Restaurant-Must they tell me the ingredients ?

[ironchef]

Interesting thread. I learned years ago that I cannot possibly keep up with every individual's allergies who eat at my own home. How a restaurant can becomes mind-boggling.

We have what are called "Menu Pick-up Charts". Many chefs I know (especially in higher end restaurants) include allergies on it. These charts are distributed to the front of the house staff on every menu change, or for new hires, etc. An example would be:

Appetizer: Pan Seared Diver Scallops with a Green Papaya Salad and Kaffir Lime Foam

Ingredients: U-10 Diver Scallops, Green Papaya, Peanuts, Lime Juice, Thai Basil, Thai Chili, Sambal Olek, Fish Sauce, Peanut Oil, Kaffir Lime Leaves, Coconut Milk, Butter, White Wine

Firing Time: 4 Minutes

Mise en Place: Dinner Fork and Knife, Fortessa Square Bowl

Food Allergies: Shellfish, Seafood, Dairy, Nuts, Alcohol, Chili Peppers

 

[mudbug]

It's not just the high-end eateries, ironchef. I noticed on the humble bakery dept choc cake from Safeway that someone brought to our Memorial Day cookout had allergy info on the label along with the ingredients

either people are getting more sensitive to providing this info or allergic reactions have really spiked

 

[obiwan9962]

i agree with all those that think it might be food poisoning
and i too hope your daughter is alright
as a chef, i gladly offer to give out the ingredients
proportions, quality and procedure are the true secrets


any time someone gets sick whether you think it is a reaction or food poisoning, see your GP
if the GP says food poisoning, take a stool sample and contact the health department
give specifics
time, establishment, what was ingested, managers' name
if it was food poisoning more than just your daughter might have been involved
and for the very young and elderly it could be fatal

as a chef i respect concerns of my patrons and give them whatever information they require

matter of a fact i had a lady called afew weeks ago, saying she got sick and thought she had food poisoining from my restaurant
i quickly called the health department
submitted a two samples of the questioned menu item and discontinued it til i got lab samples back
glad to say, she did not have salmonella but rather a touch of heat stroke