Unusual? Rare? Allergy/intolerance

I think quite a few people cannot tolerate dairy products generally. My DD's partner was one such. She tended to go for vegan food when eating out so that she could be sure of avoiding dairy products.

I think most food places are aware of such intolerances and adjust accordingly. Maybe you're going to the wrong cafes, G23. Anyway, good luck.

I have major food problems due to several health conditions, and can't tolerate dairy, gluten, soya, nuts, nightshades, rice, various vegetables and fruits, coffee, red meat, alcohol - I've probably missed out a few.

I don't eat any "cafe food" at all, and if going out for a meal I phone ahead to check what I can eat. It's much easier now than when I was first ill nearly 40 years ago. Supermarkets have whole aisles of "free from foods" and most pubs and restaurants are used to people with food problems.

I always check to see if the waiter has written down what I've said. If in doubt, a wise friend decades ago advised me to ask to speak to the chef... this works.

The trouble with Free From and also vegan foods is that often they just exclude dairy and gluten, so if, like Sparklefizz and one of my DGC, you can't take nuts, you're still not safe. It is indeed easier now that restaurants should have lists of ingredients available. Even in a canteen or a private house where your problems are known, you are still at the mercy of a spoon accidentally used to serve your meal when it has previously served something with the cheese sauce that your helping doesn't have. My DGC ended up in hospital once when that happened.

I should have thought you'd be safe with vegan cafes and restaurants.. they seem to proliferate nowdays

Yes, but vegans do eat nuts, pascal30.

My intolerance is to artificial sugar which is in more and more things nowadays, even toothpaste!
I am forever reading labels and asking in restaurants etc. Even if the item didn't contain any nasties last week they might have crept into the recipe this week.
I agree that a full list of ingredients should be clearly available.

Perhaps eat vegan foods? Naturally, there would be no cheese.

My strange intolerance is Aloe Vera.

If it's in a hand wash when I'm out I can use it once, rinse really well and I'm OK after that if I need to wash my hands again it's plain water as two washes will bring me out in blisters.

Face and body creams/lotions are an absolute no no.

My sister, despite being told every year, insists on buying me creams and or lotions for birthday and Christmas without checking so the charity shop benefits most years.

Food wise I'm mostly OK but have to limit gluten and dairy. As I've aged brassicas have to be limited too and not eaten two days running.

My three year old grandson has severe allergies to dairy and egg.His diet is basically vegan with meat.

If we take him out to eat we tend to go to the local vegan cafe but we also know what we can order from chain restaurants which won’t cause him to have a reaction.

There is so much vegan food in the supermarkets and dairy alternatives and lots of vegan choices when eating out.

DDiL has developed a host of food allergies since being diagnosed with an autoimmune illness.
Fresh fruit, nuts and soya are the main ones and she carries an epipen. Soya is a real problem, because, for example 'lecithin' is an emulsifier extensively used in sweets and chocolates and usually made from soya. It is also made from sunlowers, but it is not used much.

Most people assume all milk allergies are caused by lactose, but some people are allergic to casein, the protein in milk, which means they can eat butter, which is fat only, but not cheese or milk.

Wheniwasyourage

Yes, but vegans do eat nuts, pascal30.

Sorry WIWYA I was replying to the poster. You are correct re nuts..

I'm always a bit sceptical when someone says I'm 'allergic' to this or 'intolerant' to that. There's a big different between an actual allergy and an intolerance, for starters, and unless someone has been properly diagnosed with one or the other, you really can't say for definite that you have one. I think now especially, it's become quite trendy in some circles to say you have an 'intolerance' to something. And I hasten to add that I'm not dismissing anyone who has a true allergy to something - I know exactly how dangerous and how life-threatening it can be.

My DH has a severe intolerance to garlic. It can make him very ill.
It makes going out to eat quite difficult at times and I have to read the contents on every packet or tin that I buy.

My Grandson has a dairy intolerance and we have to be wary of what he is given to eat with stringent reading of ingredients on everything.
We have been introduced to the milk ladder but it's a slow process - one step forward two steps back. Surprisingly the shops own cheaper versions of products are better to avoid dairy products.