Can you still become a chef if you have food allergy?

Question

I don't "die" from eating these food, but I get nasty rashes where a few are turmeric, kiwi, tropical seedy fruits (like passion fruit) and spicy spices. I'm also sensitive to wheat, but I can deal with that as that only cause bloating.

But I'm interested to get an culinary degree, but I know chefs do taste the food the make, could this be an issue - if you cannot taste what you make?

Janet · Accepted Answer

Become a baker instead.  You can avoid most of the foods you are sensitive to bedause most of the ones you listed are not used in baking.  Except for wheat flour.  And kiwi/seedy fruits .. which you just don't use if you are sensitive to them.

And baker's do not taste the food nearly as much as a chef does .. of course, a bite of the finished product when you are designing a new recipe will be necessary.  And if your gluten-sensitivity becomes stronger, you could go into gluten-free baking.

denise · Answer

I've known some TV chefs have seafood allergies, they seem to cope by having their 'soux' chefs taste for them.

kswck2 · Answer

I am a chef, and I DO have allergies to scallop, tree nuts and soy. I Can work with the ingredients, but cannot injest them. So I wear gloves when i Do

Steve M · Answer

Our son in law is deathly allergic to mushrooms but he has refused to let that stop him from being a chef. he wears gloves and doesn't "test taste" anything containing them. He also carries an Epipen in case he does get exposed. He has successfully started carving out a niche for himself, first at a couple of small independent restaurants and most recently at Appleby's. It's not the easiest path to take but it can be done if you love what you do.

Can you still become a chef if you have food allergy?

4 Answers