Employees and clients will appreciate it when you order catering for that big company meeting or fundraising event. However, this thoughtful gesture will seem even more so when you take steps to ensure there are allergen- and meat-free options for those with dietary restrictions. It can be time-consuming, if not impossible, to ask everyone expected there what they can and cannot eat. Therefore, the guide below outlines some of the most common intolerances. 

6 Prevalent Food Allergies

1. Tree Nuts & Peanuts

Although peanuts are legumes rather than real nuts, tree nuts and peanuts are similar in the fact that they’re highly common allergies and can provoke extreme reactions. Many people who are allergic to one are also allergic to the other. Mild reactions often manifest as itchiness and watery eyes while strong or fatal ones may cause the throat to swell, blocking the airway.

2. Cow’s Milk

An allergy to cow’s milk is most frequently found in children, but some people never outgrow it. If an affected person eats a dairy product made from cow’s milk, the allergy usually causes hives, rashes, and vomiting. Extreme allergies may also induce anaphylaxis. Some of your guests might not have this extreme of a reaction but may suffer from lactose intolerance.

3. Soy

Unfortunately, one of the most common substitutes that catering services can provide for cow’s milk is also a common food allergy. Like milk, children are most often allergic to soy, but some adults suffer from it, too. Typically, it causes a runny nose, itchy mouth, and impaired breathing, but could also lead to anaphylaxis.

4. Wheat

Children are most often the ones allergic to wheat; however, this problem can carry into adulthood. Although eating it may result in breathing problems, it usually causes hives, rashes, swelling, vomiting, and digestive problems instead. To accommodate people with this allergy, order more than wheat deli sandwiches.

5. Seafood

Both fish and shellfish are common food allergies. They don’t always go hand-in-hand, but they usually manifest the same way—as stomachaches, vomiting, and diarrhea. Rarely, fish can also cause anaphylaxis. Even the smell of shellfish can induce a reaction in some people, so it’s probably best to avoid catering it unless it is a small enough group that you know the guests’ limitations.

6. Eggs

This is another food allergy that mostly affects children but is also found in adults. Some people are allergic to the whole egg, while others are allergic only to the yoke or whites, and most can eat eggs when they’re cooked or baked into something else. 

To ensure delicious, quality food for your guests, contact Corporate Caterers in South Houston, TX. Having done breakfast and lunch catering for more than twenty years, they have a menu that can accommodate all of your employees and clients. In addition, they can helpfully label all meals with the allergens they contain to prevent problems at your event. Learn more about their offerings online. To schedule office catering, call them at (713) 838-7999.