ALLERGIC LIVING also has an explanation for Anaphylaxis:
Anaphylaxis is the severe form of allergic reaction. It involves one or more of the body’s symptoms; for example, the gastrointestinal tract, the respiratory tract, the skin and the cardiovascular system. A person experiencing anaphylaxis often has difficulty breathing, and the person could lose consciousness. Anaphylaxis puts a person at risk of death.Anaphylactic reactions can come on quickly, and it’s impossible to know when a reaction will become severe. It’s important that people with food allergies are prepared for a reaction by always carrying an epinephrine auto-injector (either EpiPen or Twinject).Experts recommend using epinephrine early if a person known to be at risk of anaphylaxis begins to show signs of allergy symptoms – don’t wait until the symptoms worsen, as it may become to difficult put a halt to the reaction once it’s in progress.
1. Eating unlabelled foods. If in doubt, don’t.
2. Accidental contamination of other foods
e.g. jam or butter, or of eating utensils, food trays, tables and toys. A common problem is jam contaminated with peanut butter by using the same knife.* Remember that even if a peanut allergic child is not offered peanut butter, eating jam at a home where there is peanut butter may not be safe. Packing peanut butter sandwiches with other foods.
3. Unpackaged foods
e.g. a cookie jar may contain traces of nuts from previous nut-containing cookies. Another cookie taken from that jar may contain traces of nuts on it. Bulk foods and buffet meals may also be dangerous because of cross-contamination. Be cautious of free cookie samples at stores.
4. Contamination during preparation.
For instance, perhaps a cutting board is used to prepare 2 foods – e.g. chicken and fish – and the chicken is served to a fish allergic person; or perhaps the same board or knife is used to slice or grind nuts. Using the same oil to fry different foods, or the same batter for different foods, or the same frying utensils for different foods without washing in-between can all cause cross-contamination. Grinding specialty nutflavoured coffees in a coffee grinder. Baking muffins with and without nuts if leftover batter is used for other muffins or if baking pans are not properly cleaned.
5. Contamination during serving
e.g. sauces mixed by spillage; the same scoop is used to take scoops of different ice creams some of which may contain nuts; a knife used to cut a nut-containing dessert and then used to cut another dessert.
6. Relying on someone who does not know but who tells you the food is safe, for instance, another child, or someone who did not prepare the food such as a waiter, salesclerk or airline attendant. Being served an incorrect dish from what was ordered.
7. Trying a food to see if you are “still allergic,” especially with an anaphylactic allergy.
8. Tasting a food carefully to see “if it is safe or not” is dangerous.
9. A change in the way a usual food is made.
For instance, a change in the ingredient list without any obvious change on looking at the container. A new chef at a restaurant may change the recipe and add a “secret ingredient”.
10. Candy machines may have different foods at different times and candies may be contaminated with traces of nuts if there were previously nuts in the dispensing machine.
11. Non-food sources of peanut
e.g. homemade playdough, scented crayons, cosmetics or fishing lures with peanut, peanut shell stuffing in bean bags, draft stoppers, and stuffed toys, peanut in animal food – hamster, gerbil and bird food granules.
