Why An Allergy Safe Dining Alliance Matters

With food allergy rates rising across the globe and a significant portion of the United States population affected, it’s more important than ever to build a strong, practical allergy-safe dining culture. 

In the United States alone, over 27 million adults have food allergies, and more than half of those are considered severe. Each year, 3.4 million patients end up in the emergency room due to a severe food allergy reaction.

Why So Many Allergic Reactions Happen at Restaurants 

Many of these reactions happen while eating out, because allergens can hide in unexpected places.

Sometimes, restaurants don’t disclose all the ingredients in a dish, and even if they do, the risk of cross-contact in the kitchen is real. A dish that seems simple and safe might still be dangerous.

I’ve experienced this firsthand. On my 2024 trip to Greece, I had an allergic reaction to a slice of ham that had been sprinkled with tree nuts for flavor. No one thought to mention it.

The Emotional Toll of Eating Out

When you live with a food allergy, every restaurant meal becomes a risk-reward calculation.

You have to ask the waiter about your allergen, sometimes multiple times, and still stay alert to the possibility of cross-contact. If you’re traveling abroad, the challenge grows: you might not speak the local language, or you might not know how to get help fast if something goes wrong.

All of this takes a serious emotional toll. You don’t feel safe. You can’t fully relax. And eating out becomes more stressful than enjoyable.

What We Do At the Safe Plate Alliance

At the Safe Plate Alliance, we’re working to change that, for both allergy sufferers and the restaurants that serve them.

Our goal is to empower both diners and food establishments with practical resources, real-world best practices, and the latest updates from the food allergy world.

We believe the responsibility doesn’t fall only on the person with the allergy. It’s a shared responsibility, and one that restaurants can also step up to meet with just a few smart, compassionate changes.

We’re building a growing list of tools for both diners and restaurants, and we’ll soon be profiling local restaurants that go above and beyond when it comes to allergy safety.

We’d Love to Hear From You

Does your restaurant take food allergies seriously? Do you have measures in place to protect your guests? We’d love to spotlight your efforts.

Send us an email at safeplatealliance@gmail.com, and we’ll be in touch soon.

Thanks for reading, and for helping build a world where everyone can dine with confidence!