If you work in any capacity in the food industry particularly where food is served to the public this is a bit of a plea.  When some explains that they have a dietary requirement please take it seriously.  It may be a personal choice to follow that diet or it may even be a medical issue.  Either way do not guess, do not lie, please check and be sure.

I have recently become allergic to all dairy products in a big and quite dangerous way.  The effects of eating just a small amount is awful.  No cheese, milk, butter, cream, chocolate, pizza, pesto…  The list is long and contains so many of my previous staples in my diet.  You probably would have guessed most of those but it is actually much worse.

This is not the same as Lactose intolerance.  That is a common misunderstanding.  There are many more proteins in dairy that you can be intolerant or allergic to.  It is much more complicated than just Lactose.  There is also Whey, Caseinate and Rennet to name but a few.  However, the most common to be found in foods is Lactose and Whey.

Lactose creeps its insiduouse way in to all sorts of products many you would not expect.  Don’t think this is a thing about adding milk to something.  Some salt and vinegar flavoured crisps contain Lactose.  Would you have thought of that?  So do many breads.  It is also used as a packing agent in most tablets.  I take medication for another condition and sourcing tablets that do not contain Lactose has been a big problem.  Come on, would you really have guessed that most tablet based medicines contain milk?

Whey is only slightly better and seems to be an ingredient that is added to food for the lack of creativity to identify something else to put in.  Is there some kind of whey mountain that a secret organisation is attempting to get rid of my sneaking it into our food?

Here is a favourite phrase that appears on many food packets.  “Produced in a factory where milk is also used.”  This has become very popular recently and is springing up all over the place meaning I have to check and re-check everything I buy and the items in my food cupboard dwindle again.  It’s like my food is being picked off one by one in some freaky horror movie.  I do wonder what this phrase means.  We cannot guarantee that we have not accidentally chucked in some milk to the next batch of TUC biscuits even though the recipe does not call for it.  When that does happen we don’t trash the batch we think what the hell and send it out in to the world.  Alternatively does it mean that we don’t wash the equipment in our factory when we have made something that contains milk and then move on to something that doesn’t?  Every batch of product X contains a bit of product Y just for fun.  I know this is probably some kind of legal precaution but seriously.  My wife does not suffer from the same condition and we are able to keep milk in the fridge without it sending out wispy tentacles of contamination into everything else in then fridge.  So please why?  Also, why is this phrase frequently on a different part of the packaging to the ingredients meaning you have to continually turn over and over a product to ensure you  have read everything including the bit that is tucked away in the fold of the wrapper.

May also contain…

Made in a factory…

I understand this is a hassle when taking my order in the restaurant or stand in front of the product you want in the supermarket while I examine the very small print list of ingredients but it is a much bigger hassle for me.  Trust me.  I am embarrassed to go through it every time I eat something I have not prepared myself.  Please bare with me and help ensure I do not get ill!