a near miss with a cupcake. health worker suing shop using new UK allergy regs

[eragon]

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/i-almost-died-eating-cupcake-that-had-no-allergy-warning-says-health-worker-suing-east-london-cafe-10420964.html

[Macabre]

If she thinks she is safe eating a cupcake from a cafe that is not dedicated nut free, she is kidding herself. Why would any cupcake at a cafe be safe? 

Stuff like this drives me crazy.

[SilverLining]

The missing signage... "Ask about allergens".

Not an actual ingredient label....a reminder to ask.

[CMdeux]

Isn't remembering to "ask" about your allergens, um...


being a responsible ADULT?

What am I missing?

[Macabre]

Egads, even if she had asked about a different cupcake, very likely cross contaminated, she is likely to be told that it was safe by staff.

Of course, if she had asked about this one, she would have been told pistachio.

Really, if you don't ask, it's your own fault.  And if you think you can get a safe nut free thing at a bakery and you have a reaction, it's also your fault. 

[lakeswimr]

It is scary that some people do not realizes the risks of eating high risk foods like baked goods.  And also scary that people have LTFAs and walk around without epi pens.  And also very scary the paramedics used a nebulizer instead of an epi on her. 

[eragon]

If we just look at the allergen regulations and ignore the dangerous behaviour of the adult, the fact that they declared the cake wheat and sugar free is a legal sign.
They have to declare or have to hand entire ingredient list or have it available
,https://www.allergyawarekitchen.co.uk/new-allergen-law/



http://www.food.gov.uk/science/allergy-intolerance/label/labelling-changes

[CMdeux]

... and truly, THAT is a great step forward. 

[Macabre]

eragon that is so, so cool.  And it includes sesame!! And lupin--that's great. Also cool--celery.  DS is allergic to raw celery but can eat cooked. 

[eragon]

if enforced correctly we should be able to eat outside more often and with greater confidence. The same 14 allergens are on all food labels in supermarkets to then move that 14 to restaurants is a fantastic step forward.

[Macabre]

But that is just like the USA'a problem--shared lines don't have to be labeled for. And in the case of a bakery that makes a lot of say nutty things, that won't do a lot for people with a nut allergy. They already should not be eating stuff there.

I can't believe I am going to use this phrase. Please forgive me. But I can see how it can lead to a false sense of security.. Unless you aren't very sensitive and have no problem with shared equipment.

That's the downfall of FALCPA in the U.S.. Although at least with most manufacturers you know there is some semblance of cleaning lines between runs--especially if they say it I would not expect the same type of cleaning in a bakery.

[CMdeux]

Actually, having worked in a few (bakeries, I mean)-- the risks are really pretty similar, IMO.  It just really, really depends upon the individual establishment.

The small shop that I worked in was meticulous from a cleaning/sanitizing standpoint.  We hand-washed most trays and dishes, and used single-use disposable tray liners on top of THAT, and no way was a mixing bowl or counter used with just a wipe-down in between product.

On the other hand, in the higher-volume supermarket bakery that I worked in, everything was cross-contaminated in nightmarish, myriad ways.  EVERYTHING. 

Most people would have anticipated that the larger, higher-volume place affiliated with a major supermarket chain would have had WAY better "protocols" etc, but it was definitely not so.  So sure-- we could provide labels in a way that the smaller place would have struggled to do...  but the risks were still at least an order of magnitude higher.  Cleaning happened infrequently between product, re-work was commonplace, open/shared rack space was common, parchments were re-used in oven tray racks, etc. etc. etc. etc.  It went on and on and on.  NONE of that stuff was a food-safety risk-- in fact, in a general health-department kind of way, the two shops were very good and on equal footing.  But from an allergy stance, there was no comparison.

[Macabre]

Wow.  You're right--I would expect better practices at a larger shop--especially considering that I actually ordered cakes from our Houston area Kroger grocery store after talking with them and seeing their space.  And I talked with them several times.  Actually, I would order cakes frosted with one color only and order the frosting in colors we wanted, because we could never get that kind of saturation in DH's frostings.  And then we (DH) would decorate. 

But the whole shared racks and such--I kinda do expect that everywhere else.  It's such a scary thought. 

[eragon]

the 'may contain' is still there as a grey issue, but the 14 allergens if a deliberate ingredient they have to have that information.