Summer Eating with a Food Allergy

Here's a good reminder for those of us with allergies that hope to grab a bite at those many fairs and festivals that summer brings.

Food allergy sufferers must be on alert at fairs
Kimberly Hayes Taylor/The Detroit News
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080714/LIFESTYLE03/807140306

Sandwich Chains

Restaurants are listed in alphabetical order. If you have info on a Sandwich Chain please email us at canieatthere@gmail.com.

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Jimmy John's
Web Site

Allergy Alert: Will not provide allergen information for menu items

Editor's Note: I recently contacted Jimmy John's to request allergen information for their menu items. This is the response I got via email.

"We do not give out ingredient lists. - Jimmy Johns"

I followed up with an email saying I didn't need specific ingredient information, just information on common allergens, I got no response.

If you are looking for a sub fix, many of the other national sandwich chains do list allergen information on their web sites. See links to that information in "Sandwich Chains" list in the right rail of this blog.

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Subway
Web Site

Allergy Alert: Beware of cross contamination

Article about one person's experience dining out at Subway with a food allergy...

Subway: You’ll need to be extra careful if you want to "eat fresh".
Providence Food Allergy Examiner
August 29, 2008

Restaurant profile: Made to order sandwiches with fresh bread and meats and an array of fresh toppings. Sandwiches can also be toasted.

Taste and nutrition: Pretty good considering your alternatives. The overall calorie count on many of the Subway subs are going to be a better choice than a Whopper any day. And, you have the option of getting some veggies in your sandwich too.

Allergen alert: While Subway has been very proactive in providing allergen info on their sandwiches, they failed to take into consideration cross contamination. I experienced this first hand after having a reaction after eating at a Subway restaurant. I was careful about selecting my menu items, but did not consider cross contamination. I know, what was I thinking? Oh well, hopefully you won’t make the same mistake I did.

After I had my reaction, I called and emailed Subway customer service and explained the problem. I was assured that someone would contact me back. The owner of a few Subway locations near my home called me today. We actually had a very productive conversation and she was able to give me some great info. She even agreed that the nutritional info was misleading and gave me contact info for headquarters, where she suggested I encourage Subway execs to add disclaimer info to their advertising regarding these risks.

Here are the problems we identified:

• All the foods are in open bins and any food could potentially drop into another bin.
• Workers wear gloves while making sandwiches, but do not change them between orders. This is probably how I got sick.
• The knives used to slice the sandwiches are not cleaned in-between sandwiches.
• Breads containing cheese are baked with other breads. This is not a likely contaminant, but worth a mention.

The bottom line: If you do not have severe, anaphylactic allergies, you should be ok. If you are severe (like I am), use extreme caution. If you choose to eat there regardless, here are some tips to make your visit a safe one:

• Ask the worker behind the counter to change their gloves.
• Ask them to refrain from cutting your sandwich.
• Check their online nutritional info as a guideline.

Coffee Chains

Restaurants are listed in alphabetical order. If you have info on a Coffee Chain please email us at canieatthere@gmail.com.

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Tim Horton's
Web Site

Allergy Alert: Contact Company for More Information

From Tim Horton's Web Site (January 2008):

"If I have an allergy, can I eat any Tim Hortons products?

If you have a food allergy, please be aware that Tim Hortons products may contain, or have come into contact with, peanuts, nuts or other possible allergens. Tim Hortons is a bakery environment, serving baked goods that are not in sealed packages. Therefore, we unfortunately cannot guarantee a 100% allergy-free environment.

If you would like more information about ingredients or allergies, please call our customer assistance line at 1-888-601-1616 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time)."

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Starbucks
Web Site

Allergy Alert: Contact Company for More Information

From Starbucks' Web Site (January 2008):

"Where can I find allergen information?

For specific questions related to allergens please contact a customer care representative at 1-800-23LATTE. Due to potential cross contamination during distribution and sale, we cannot guarantee that allergens are not included in a product, even if they are not listed in the ingredient statement."

Author's Note: Customer service will research ingredients for you. Products vary from city to city so you will need to specify the geographic area you would like them to check.

See my post: Starbucks - Help for People with Food Allergies
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Sit-down Dining Chains

Restaurants are listed in alphabetical order. If you have info on a Sit-down Dining Chain please email us at canieatthere@gmail.com.

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Applebee's
Web Site

Allergy Alert: No Allergen Information Available; Call Ahead or Ask Your Server

From Applebee's Web Site (January 2008):

"Where can I get nutritional information on Applebee's items?

We provide nutritional information on all of our Weight Watchers items, including fat, fiber and calorie counts and Weight Watchers Points values. We do not provide nutritional information on other Applebee's items - with approximately 1,900 locations in the U.S. alone there are many different vendors, which makes it extremely difficult to obtain nutritional information for out items."

Author's Note: Boo! I think they can try harder than this.

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California Pizza Kitchen & CPK ASAP
Web Site

Allergy Alert: Call Ahead or Ask Your Server; Ingredient Book; Soy

From CPK Web Site (January 2008):

"Who do I call with food allergy questions?

If you have certain food allergy concerns, please feel free to call our Food and Beverage Department at 310-342-5000."

Author Note: CPK restaurants have an ingredient book, ask your server to check the dish(es) you are interested in. Most CPK ASAP items contain soybean ingredients.

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Cheesecake Factory
Web Site

Allergy Alert: Ask Your Server

From Cheesecake Factory Web Site (January 2008):

"Nutritional Information. At this point, we do not provide nutritional information for our menu selections. We pride ourselves on using only the freshest and finest ingredients available. Everything on our menu is made in-house on a daily basis so that we can maintain the highest food quality standards."

"Special Dietary Concerns. We will do our best to accommodate any special dietary requirements that our guests may have. When placing your order, just inform your server of your special requests."

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IHOP
Web Site

Allergy Alert: No Allergen Information Available

From IHOP Web Site (January 2008):

"Is nutritional information available?

IHOP offers a wide variety of food that should allow most people to choose a meal that suits their dietary needs. We do not maintain nutritional data on our food."

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T.G.I. Friday's
Web Site

Allergy Alert: No Allergen Information Available; Ask Your Server

From Friday's Web Site (January 2008):

"Where can I obtain nutritional information?

T.G.I. Friday's Restaurants understands our guests have many different nutritional desires. The selected nutritional information we provide is listed on our menu in restaurants or at http://www.fridays.com/menu/index.htm. We do not provide ingredient statements."

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