Page 251 - How to Be a Conscious Eater - Making Food Choices That Are Good for You

57

ETHICAL EATING IN THE ERA

OF FOOD ALLERGIES

dds are you either have a food allergy or have a friend or
Ofamily member who does.
This is not a niche issue. This is a monumental societal
and cultural issue that affects everyone who eats, which is to
say: everyone. And it especially affects people in positions like
schoolteachers, administrators, and airline stewards, as well
as restaurateurs, food product manufacturers, and farmers.
As to why food allergies have risen, theories abound.
Children born outside the United States are less likely to have
an allergy, and the chance of having one increases after liv-
ing in the United States for just ten years. Potential problems
with Western lifestyles range from the so-called “hygiene
hypothesis” and gene-environment interactions that make
the body attack itself to the excessive use of antibiotics and
questions about what babies are exposed to in utero and
how they’re delivered. It appears that diet and certain activ-
ities early in life—such as spending time outdoors and being
breastfed—may help protect against the risk of allergies.

WHAT HAS THE FOOD ALLERGY EPIDEMIC—AND THE RELATED BUT
DIFFERENT STRAND OF INCREASED INGREDIENT INTOLERANCE
AND FOOD INDIVIDUALISM—MEANT FOR THE ACT OF EATING AWAY
FROM HOME?
Cross-contamination and the potential liability risks are taken seriously.
May 2016 marked “the first time in Britain that someone has
been convicted of manslaughter over the sale of food,” accord-
ing to the New York Times. After a peanut-allergic customer

240 how to be a Conscious Eater

Conscious Eater_04 PT_4th patches.indd 240 10/23/19 1:38 PM