What should I do if I want to attend an Airbnb Experience involving food, and I or my co-travellers have a food allergy?

This content was created by Airbnb and is consistent with Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) technical standards for food safety. 

Food experiences are a great way to learn something new. While food allergies shouldn’t prevent you or your co-travelers from participating in experiences, there are things that are important to consider to ensure you’re able to safely enjoy an experience involving food.

• Always disclose a food allergy to your hosts beforehand so you can discuss if or how their menu can be altered to accommodate the allergy.
• Make it clear to your host that you or your co-travelers have an allergy—don’t simply ask your host if certain ingredients are used, or assume the online menu will list all the ingredients. It’s very important that your host is aware of an allergy, as it may affect other stages of the experience, such as food preparation and serving.
• Message your host to discuss specific ingredients and the risk of cross-contamination during storage, preparation, cooking, and service of the food.
• When you arrive at the experience, remind your host about the food allergy and make sure everyone involved in hosting the experience and preparing and serving your food understands the details of the allergy and how to prevent cross-contamination.
• Be prepared—no matter how carefully you or your co-travelers have planned or how safe you feel at a particular experience, accidents can still happen. Always have an epinephrine auto-injector and any additional medications prescribed by a doctor. Consider wearing a medical identification (ex: bracelet or other jewelry) as well.
• If you or your co-travelers have been prescribed an epinephrine auto-injector and don’t have it during the experience, you or they shouldn’t eat. Studies have shown prompt administration of an adrenaline autoinjector is first line treatment for anaphylaxis.
• Be mindful about how much alcohol is consumed, as it may impair judgement about appropriate food choices, as well as emergency care if a reaction occurs.

It’s important to recognize that you should consider and take some responsibility for your co-travelers, so if anyone in your group isn’t confident that the food is safe, don’t eat it.