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What is Cross Contact and How Concerned Should You Be?

What is Cross Contact and How Concerned Should You Be?

Anyone who has serious food allergies knows that they are in danger of experience an allergic reaction anytime they eat food they did not carefully prepare themselves. Without taking special care, they can easily expose themselves to potentially fatal allergens. As a result, a person with food allergies must take every possible measure to avoid cross contact.

If you are not familiar with the concept of cross contact – or how dangerous it can be – keep reading. If you believe you have food allergies, or have been diagnosed and want information on the latest options available to you, contact Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Medical Group at 805-658-9500 for help.

What exactly is cross contact?

Cross contact refers to an allergen coming into contact with food that would not otherwise contain that allergen. As a result, what should have been safe for a person to eat could potentially kill them. Note that this is not the same thing as the more commonly discussed cross contamination. That happens when bacteria, mold, or other substances get on food and make it unsafe for anyone to eat – not just those with allergies.

The three ways cross contact most often occurs

Food can come into cross contact at any stage of the preparation process, including buying and storing the food. There are three major ways it happens:

  1. Food to food contact in which a food that is free of an allergen is in direct contact with a food that has the allergen.
  2. Food to object contact occurs when utensils are used to handle foods that have the allergen and foods that do not have the allergen, thus infecting the food without the allergen.
  3. Food to skin to saliva contact is an indirect type of cross contact that can happen when a person who has eaten the allergen passes it on to an allergic person via their saliva. This can happen when people kiss or share a glass. It can also occur when an animal licks or bites a person.

Tips for avoiding cross contact

There are a few steps that must be taken to greatly reduce the chances of becoming victim to cross contamination. First, prepare your own food. If you are going to be serving numerous types of food, make the foods that are allergy free before making the others. Cover and label foods that are safe for allergies and do not store them with other foods. Use separate knives, plates, etc., to further prevent cross contact.

The best thing you can do is to simply plan in advance. If you are going to eat at a friend’s house, do one of two things: Bring your own food or give very specific instructions on how they must handle any food you will be eating. If you are going out to eat, call ahead to the restaurant and find out what they can do to accommodate you. You can also find allergy treatment options by working with Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Medical Group at 805-658-9500.