Anaphylaxis to foods purchased from food service establishments in Australia

Between March 2019 and June 2020 we asked our followers and members to complete a survey. The survey asked about experiences of anaphylaxis to foods purchased from food establishments in Australia.

The results of the survey have now been published.

They show that the majority of participants (74.6%) who reported anaphylaxis in this study had told the food outlet about their/their child’s food allergy/s.

The recommendations of the study for food service outlets include:

• providing allergen information listed next to dishes on the menu ingredient lists
• ensuring all staff are adequately trained in the management of food allergies and
• encouraging staff to proactively ask consumers about allergies.

The recommendations of the study for people who live with food allergy include:

• declare food allergies at point of purchase and when ordering food
• report any allergic reactions to the appropriate authorities so that the suitable action can be taken.

The study authors would like to see a larger study which would help to show more accurately how common severe allergic reactions are to food purchased from food service settings as would a national anaphylaxis register.

The abstract of the article, which was published in the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health is publicly available.