Jalali, who is also a nurse, says that food allergies and intolerances are commonly misunderstood. She says a major source of frustration is that people believe that only peanut allergies can be life-threatening, and so they disregard other severe food allergies.
“People assume that only peanuts can kill,” Jalali says. “However, many people have allergies to other foods that can lead to anaphylaxis — e.g., dairy, sesame, fish, shellfish, tomato, wheat, soy, latex and cinnamon. So, it's not a fad; it's not a choice. It's an actual food allergy, and it can be fatal.
“My oldest [son] has a dairy [allergy], he's actually anaphylactic to dairy, and there's a misconception out there. People think, oh, it's an intolerance. No, it's not an intolerance. It's not just going to give him a stomachache. It can actually kill him.”