The wider problem -- the increasing rate of claims of food allergies and intolerance -- is in part due to the difficulty of diagnosis of celiac disease and other food issues. Blood tests and skin patch tests are useful, but tedious and lengthy food elimination diets by the patient are necessary.
Most people are a bit careless in such efforts, or they may get false positives, as when poor food prep or lapses in sanitation leads to bacterial or viral contamination. Thus the lack of simple, cheap, and reliable medical tests for food allergies and intolerance often leads patients over-diagnosing themselves.
On the whole, I find it hard to blame those who in good faith make such errors. And I feel little sympathy for restaurants burdened by customer requests that the food they are served not make them ill. Restaurants are in the customer service business, after all.
Food allergies are difficult to diagnose. The usual skin test that allergist use often does not work with foods because the reaction may not show up until the food is digested. So the chocolate cake that you ate at 6 pm dinner may not give. you the severe headache until 4am.
My allergist suggested I keep a food diary so when a reaction happened, I could look back and see what I had eaten. It worked well.
I am 75 and I have been dealing with allergies and food sensitives all my life, it's not fun I assure you.
Food allergies are difficult to diagnose. The usual skin test that allergist use often does not work with foods because the reaction may not show up until the food is digested. So the chocolate cake that you ate at 6 pm dinner may not give. you the severe headache until 4am.
My allergist suggested I keep a food diary so when a reaction happened, I could look back and see what I had eaten. It worked well.
I am 75 and I have been dealing with allergies and food sensitives all my life, it's not fun I assure you.