On Apr 21, 2009, at 2:54 PM, Weavre Cooper wrote:

> So have others here been faced with that same grilled chicken/plain  
> green
> beans/plain potato meal sandwiched between a bit of salad and hothouse
> honeydew at other conventions, organizational dinners, and similar  
> events?
>
> How do you handle it, if you attend such events at all regularly?  
> What are
> your thoughts?
===========

I always call the organizer and speak with the chef, however, my  
experience with bulk catering is that you cannot trust the chefs to  
deal with food allergies in a safe manner.

I always eat before I attend any function.  Never a full meal, but  
enough so that I don't starve during the evening. That way, I feel  
lucky if I get a safe meal and not short changed.

I have a dairy, soy and egg allergy, celiac disease and cannot eat any  
animal products.  My dietary requirements are often too difficult for  
a bulk caterer to deal with.

I am attending a Bat Mitzvah in a few weeks and I know that there is  
no chance of me, or my children receiving safe food. The kitchen at  
the shul is milchick and bread (bagels and challah) will feature  
prominently in the food. I just hope that they have fruit that I can  
give my children.

Sherene