Guide to allergy-aware BBQ. - Allerject

It’s BBQ season!
Before you fire up the grill, here’s what you should know about
barbecuing for your food-allergic guests
With 2.5 million Canadians now reporting that they have food allergies 1 , and an estimated 6%
of young children affected, there are some barbecuing basics that every good host should
practice when entertaining food-allergic guests.
For the person at risk, the only way to prevent an allergic reaction is to avoid the allergen
trigger. Even the tiniest amount of a food can cause a severe reaction. The following tips
have been prepared to help you protect your guests.
But complete avoidance may not always be possible. That’s why being prepared for an
emergency is also critical.
This guide is designed to walk you through the three steps to an allergy-aware BBQ:
Be ready, Be safe, and Quick to respond.
Be ready
While many foods can cause allergic reactions, Health Canada has identified 10
priority allergens that are responsible for the majority of these reactions – eggs, milk,
mustard, peanuts, seafood (fish, crustaceans, shellfish), sesame, soy, sulphites (a
food additive), tree nuts and wheat.
Ask your guests in advance if they are allergic to any foods, and specifically what
allergen can trigger a reaction.
Discuss safe food options with your allergic guests. For example:
- meat without wheat, milk or egg fillers or breading
- oil and vinegar salad dressing rather than dressing or marinades that contain
allergens
- potato salad or coleslaw prepared with oil and vinegar and herbs
1 L. Soller et al, Overall Prevalence of Self-reported Food Allergy in Canada, Journal of Allergy and Clinical
Immunology (2012). doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2012.06.029

The goal is to eliminate the offending allergens from the menu, or at least to provide
your allergic guests with a meal specially prepared for them.
When shopping, read the food labels carefully and avoid any ingredients that contain,
or say they ‘MAY CONTAIN’, relevant allergens. And keep the labels – your allergic
guests will want to see them.
Know where ‘hidden allergens’ may be lurking. For example:
- eggs in mayonnaise, anchovies (fish) in Caesar dressing, wheat in soy sauce
and other marinades, sesame seeds in breads, butter (milk) used to caramelize
onions or to sauté mushrooms
- cakes and cookies are often a source of hidden allergies as bakery goods
prepared and sold on site are not required to have an ingredient list
Remind your food-allergic guests to bring their epinephrine auto-injector. And when
they arrive, get them to show you how it works in case you have to assist them in a
life-threatening emergency.
Be safe
Avoid cross contamination when handling, grilling and serving. Remember, even the
smallest amount of contact can produce a severe allergic reaction.
Clean all food contact surfaces with a commercial cleaner.
Use separate platters, utensils, bowls, knives and other equipment for allergen and
non-allergen foods.
When barbecuing, cook the allergen-free meal first. Keep it covered and away from
any splatter caused by other foods during cooking. You can also use aluminium grilling
trays to keep the foods separate.
Invite your allergic guests to be first in the buffet line.
Buffet-style meals may pose a major risk because of the cross-contamination caused
by the sharing of utensils and mixing of food. Place condiments, sauces or dressings
in a separate location to avoid dripping or spilling. Pre-packaged, single-serve
condiments are a good option to consider.
Place a printed ingredient list beside each dish so that the allergic guest can make a
safe choice.
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It is commonly believed that extreme heat during cooking will change the make-up of
the food and remove the protein that can cause a reaction. THIS IS NOT TRUE.
Cooking the food using extreme heat will not make the food safe for allergic
individuals.
Quick to Respond
Should one of your guests experience an allergic reaction, you should be able to
identify the symptoms and take appropriate action.
In such an emergency, it is critical that the individual receive epinephrine right away. If
a guest is not able to administer the injection themselves, you may have to assist. You
should know how to use the epinephrine auto-injector.
The emergency steps to follow are:
- give epinephrine at the first sign of a reaction
- call 9-1-1 or local emergency medical service
- give a second dose in 5-15 minutes if the reaction continues or gets worse
- get the person to the nearest hospital right away (preferably by ambulance)
This information was prepared by Marilyn Allen, food allergy and anaphylaxis consultant.
Content was developed from Allergen Training Basics for the Foodservice and Food Retail
Industry, published and distributed by Anaphylaxis Canada and TrainCan Inc.
The allergy-aware BBQ program is sponsored by Allerject, the first ‘talking’ epinephrine
auto-injector for the emergency treatment of anaphylaxis. To learn more, please visit
www.allerject.ca
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