Photograph by monticellllo for Adobe Stock
According to numerous news reports, Dominique Brown, a Disney influencer, died Thursday at a holiday event hosted by gift site BoxLunch after eating food that contained an ingredient she was allergic to. The 34-year-old was a cofounder of Black Girl Disney, created to bring Black representation into the Disney influencer space, and was a member of the BoxLunch Collective of influencers who worked with the company regularly.
While some reports mention a peanut allergy — and that Brown had made sure the event hosts were aware of her allergy — a full understanding of what happened awaits the autopsy report. Still, said Tracy Stuckrath, founder of Thrive! Meetings & Events, and host of the Eating at a Meeting podcast, this incident was 100 percent preventable.
"There are still so many questions," she said. "Who did she tell? Who was that information given to? Did the menus get reworked? Or were the menus designed to eliminate those allergens (probably not)? And was the front-of-the-house staff informed?"
Organizers have a duty of care
From the moment an event is scheduled to the moment all the guests go home, all people involved with the food have a responsibility to know the ingredient chain inside and out. At the very least, all dishes should be labeled on a buffet with a list of ingredients so attendees can be sure what they're eating is safe. As Stuckrath, who has a few food allergies herself, says, "I don't want your secret recipe; I just don't want to die."
On the day Brown died, Stuckrath was speaking at Northstar Meetings Group's Destination Southwest event at The Woodlands Resort in The Woodlands, Texas, touching on many practices that ensure the food served at events takes into account each participants' needs, particularly when there's an allergy involved. Following are some of her suggestions.
1. Put it in your RFP
In the request for proposals to your catering companies, ask how they manage food allergens in their kitchens, and who is responsible for this. What are their protocols for serving allergen-free food? Does the front-of-the-house staff know the protocols? You should also ask who is responsible for creating the labels that go on food at buffets.
2. Require an answer on registrations
Potential attendees should be asked about their dietary requirements, from religious to allergic, with an option for "not applicable," to ensure everyone provides a response.
3. Talk to the kitchen
Make sure you know what's in prepackaged foods that might go into your dishes. Stuckrath recently asked a kitchen contact if there was any gluten in the tomato soup they were serving, and the person didn’t know — and didn’t know where to find the ingredient list for the soup.
4. Put menu details in your app
List the food and their allergens in the event app, so attendees can review them in advance, before they arrive — and make sure all participants are informed that these menus are available.
5. Communicate directly
Double-check with attendees who have food concerns, inform them of the kitchen's protocols for handling allergens, and provide them with contact information in case they have any questions.
6. Police the labels on buffets
When are those labels made? "Typically, they get made an hour before the event and put out," said Stuckrath, "and so there's no cross-referencing." Be sure to understand the labeling process and ensure it is cross-referenced by the person responsible for preparing the food. Even if they are serving a set menu, the chef might decide to make last-minute changes.