Australia is the food allergy capital of the world, with peanuts, tree nuts, and sesame being some of the leading reactive food items, according to the Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy.
Sydney resident Georgia Rixon, 26, has been allergic to nuts her whole life, and is diligent about advising staff and checking allergen contents when ordering food.
“I have ordered a chicken schnitzel before, which I thought was a safe meal but after I started having a reaction, the staff told me there were hazelnuts and walnuts in the salad,” she said.
“Nowhere on the menu was that specified.
“From my own experience working in hospitality and dining out, I’ve noticed nuts are rarely specified on menus in Australia.”
The National Allergy Centre of Excellence (NACE) has reported that one in 10 Australian infants develop a food allergy in the first 12 months of life.
Ms Rixon said cafe and restaurant menus often included other common allergies and intolerances, such as dairy and gluten free, but not nuts.
Despite her efforts to avoid nuts, Ms Rixon has still had multiple serious reactions in her adult life.
She believes restaurants and cafes should be legally forced to warn of nuts on their menus.
“I’ve noticed in Europe; most food services include allergen charts on all their menus,” she said.
“I think this needs to be a mandatory practice in Australia too.
“Also, I think all staff need to be informed about the contents of each meal, or at least have that information easily accessible, so they can provide the customer with the necessary food details.”