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Living with the Risk of Anaphylactic Reactions: The Importance of Packing Your Own Food for Outings and Events

When you or a loved one lives with food allergies, especially those at risk of anaphylaxis, food preparation is a constant concern. Even a small mistake can have life-threatening consequences.

This reality adds complexity to social events and outings for families like mine, where both of my children have severe allergies. Ensuring food is allergen-free is critical, but it’s also essential to store and handle food safely to prevent spoilage or contamination, which can introduce additional risks.

Excuse the open mouths – the Bojanich sister’s at a camping event on “banquet” night – their own version of “fancy camping food” – aka beans, corn chips and avo salsa! Their dessert was a couple of lolly snakes and they were stoked. Meanwhile – I was freaking out a little because there were allergens galore with the rest of the food being served… wasn’t too long after the ate, they went outside to play and I stripped the table of the cloth off and removed all the other diners’ plates and cutlery before they came back in for quiz and speech time!

The Hidden Dangers of Social Events

Attending social events is a vital part of life, but they can present serious challenges for those with severe allergies. Buffets, catered meals, and even shared snacks may seem harmless to most, but to someone with food allergies, these situations can feel like minefields. Cross-contamination is a significant risk, and sometimes, foods that appear safe may contain hidden allergens. This can lead to feelings of isolation or anxiety around shared meals.

Anaphylaxis, the most severe allergic reaction, can occur within minutes and quickly become life-threatening. For families like ours, where both children are at risk of anaphylaxis, the threat of accidental exposure is always present. The key to managing this risk is preparation and proactive planning.

Why Packing Your Own Food is a Game Changer

Bringing your own food to events offers a sense of security. You avoid guessing about ingredients and preparation methods, and you eliminate the risk of cross-contamination. Preparing meals at home allows you to control every ingredient, ensuring the food is safe for consumption.

Here are some benefits of packing your own food:

  • Safety: The primary advantage is knowing that what you or your child eats won’t trigger an allergic reaction. You can safely enjoy the event without worrying about hidden allergens.
  • Peace of Mind: Once you’ve packed your food, you can focus on enjoying the event and the company, rather than scanning ingredients or asking about how food was prepared.
  • Normalising Allergies: It’s also an opportunity to educate others about food allergies. Sharing why you bring your own food fosters understanding and can encourage conversations about food safety.

At events, it’s important to speak up. Kindly inform hosts or friends about why you’re bringing your own food. Most people are understanding and accommodating, especially when it comes to ensuring everyone’s safety.

Tips for Packing Safe Food for Outings

Here are a few practical tips to make packing food for outings both easy and effective:

  • Meal Prep: Plan ahead. If you know about the event in advance, take the time to prepare meals or snacks that travel well. Focus on non-perishable or easy-to-store options like wraps, fresh fruit, and allergy-safe snacks.
  • Label Everything: Especially for children, label lunch boxes or containers with allergen warnings to avoid confusion about what’s safe to eat.
  • Always Carry an Emergency Kit: While packing safe food is essential, accidents can still happen. Always carry an epinephrine auto-injector (like an EpiPen) and ensure that anyone attending the event with you knows about your allergies and how to help in an emergency.

The Importance of Food Safety

Proper food storage is essential. Websites like Keep Food Safe help people understand how to store, handle, and transport food safely. Whether it’s keeping cold foods cold or packing hot meals to prevent bacteria growth, following safe food practices minimizes the risk of foodborne illness.

A few tips from Keep Food Safe:

  • Use Insulated Coolers: For perishable items, store them in insulated coolers with ice packs to maintain the right temperature.
  • Separate Food Types: Avoid cross-contamination by packing raw and ready-to-eat foods separately.
  • Mind the Two-Hour Rule: Perishable foods should not sit out for more than two hours; in hot weather, the limit drops to just one hour.

By following these guidelines, you not only avoid allergy-related risks but also ensure that the food you bring stays safe to eat throughout the outing.

Reliable Resources for Allergy-Safe Eating

For managing the specific risks related to food allergies, there are excellent resources to guide families and individuals:

  • Allergy Life Australia and ASICA provide support, awareness, and up-to-date information on managing severe allergies.
  • Charlie’s Safe Treat Box offers allergy-safe treats and a range of helpful resources for allergy families.
  • Spokin Food Allergy App helps you find safe foods, places to eat, and travel with a supportive community.
  • Equal Eats – allergy translation card for communicated with food providers – whatever country you may find yourself in
  • Eating Out with Food Allergies on Instagram is amazing. Grace offers tips on navigating travel and eating out while minimizing risks.
  • My Food Allergy Friends provides child-friendly resources and school allergy programs to promote discussions on food allergies.

These platforms emphasise the importance of clear communication with friends, family, teachers, carers, restaurants, and hosts about your risks—and why you’re likely to bring your own food! They also share community stories and experiences, helping allergy families stay informed and empowered.

Final Thoughts

Packing your own food may seem like an extra step, but it’s a small price to pay for the safety and peace of mind it brings. It allows us to fully enjoy events and outings, knowing that we’re in control of what we eat and that we’ve minimized the risk of a potentially life-threatening reaction.

And… for those times when it all feels like too much, do it your way. For our family, that sometimes means skipping the eating part of an event altogether. We might head off for a picnic in nature, a swim at the beach, or a bush walk—then meet up with others later or on another occasion.

Living with food allergies isn’t easy, but with careful planning and the right resources, it’s possible to participate in social events without fear.

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