--- title: Learn The Consequences Of Allergic Reactions And How To Prevent Them description: Allergen awareness is a critical part of food safety strategies. Ensure your team knows what can happen if someone has an allergic reaction on their watch. image: https://trust20.co/hubfs/consequences-allergic-reactions.jpg --- ### Cart Added to Cart! ### Your cart is empty Browse our training courses to get started. Purchasing for a team? [View Trust20 for Teams](https://trust20.co/teams). 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Chat with Basil [Submit a Support Request ](https://trust20.co/contact-us) Trust20 Support Business Hours Monday - Friday, 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM EST Go Back [Allergen Awareness](https://trust20.co/blog/tag/allergen-awareness) # Learn The Consequences Of Allergic Reactions And How To Prevent Them Posted by Mar 10, 2023 4:47:47 PM [Trust20 Contributors](https://trust20.co/blog/author/trust20-contributors) • 4 minute read Share: [![Share on facebook](https://7620253.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/7620253/Trust20/Images/Blog/facebook-color.svg) ](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://trust20.co/blog/consequences-of-allergic-reactions&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook) [![Share on twitter](https://trust20.co/hubfs/twitter-color.svg) ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https://trust20.co/blog/consequences-of-allergic-reactions&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&url=https://trust20.co/blog/consequences-of-allergic-reactions&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&source=tweetbutton&text=) [![Share on linkedin](https://7620253.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/7620253/Trust20/Images/Blog/linkedin-color.svg) ](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://trust20.co/blog/consequences-of-allergic-reactions&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin) [![People eating at a restaurant](https://trust20.co/hubfs/consequences-allergic-reactions.jpg) ](https://trust20.co/blog/consequences-of-allergic-reactions) As a manager or operator of a foodservice business, ensuring the safety of your customers is a top priority. So what happens when a customer has a severe allergic reaction to a dish on your menu? Food allergies can pose serious, even life-threatening, risks to people and a reaction can result in significant consequences if a foodservice establishment is found responsible. If a customer has a reaction after coming into contact with food from your business, it could damage your reputation and result in legal issues, negative publicity, and financial losses. It is important to understand the risks of food allergies so you and your staff can take the necessary precautions to prevent anyone from having an allergic reaction on your watch. Let’s examine some scenarios where an allergic reaction occurred and the impact they had on customers, staff, and the business. We'll cover: [Legal issues ](https://trust20.co/blog/consequences-of-allergic-reactions#legal-issues) [Negative publicity ](https://trust20.co/blog/consequences-of-allergic-reactions#negative-publicity) [Financial losses](https://trust20.co/blog/consequences-of-allergic-reactions#financial-losses) ### Legal issues Our first example covers one of the worst-case scenarios. A customer suffered a near-fatal reaction in a restaurant and this led them to pursue legal action. A man in Quebec, Canada experienced a life-threatening reaction after being served [seafood](https://trust20.co/blog/fish-shellfish-allergies) instead of beef, due to a waiter’s mistake in documenting and communicating the order to the kitchen staff.1 The man filed a complaint and the waiter faced fines and jail time. The restaurant also faced legal action when they failed to reach out to the customer after the incident. These types of dangerous errors and gaps in communication can be easily prevented by ensuring your business has set [strategies and guidelines](https://trust20.co/blog/5-strategies-to-prevent-an-allergic-reaction-today) in place for serving customers with allergies. In the case of a legal dispute, it is even more critical to proactively reach out to the customer and make amends to avoid fines, legal action, and loss of business. ### Negative publicity This next example shows how the consequences of a severe allergic reaction can extend far beyond the immediate medical emergency. Unfavorable publicity can be a significant blow to a restaurant's reputation, as was the case when a child suffered a life-threatening reaction after being served a smoothie containing peanuts at a Connecticut smoothie shop.2 The staff claimed they omitted [peanut butter](https://trust20.co/blog/peanut-allergies) but were unaware of the customer’s severe allergy. The incident resulted in the father verbally abusing staff and throwing the smoothie at a team member, leading to criminal charges and negative publicity when the incident was filmed and viewed millions of times online. While it is fair that people get upset sometimes, you can help your staff manage their customer’s behavior and keep tense situations from escalating by [teaching your team what to say](https://trust20.co/blog/what-should-i-say-to-restaurant-guests-with-food-allergies) to people about foods with potential allergens involved. ### Financial losses Our last example explores how negative press and legal action can compound and create devastating financial consequences, such as medical treatment costs for the affected customer, potential lawsuits, and loss of business. The tragic death of a 19-year-old tourist who suffered a fatal reaction to [sesame](https://trust20.co/blog/sesame-major-food-allergen) demonstrates the sober reality of how serious food allergies can be.3 Despite communicating in both English and Spanish his allergies to sesame, [milk](https://trust20.co/blog/lactose-intolerant-dairy-allergy), [eggs](https://trust20.co/blog/egg-allergy-guide), and peanuts and confirming that there were no sesame seeds in his vegetarian burrito, he still experienced a fatal allergic reaction. The staff at the establishment declined to take his reaction seriously or call for medical attention even after he informed them he was having a serious reaction. This ultimately led to his death and the restaurant had to halt operations indefinitely. This sad turn of events could have been avoided entirely if the establishment’s team had been trained to understand the severity of food allergies–and that their individual actions can have an incredible impact on someone's life. It is the mark of a well-run establishment when everyone on staff knows how to provide an [inclusive and safe experience](https://trust20.co/blog/5-steps-to-offering-a-more-inclusive-meal) for anyone who walks through the door. Protecting the well-being of your customers is essential to your business, and food allergies pose a significant threat to them. Empower your customers and your business by providing allergen-free options, transparent allergen labeling, and in-depth [allergen awareness training](https://www.trust20.co/courses/food-allergy) for your team. These kinds of precautions will help you minimize the risks of food allergies, ensure a safe customer experience, protect your reputation, and avoid the adverse legal, social, and financial consequences of severe allergic reactions.   --- Sources: 1. CBC: [Quebec waiter arrested after seafood puts allergic customer in coma](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/sherbrooke-waiter-arrested-salmon-allergic-customer-1.3707052) 2. NBC: [Connecticut man charged following anti-immigrant comment, tirade at smoothie shop](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/connecticut-man-charged-racist-comment-tirade-smoothie-shop-rcna13224) 3. My London: [London teen, 19, died from allergic reaction after eating burrito with sesame while on holiday in Mexico](https://www.mylondon.news/news/south-london-news/london-teen-19-died-allergic-25160185) Recommended Articles [![How is Shigella Transmitted in Foodservice Settings?](https://trust20.co/hubfs/210.png) Food Safety June 17, 2026 How is Shigella Transmitted in Foodservice Settings? A Shigella outbreak generally doesn’t happen loudly, with a catastrophic contamination incident that can easily be traced. Instead, it starts covertly, without anyone realizing it. Continue Reading ](https://trust20.co/blog/shigella) [![Where Can I Find Practice Tests for Food Handler Assessments?](https://trust20.co/hubfs/209.png) Career Development June 12, 2026 Where Can I Find Practice Tests for Food Handler Assessments? Getting ready for your food safety training and assessment might feel a little nerve-wracking. You want to walk into the test feeling completely confident and ready to pass on your very first try, but you aren’t sure how to get the right level of preparation. Continue Reading ](https://trust20.co/blog/practice-tests-food-handler) [![What is GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe)?](https://trust20.co/hubfs/206.png) Food Safety June 10, 2026 What is GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe)? Walk through any grocery store, and you’ll likely see all kinds of labels promising cleaner ingredients, fewer additives, and simpler foods. But behind many packaged products sits a regulatory category most consumers have never heard about: GRAS, short for “Generally Recognized as Safe.” Continue Reading ](https://trust20.co/blog/what-is-gras-generally-recognized-as-safe) [![How Many Hours Can Food Be Held Without Temperature Control?](https://trust20.co/hubfs/207.png) Food Safety June 1, 2026 How Many Hours Can Food Be Held Without Temperature Control? In a perfect world, every hot food stays hot, and every cold food stays cold, for exactly as long as you need it to. But in reality, service gets busy, equipment gets overloaded, and food doesn’t always stay within the ideal temperature ranges. Continue Reading ](https://trust20.co/blog/how-many-hours-can-food-be-held-without-temperature-control) Open Sidebar Contact Support How can we help? We know this process can get complicated! Below are some options to get you started. Still need help? Chat with Basil [Submit a Support Request ](https://trust20.co/contact-us) Trust20 Support Business Hours Monday - Friday, 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM EST Go Back ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Trust20 Contributors", "url" : "https://trust20.co/blog/author/trust20-contributors" }, "dateModified" : "2025-01-03T20:20:04.279Z", "datePublished" : "2023-03-10T22:47:47.000Z", "headline" : "Learn The Consequences Of Allergic Reactions And How To Prevent Them", "image" : [ "https://trust20.co/hubfs/consequences-allergic-reactions.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://trust20.co/blog/consequences-of-allergic-reactions", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://trust20.co/hubfs/Logos/trust20-logo-square.png" }, "name" : "Trust20 / Relish Works LLC " } } ```