Share the Love

Today has ended up being one of the best Valentine's Days I have ever had though. Not because my boyfriend sent me flowers or because we had our skype date (He is in London), but because I was inspired and surprised by the love of a complete stranger. 

Sharing my love and passion for this business and my story on food allergies has brought me new friendships and relationships I would probably not have otherwise. My compassionate heart bleeds for fellow people suffering with this illness and other food related illnesses.
In the last few months I was contacted by a woman who read this very blog post and came across the ilaraholland.com website. She and I spoke at length on the phone and our common topic was of course food allergies. We talked in/out/up/ down/around about food allergies and the business behind them. Caroline of the Grateful Foodie Blog, did what any great journalist does, she recorded everything we discussed and wrote an article about our conversation. I didn't know when, where or how it would come out but this morning, first thing I received an email from Caroline who shared she had just posted this:  http://www.gratefulfoodie.com/food-allergies-solutions-part-i-eating-out/ . This is what I call LOVE and the best Valentine's Day gifts of all time, a beautiful article and exposure to her network.
Love comes at us in all sorts of forms and expressions, it's up to us how we receive and accept it.  

My LOVE and Passion is in food and helping those with food allergies and those who have to deal with the food allergic they love. 

Last night, my daughter asked me to make cookies with her. Why would she do that? Not just because she wanted cookies, but because she knows that due to my food allergies, I would not be getting chocolate or indulging in dessert any time unless we made something at home. Why? Because of my 9 food allergies- there is next to nothing I can safely eat that doesn't have butter, vanilla, nuts, or citrus in it. She loves me and wanted to share a Valentine's Day treat together. That's LOVE! 

There are some chefs and business owners out there that say, "Tough luck- cook at home. Not our job to serve everyone. Learn to cook." You are right, it is my responsibility to prepare my own food and honestly, I love to do it because I love to create wonderful dishes everyone can enjoy- but how awesome would it be if Food Allergic Foodies could actually eat outside of the confines of the own kitchen on special holidays. And why can't you, many might ask. A food allergic knows they can never just "order of a menu" especially when it is a Prefixed menu. A food allergic also knows they dare not step foot into a restaurant when it is busy, because it is WAY too Risky. 

Today I spend most of my hours educating and certifying commercial kitchens & individuals on food allergens. 

I can only hope this begins to bring messages which reach far and wide on the importance of having specialized menus for the food allergic as well and from there that will spill over to food manufactures.

My mission this year to educate at least 150 different food establishments on food allergens, the importance of understanding this is not just being socially responsible but it also represents REVENUE to the business that decides to take this on. 

I ask you to start with this important step and share this information- Please join our online training and certification course, via AllerCert. 

Happy Valentine's Day Readers. Share the Love. 

2013 Goals for Food Allergy Advocacy

This year Food Allergy Gal a.k.a Lara Holland, Food Allergy Consultancy intends to help over 150 retail food establishments from grocers to restaurants. How will we do this and why?

Why?

1. The number of adults with late onset food allergies continues to rise, just as much as kids with food allergies. Adults suffering from late onset food allergies typically struggle the most in eating out, because they don't have an advocate AND they know what "real" food is suppose to taste like, or they remember something tasting a certain way and expect the same great quality. 
2. Many consumers diagnosed with food allergies have stopped eating out all together, because beyond the ignorance most people have who work in food service about food allergies, options are limited and it's embarrassing to have to inconvenience others from those they are dining with to those serving them. 
3. Shopping for food with food allergies is equally as difficult and time consuming but the level of confidence is increased when a consumer can read every ingredient in packaging and they don't feel they are putting anyone else out. Grocery shopping takes a much longer time and coming up with creative recipes is equally as difficult. 

How? 

1. We believe education is the key. If we could train and certify 150 food establishments per year, we would see the sensitivity of food allergies increase, the standardization begin to form, the confidence of consumers with food allergies and those that dine with them increase. To sign up for an AllerCert Course, please click here. 
2. Build menus that cater to the food allergic/sensitive. We have seen an increase in the gluten free menu being offered. So why don't we have the same for a food allergic? If we could create a special menu with just 5 foods that are top 10 food allergy free- or list every ingredient in the menu item and highlight the allergens, it would make ordering so much easier. #AllerSmartMenu is the key. 
1. Too many times a waitress or a cook thinks there is no way a dish could have dairy or nuts (as an example) but unless they have triple checked the labels and spoken with the chef there are tons of hidden ingredients most trained food service professionals are not aware of. 
3. Work with product manufactures and grocers. We aim to help product manufactures and grocers with easy to identify labeling and help grocers understand the importance of carrying good/safe products and how to merchandise for the food allergic we will help ease shopping experiences and provide more options for food allergic. 

Facts and Stats 

220 million people worldwide allergic to one or more foods. There is no cure for food allergies except strict avoidance of the food(s) the person is allergic to. There is no explanation as to why or when a person develops a food allergy. It could happen at anytime, anywhere. If a person consumes something they are 100% allergic to they could die if they are not treated immediately. People with food sensitivities (i.e. gluten) will develop painful illnesses that could last 1 to 7 days and other side effects could last up to 1 month. The food allergy/gluten free market is still untapped. It represents $26.5 billion in the next 4 years. There is potential to grow and expand revenue, on top of doing the socially responsible thing. 

Questions for our readers
We are always looking from feedback and comments from our readers. Do you think this will work? Do you agree with the solutions? How do you think we can better reach restaurants and grocers to help them understand the importance of this and get them to adopt this process? What would make your life easier as a  food allergic or a parent or friend of a food allergic? (Beyond the obvious cure food allergies)

Click Here to Contact Food Allergy Gal