Allergy Insanity

[Peppergirl]

I often tell people that I'm allergic to onions, but it's not an allergy or even a sensitivity. My body, for some unknown reason, refuses to properly digest some chemical compound found in raw onions (I suspect onion oil) and causes me severe gastrointestinal distress. As such, I tend to stick with just eschewing onions altogether as I can never be certain that the onion has been cooked enough to prevent the feeling of a knife in my lower abdomen.

IMO, this would be an acceptable fib. If eating a certain item causes you severe discomfort, there's nothing wrong with saying you're allergic to it.

The ones that annoy me are the whiny ones that carry on about being allergic, as if to stress their point of not wanting an item, when they are NOT allergic.

[mharbourgirl]

The ones that annoy me are the whiny ones that carry on about being allergic, as if to stress their point of not wanting an item, when they are NOT allergic.

Some of them are whiny, no argument. But sometimes it seems like the only way to get a restaurant to leave ONE item that you absolutely hate off your food is to insist that you're allergic. I once sent a dish back 3 times because they'd dumped a handful of fresh cilantro on it as a garnish, and I don't just dislike cilantro, I hate the taste of it beyond words. There was no reason they couldn't have left it off, and I couldn't eat the food I'd paid for with that awful stuff on it. 'Allergic' is a word that gets attention when nothing else will.

[Peppergirl]

Some of them are whiny, no argument. But sometimes it seems like the only way to get a restaurant to leave ONE item that you absolutely hate off your food is to insist that you're allergic. I once sent a dish back 3 times because they'd dumped a handful of fresh cilantro on it as a garnish, and I don't just dislike cilantro, I hate the taste of it beyond words. There was no reason they couldn't have left it off, and I couldn't eat the food I'd paid for with that awful stuff on it. 'Allergic' is a word that gets attention when nothing else will.

I can see your point. I guess I should consider myself lucky that I've rarely had to send a dish back because they've put green peppers on it. I hate them, but most places get my order right when I ask them to leave them off.

[Magpie]

I'm actually not convinced that there's never colour in tea. My husband can't have several kinds of colour (and a handful of preservatives). It's not the usual reaction - instead of getting really angry he gets sores on the inside of his mouth and fuzzy headed. We know tartrazine (yes, everyone's favourite villian, yellow #5, strikes again) is a problem. He also has trouble with a lot of red items, but we aren't sure that red is a problem - they might just contain tartrazine.

There are a lot of teas he can't drink. We understand why the flavoured teas would give him a hard time, because those have additives in them. Roiboos, however, will frequently give him trouble. He suspects that there might be an unscrupulous supplier somewhere in one of the chains who ensures that the tea is nice and red. And due to Canadian labelling laws, ingredients of ingredients don't need to be listed, nor is it obligatory to specify natural vs artificial, and if something is a flavouring AND colouring agent it can be a problem, etc.

So the woman might be able to have trouble with tea (although I doubt with good green tea), but looking at the ingredients possibly wouldn't help her anyhow.

[EmilyRose1982]

I'm actually not convinced that there's never colour in tea. My husband can't have several kinds of colour (and a handful of preservatives). It's not the usual reaction - instead of getting really angry he gets sores on the inside of his mouth and fuzzy headed. We know tartrazine (yes, everyone's favourite villian, yellow #5, strikes again) is a problem. He also has trouble with a lot of red items, but we aren't sure that red is a problem - they might just contain tartrazine.

There are a lot of teas he can't drink. We understand why the flavoured teas would give him a hard time, because those have additives in them. Roiboos, however, will frequently give him trouble. He suspects that there might be an unscrupulous supplier somewhere in one of the chains who ensures that the tea is nice and red. And due to Canadian labelling laws, ingredients of ingredients don't need to be listed, nor is it obligatory to specify natural vs artificial, and if something is a flavouring AND colouring agent it can be a problem, etc.

So the woman might be able to have trouble with tea (although I doubt with good green tea), but looking at the ingredients possibly wouldn't help her anyhow.

I completely agree that some teas may have food coloring, but those would probably be the cheap types you get in a grocery store. I work for a large coffee shop chain (not bux) and all our teas are fresh and natural--this I'm sure of, as we all had to learn about our new teas when they arrived back in the early part of this year. So I was able to tell this SC without any doubt that our teas are free of food coloring. I even used the words "natural" and "nothing extra added besides citrus", yet she continued to freak out. Sigh. I wonder if she called headquarters yet to bitch about this.....

[PepperElf]

of course part of me wants to say "sure it has yellow #5" just to make her go away
though obviously if it *does* have it you can't lie that it doesn't cos that would be evil.
but chasing them away... only partially evil.

[Magpie]

I even used the words "natural" and "nothing extra added besides citrus", yet she continued to freak out.

Where do they source the citrus? Yes, I know it's ludicrous. You wouldn't BELIEVE what they put colour in (especially given that tartrazine is questionable to begin with, and there exists a yellow #6 they can use instead). I'm only slightly bitter that the Christmas cake has been so horribly affected by this.

[EmilyRose1982]

of course part of me wants to say "sure it has yellow #5" just to make her go away
though obviously if it *does* have it you can't lie that it doesn't cos that would be evil.
but chasing them away... only partially evil.

Hmmmm good idea....next time I see her, I'll tell her EVERYTHING has yellow #5 in it, even the coffee, so she'll never come back. /insert evil laugh here

[dalesys]

Hmmmm good idea....next time I see her, I'll tell her EVERYTHING has yellow #5 in it, even the coffee, so she'll never come back. /insert evil laugh here

Be sure to mention that the flooring is just saturated with Yellow #5.


See if she really can levitate out the door.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

Hmmmm good idea....next time I see her, I'll tell her EVERYTHING has yellow #5 in it, even the coffee, so she'll never come back. /insert evil laugh here

Actually, it's not "too" evil to say that. If she is really allergic to Y#5, then you would be a very responsible company if you informed her of the (very real actually) cross contamination risk.

[EricKei]

But, yes. Tea contains water infused with molecules from tea leaves dissolved therein. Technically, tea doesn't even contain tea, just bits of it. :P

> Take Tea
Taken.
> Take Not Tea
Taken.
> Give Tea and Not Tea to vogon TheComputerError
Given.
> Run like hell
Running.

^_^

Sorry, Couldn't resist. I was picturing you giving the vending machine Arthur's "History of Tea" even before I saw your sig >_>

[aurelemsrealm]

I seem to have problems with anything that's really spicy hot. I can eat something with a little heat and be fine, but at some point my mouth will break out in sores if I'm not careful. The same is true with anything acidic like citrus fruits or tomatoes. I don't have any food allergies that I know of, but have learned that certain foods will just cause my mouth to break out in sores.

So, I don't eat jalapenos or similarly hot foods, period. However I do like black pepper, but have to be careful not to eat too much at a time or I have problems. Likewise, I like citrus fruits and tomatoes, but have to be careful not to eat too much at a time.

I ask how spicy a dish is and order everything mild, but don't get up in arms if jalapenos are put on my food by mistake. I just pick them off the best I can. If something is too hot on the first bite, I just don't eat any more of it.