oil, coriander, basil, mint, onions, garlic, that's it.
Veronica: Today, many restaurants now take step to not only train their staff about the need for accommodating those with the food allergy, but also train them on what to do if an allergic reaction occurs.
Mario Julien: Every year at the beginning of the season, our staff is trained for. We have all the EpiPen inside, and everything that would help to save the life of somebody.
Veronica: Restaurants also consider the setup of their kitchen to avoid any cross contamination. Cross contamination occurs when food is prepared on a surface or a utensil that has touched an allergen. Color coating utensils, and workstations have proven to avoid any mishaps.
Mario Julien: We have different color for the cutting boards, white, green, red for cooked meat, raw meet.
Veronica: Reward excellent service, and build a relationship, if you are pleased with your successful experience at a restaurant, go back. If you do, you'll probably get to know the chef and restaurant staff, and you'll find that they're even more willing to take good care of you.
Mario Julien: Keep it simple. Go to always the same place where you buy your meat, your product, so the person knows you.
Veronica: The best advice any chef could give to customers is to be prepared regardless of how carefully you have planned or how safe you feel at a particular restaurant, never leave home without your emergency medications, and always wear your medical identification jewelry.
Mario Julien: Probably one day, there is a fair chance I believe that all the restaurants would be aware of how important it is to take care of you.
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