The foodie's guide to allergy-friendly dining in Singapore

Source: The Straits Times
Author: Teo Kai Xiang

SINGAPORE - Food allergies, once a rarity among Singaporeans, are becoming increasingly common. Despite this, finding places where someone with allergies can dine safely continues to be fraught with challenges.

The National University Hospital (NUH) said the number of visits it received from children with food allergies each year grew from about 300 in 2014 to 10,000 in 2022.

Between 2012 and 2022, KK Women's and Children's Hospital saw a more-than-threefold increase in the number of children testing positive for the top four common food allergies (cow's milk, egg, peanut, shellfish) through its skin prick tests, according to Dr Chong Kok Wee, head and senior consultant of KKH's Department of Paediatrics' Allergy Service.

Despite rising numbers of those living with food allergies, the precautionary labelling of allergens is not consistently practised across restaurants in Singapore, say experts.

According to Dr Elizabeth Tham, head and senior consultant at the Khoo Teck Puat - National University Children's Medical Institute's Division of Paediatric Allergy, while the Singapore Food Agency has issued guidelines on precautionary food allergen labelling in pre-packaged food items, there are no such advisories or mandatory guidelines for freshly prepared foods in eateries.

That is bad news for those with food allergies, whose allergic reactions can vary from hives to potentially fatal anaphylactic shock.

As such, food-allergic families tell The Straits Times that dining out is often a high-stress ordeal, tantamount to putting one's life in the hands of the chef.

Civil servant Jaslin Kong, 38, mother of a five-year-old who is allergic to peanut and milk, recounts a recent experience where she requested a restaurant waiter to leave peanuts out of her daughter's porridge due to her allergy, only to receive the bowl with peanuts on top.

"When I said I asked for no peanuts, they scooped them out and served me the same bowl. I was very upset," said Ms Kong. "I was like, could you take my request more seriously. I'm not being picky about food, it's really about life and death."

Experiences like hers are not uncommon among the food-allergic families interviewed. They tend to stick to a few tried-and-tested places to mitigate risks.

Take, for example, Ms Shilpa Dani, 52, the mother of a 13-year-old who is allergic to wheat, barley, oats, cashew and pistachio.

"We've had to deal with allergic reactions a few times. And because of my daughter's multiple allergies, we have only a handful of restaurants to go to," says the housewife, who is armed with an EpiPen - an epinephrine auto-injector - at all times.

Unfortunately, Dr Tham says, there is little awareness of cross-contamination risks among local food businesses, and how even trace amounts of allergens can cause an allergic reaction.

Dr Chong adds: "Food allergies are not food preferences, and food-allergic patients are not trying to be difficult when they inquire about the food-handling processes or the exact ingredients used in the menu. They are simply trying to protect themselves."

When queried about how restaurants here could do better, Dr Adrian Chan, president of the Asthma and Allergy Association Singapore, said there was a need for clear information in menus and adequate education of food service staff on the type of allergens contained within each restaurant dish.

Dr Chan points to European Union legislation - which mandates the provision of allergen information on both pre-packed and freshly prepared foods when allergens are used as ingredients - as a best practice that local food businesses can aspire to.

Beyond clearly displaying the presence of common allergens - such as milk, egg, wheat, soya, nuts, fish, shellfish and sesame - in menus, food businesses should also prepare food items for food-allergic consumers on fresh, clean surfaces that have not been used to prepare other dishes, to avoid cross-contamination.

With all these in mind, The Straits Times set out to put together a list of restaurants that go the extra mile when it comes to accommodating those living with food allergies.