bake - February 2015 - 16

food safety

Food Allergy Friendly
Food allergies across the globe continue to increase in number.
According to a study released in 2013 by the Centers for Disease

QUICK FOOD ALLERGY FACTS

Control and Prevention, food allergies among children increased
approximately 50 percent between 1997 and 2011. This potentially deadly disease affects 1 in every 13 children (under 18 years
of age) in the US. That's roughly two in every classroom.
Learn Substitutions
Some common allergy-causing foods (ﬁsh, shellﬁsh, peanuts,
tree nuts, etc.) are easy to avoid when cooking from scratch.
Other common allergens will require an ingredient substitution.

* Researchers estimate that up to 15 million Americans
have food allergies.
* Eight foods account for 90 percent of all reactions:
milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish and
shellfish. Even trace amounts of a food allergen can
cause a reaction.
* Food allergies affect children and adults of all races
and ethnicity.
SOURCE: WWW.FOODALLERGY.ORG

If you are avoiding milk, you may be able to tolerate a milk
alternative such as those made from soy, rice or coconut, which
can be substituted in equal amounts.
Get Organized
There are commercial powders that will replace eggs when

Set up your kitchen, freezer and dry storage so that it is allergy-

baking from scratch, and others have had success with

friendly. For example, designate special shelves in the dry

replacing each egg in a recipe with one packet of gelatin mixed

storage area and freezer where allergy-friendly products, such

into 2 tablespoons of warm water.

as specialty ﬂour blends or powdered egg mixes, are kept.

Baking without wheat is particularly challenging, since no

Promote

single ﬂour will produce the same results in a baked good as

Once you've perfected your allergy free formulas, promote

standard wheat-based ﬂour. A combination of ﬂours made

them accordingly. Let your existing customers know that you

from rice, potato starch and tapioca often works best. You may

offer products for food allergy sufferers. This will get the word

need to experiment to ﬁnd the combination that works best in

out from customers who already shop your store. These shop-

your recipe. There are also several commercial wheat-free ﬂour

pers will spread the word.

mixes available on the market that are convenient and work
well in a multitude of recipes.

Reach out to new customers looking for allergy free products
as well. If you have an email list, send an e-blast promoting

Understand Cross-Contact

these new products. If you don't have an email list, start asking

Cross-contact occurs when proteins from two or more

all customers for an email address, but be careful. Many shop-

different foods mix because they have come into contact

pers hesitate to give out email addresses for fear of spam. If

with one another. When preparing allergy-free foods, clean

you encounter this type of customer, let it go with a smile and

all equipment, utensils, and surfaces prior to their use with

thank them for their business.

hot, soapy water.

SOURCE: WWW.ACAAI.ORG

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bake - February 2015

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