How Safe is your Curry? Food Allergy Awareness of Restaurant Staff

On average six fatal incidences of anaphylaxis to food allergens are reported in the UK each year [1] and the FDA website quotes 150 deaths for the United States [2]. However the true incidence may be higher, and of course these figures exclude any ‘near misses’ following exposure. Patients are more at risk of unintentional exposure to food allergens when routine is disrupted, for example during festive eating or dining away from home [3] and in restaurants [4,5]. In a study of 48 deaths from food allergens between 1999 and 2006, 18 people had died after consuming catered food [3].