Allergies and intolerances: how to reduce the risk of cross-contamination?

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Reducing the risk of food cross-contamination is a critically important skill for people with severe allergies and food intolerances. To successfully prevent allergens from getting into safe food, it is necessary to carefully study the composition on packaging before buying. Always pay close attention to indicators such as sugar, salt, dietary fiber, and protein content to understand the overall value of the product for your body.

When choosing goods in a store, it is useful to compare similar items based on 100 grams of the product. This allows you to quickly determine which option contains fewer potentially dangerous impurities or hidden allergens that manufacturers may add to improve taste or texture. Special caution should be exercised when buying loose products by weight, as the risk of accidental traces of nuts, gluten, or milk is many times higher there due to the specifics of display and the use of shared utensils.

To minimize risks in your own kitchen, implement a few mandatory hygiene and space organization rules.

1. Allocate a separate cutting board and knife for working with potential allergens or completely remove them from your home.

2. Thoroughly wash your hands, kitchen utensils, and surfaces with hot water and soap after every contact with foods capable of causing an allergic reaction in you.

3. Store allergenic foods on the upper or isolated shelves of the refrigerator in tightly sealed containers to prevent them from accidentally falling onto other dishes.

Allergies and intolerances: how to reduce the risk of cross-contamination?

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