...which someone somewhere will have been......what do you think of this case where the restaurant gadgie has been imprisoned for serving up peanuts in his take-aways?

Obviously,he was at fault, and obviously it's a terrible thing that the customer died but, if you had an allergy so serious that it could lead to death, would you ever consider eating at restaurants at all? Surely there'd always be a risk of contamination whatever the precautions taken by a food outlet?

The concern as a chef is the pressure form above to reduce costs, use cheaper ingredients, packaging, take on apprentice rather than skilled.

Ground almonds are more expensive due to a shortage in California, drought etc and they supply 80% of the worlds output, changing that to a ground nut which pretty much does a similar job is the type of thing a buyer would do to reduce costs.

Not big or clever but guess who earns more, the buyer of course, well done for reducing costs!

I know all that. The restaurateur was obviously a clown who expected his 6-figure debt to be affected by simply switching to a lower cost ingredient. And he was obviously at fault for not labelling his dishes.

But what I'm asking is why a person with a potentially fatal allergy would risk eating out in the first place. Even with the best of intentions, ingredients can get mixed up.

Obviously someone like Butt head would eat anywhere they served him. And that I believe is the problem. A lack of intelligence leads to these people taking a chance

I think the guarantee from the chef would give me the confidence that food had been kept separate.

Why is it food allergies seem to hit only foods that are actually nice?

Oh to have had a vegetable allergy when I was young. What joy that would have been. Laughing during the obligatory sunday dinner at all the grim faces eating their cabbage and sprouts, whilst I had chips and peanuts.

No one had peanut or egg allergies when I was a kid. Gluten may as well have been from space ffs. What's happened now to make everyone so sensitive to this stuff?

nobody was gay back then either. Are the two linked?

Shall we bum and eat some peanuts, see what happens?

Better not risk it. Until after the EU referendum.

Lots of people were gay - they were just too scared to admit it, though you may have been tongue in cheek there of course.
Personally, there is no way I would order a takeaway if I had such severe allergies.
I'd probably want to make all my own food

Nah they werent.

Its only since we let all of them niggers in and them polish and them muslims.

Before that we were pure.

No there where no gays.. I also believe that Boris and Farage and the rest of his swivel eyed minions are going to spend the £350 million a week saved by brexiting on the NHS like they told us last night.

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Did I shag your boyfriend at some point?

If the chef is making the food from scratch then yes, if using a ready made sauce then ask him/her to check the label, I wish everybody was allergic to palm oil and then the de forestation of Indonesia would cease, it is in nearly everything you eat now

I got diagnosed with coeliac disease - proper gluten intolerance - 3 years ago. I definitely wasn't born with it (I'd have noticed) and it does seem like modern food processing is to blame for the big increase in numbers of people with the condition.

It's easy to avoid eating gluten at home just by buying the right (expensive) stuff, but I'm always conscious that eating out is a bit of a lottery - even if they advertise a gluten free menu you can't be sure what's going to finish up on your plate.

No big deal for me because the worst I'm going to get is gut ache or the trots, but got to agree that anyone with a peanut allergy or similar is probably best taking responsibility for their own survival and just not eating out. At least they can have a drink!

I have a pretty severe allergy to peanuts, always been very careful with it, especially with indian restaurants as my parents always told me that they sometimes use peanut oil to cook with.

Was only about a year or so ago that I went to one in Hartlepool. Had been to indian restaurants before without any bother and so was somewhat complacent (had also consumed a few pints). Anyway, ended up ordering the Tikka Masala as I assumed it would be safe being a fairly standard curry. On every other occasion I've always checked to make sure they don't use peanut oil, not so this time.

Got about half way through it before I started to feel sick. Didn't eat the rest and ended up just waiting for everyone else to leave and take me home. By the time I got home I felt rotten. Ended up throwing up the entire meal and on the way up my throat must have reacted with the peanut traces and just closed up. Fortunately I could still breathe and didn't go into anaphylactic shock. But my throat didn't properly open again for 2 days.

Was a very harrowing experience, my fault all in all, should have been more careful like I usually am. But I really don't get why they bother using peanut oil in the first place. How much can it possibly enhance the food against the risk of potentially killing someone who was a little careless in their choice of curry? Also, the Tikka Masala typically ended up being the only curry they actually use peanut oil in.

Haven't been to an indian restaurant since. Dare say I will again one day, but I will certainly learn from my complacency if I ever do.

You do realise tikka masala is generally made with ground almonds aswell dont you? I presume your allergic to them an all?

Personally my throat closes up if i eat unprocessed melon, apple, orange or unsalted nuts etc. Not to the extent that I cant breath or enter shock so dont really bother me but its uncomfortable. Called "pollen food oral allergy syndrome" or similar and basically is related to hayfever. Once anything is processed or cooked etc its fine though. Had it since birth but only found out what it was about 1 year ago.

Just the peanut allergy for me, had Tikka Masala many times and has never bothered me before. Thought for years I was allergic to all nuts but turns out it doesn't quite work that way. Frightening how one small peanut can just ruin my body in no time at all. Such a fundamental flaw of the human body.

I get an itchy throat and chest pains when I eat any type of Melon, Cucumber or Banana. Something to do with my hayfever and allergy to Ragweed pollen.

Same here Joe and what i said above - generally called "pollen food oral allergy syndrome"

My parents always said i was pretending it to get out of eating lots of fruit etc and always said i was obviously lying as fruit juice didnt have same effect. But fruit juice has been processed etc and is fine.

Only took them 20 odd years to believe me!!

I have a similar allergy. Bananas, tomatoes and most other fruit and veg. I love a salad especially in the summer, but can't really eat them. My salads consist of lettuce, spring onion and a boiled egg.If I eat "RAW" fruit/veg then my lips and tongue tingle and swell. If I eat them cooked I am okay. The Doctor said this was due to the chemical change or something due to heating.

Probably because peanuts aren't actualy nuts at all.

He'd previously been warned by trading standards, who'd received reports of this and did a test purchase. He knew what he was doing, and the risks he was taking with the health of others. A clearer case of gross negligent manslaughter you're less likely to see.

I get a very sick feeling inside if I am forced to eat Cabbage, Turnip, Sprouts or Carrots.

Yet most foods that have a taste, I am fine with.

There again, I wasnt born a rabbit, so its not surprising the above really.