When cooking for others, it is vital now more than ever that you cater for any specific dietary requirements your guests may have. Failure to ensure this can in extreme cases cause severe allergic reactions and even death.
There are various reasons for dietary requirements including but not limited to allergies, religious reasons, and ethical reasons.
For some instances, some people may be allergic, or intolerant. Generally speaking, an intolerance is a gastrointestinal response often resulting in a mild discomfort, whilst an allergic reaction is a far more serious autoimmune response that can, in extreme cases, prove fatal.
To find out a little bit more about specific dietary requirements, safe alternatives, and best practices when handling food for different requirements, read on below.
(Jump to: Dairy Free and Lactose Intolerance | Gluten Free and Coeliac)
Dairy Free and Lactose Intolerance
Dairy is contained in cows milk, meaning it can be found in cheeses, yogurts, creams, and milks… Or any product containing these.
Gluten Free and Coeliac
Gluten is a protein family which is present in grains such as wheat, barley, rye, and oats. There are two primary offenders known as the proteins glutenin and gliadin.
There are two reasons someone may be gluten free, these are either an intolerance to gluten or an allergy.
Whilst many people claim to be allergic to gluten, it’s not uncommon for them to simply be intolerant rather than allergic.
If a person intolerant to gluten were to consume it, the most common symptoms include:
- Abdominal pain ranging from mild to severe
- Bloating
- Excessive passing of gas
- Diarrhoea
- Nausea
Side effects from consuming gluten when intolerant can last from hours to days and in most cases are more of a mild inconvenience.
Coeliac disease is an autoimmune deficiency resulting in an allergy to gluten. People diagnosed as coeliac are unable to digest gluten and by consuming gluten could cause serious damage to their stomach. In serious cases, they could go into life-threatening anaphylaxis.
Many people will treat an intolerance and coeliac with the same caution, avoiding gluten completely.
You can learn about celiac disease over at coeliac.org.uk/.