Food Protection Trends - September 2008 - 657

Copyright© 2008, International Association for Food Protection 6200 Aurora Ave., Suite 200W, Des Moines, IA 50322-2864 Food Protection Trends, Vol. 28, No. 9, Pages 657–661 Fatal Food Allergy Reactions in Restaurants and Foodservice Establishments: Strategies for Prevention CHRISTOPHER WEISS* and ANNE MUÑOZ-FURLONG Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, 11781 Lee Jackson Hwy., Suite 160, Fairfax, VA 22033, USA INTRODUCTION Food allergy is an increasing food safety and public health issue, affecting about 4% of the United States population, or 12 million Americans. There are 6.9 million Americans allergic to seafood (9) and 3.3 million allergic to peanuts and/or tree nuts (8). Severe allergic reactions caused by foods account for about 30,000 emergency room visits and 150 to 200 deaths each year in the United States. (12). The most severe type of allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis. Eight foods account for 90% of food allergy reactions: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (e.g., walnuts, almonds, and pecans), fish (e.g., salmon, halibut, and cod), shellfish (e.g., shrimp, crab, and lobster), wheat, and soy. Although the vast majority of reactions are triggered by ingestion of the food allergen, reactions can also occur from inhalation of cooking fumes/vapors. There is no cure for food allergy; strict avoidance of the offending allergen is the only way to prevent a reaction. Avoidance can be difficult, because trace amounts of a food allergen may be enough to cause a reaction. Food allergy reactions are always unexpected; individuals believe they are eating a safe food. A significant number of food allergy reactions are the result of food served in or provided by restaurants and other foodservice establishments such as school cafeterias, food court vendors’ operations, SUMMARy Food allergy is an increasing food safety and public health issue that affects about 4 percent of the United States population, or 12 million Americans. Severe allergic reactions caused by foods account for about 30,000 emergency room visits and 150–200 deaths annually in the United States. A significant number of fatal and near-fatal reactions are caused by restaurant food. Negligence on the part of the victim and/or the restaurant staff is generally the key contributing factor. This article addresses 29 fatal allergic reactions, occurring from 1994 to 2006, caused by food served in or provided by restaurants or other food service establishments. Information on these fatalities was obtained via a reporting registry maintained by the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN). A FAAN representative used a structured questionnaire to obtain information about patient demographics, the food ingested, symptom progression, treatment, emergency medical response, history of allergic reactions, and contributing factors such as asthma. This article offers strategies to help prevent such tragedies in the future. A peer-reviewed article *Author for correspondence: 703.691.3179; Fax: 703.691.2713 E-mail: advocacy@foodallergy.org SEPTEMBER 2008 | FOOD PROTECTION TRENDS 657

Food Protection Trends - September 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Food Protection Trends - September 2008