Allergy to Parsnips
Author
Discussion

croyde

Original Poster:

25,103 posts

249 months

Wednesday 8th October
quotequote all
He loves them roasted but my youngest, at his first ever job of Kitchen Porter/Trainee Chef, has just been sent home after cutting up a couple of big bags of parsnips.

Who knew there was such a thing. The rest of the staff hadn't.

He's never been able to eat raw fruit as it causes his tongue and throat to get irritated and itch.

He's had an anti histamine and I've stuck a damp cold cloth on his face and eyes as all were red, puffy and itchy.

He feels a bit better and he's returned to work (at least he's not trying to skive) but kitchen life is going to be severely restricted if he can't chop veg and fruit.

I presume it was getting the juice on his hands and touching his face which sparked it off.

He's not been in school since he was 16, had had bad troubles, but now at 19 he's trying to turn it around.

Anyone here heard of this and can offer solutions. Cheers.


trevalvole

1,747 posts

52 months

Thursday 30th October
quotequote all

Furbo

2,270 posts

51 months

Thursday 30th October
quotequote all
croyde said:
He loves them roasted but my youngest, at his first ever job of Kitchen Porter/Trainee Chef, has just been sent home after cutting up a couple of big bags of parsnips.

Who knew there was such a thing. The rest of the staff hadn't.

He's never been able to eat raw fruit as it causes his tongue and throat to get irritated and itch.

He's had an anti histamine and I've stuck a damp cold cloth on his face and eyes as all were red, puffy and itchy.

He feels a bit better and he's returned to work (at least he's not trying to skive) but kitchen life is going to be severely restricted if he can't chop veg and fruit.

I presume it was getting the juice on his hands and touching his face which sparked it off.

He's not been in school since he was 16, had had bad troubles, but now at 19 he's trying to turn it around.

Anyone here heard of this and can offer solutions. Cheers.
FFS now I can look forward to Jet 2 telling me I cannot eat parsnips during the flight, because a passenger has a severe parsnip allergy.


hidetheelephants

31,908 posts

212 months

Thursday 30th October
quotequote all
A face shield would stop it getting on his face, if his hands aren't reacting it should be doable.


sherman

14,676 posts

234 months

Thursday 30th October
quotequote all
Wear disposable gloves.
Change them anytime you change whst you are prepping
Any decent kitchen will have them available.

A face shield will not work in a kitchen. Speak to sny chef that worked during covid.

Its a bad time of year to discover you are allergic to parsnips though.

Inbox

888 posts

5 months

Thursday 30th October
quotequote all
I feel for him, that is awful.

I think it would help to understand if this an issue of transfer what ever is on his hands to his face causing the problem or getting stuff on his hands and symptoms appearing elsewhere.

I assume he is wearing plastic gloves for prep so is it about being aware of the transfer risk and breaking habits, not easy but doable.

I think a conversation with the GP to maybe get a proper allergy test so he knows what does and what doesn't cause a reaction.

21TonyK

12,635 posts

228 months

Friday 31st October
quotequote all
Bit late to the party and I expect this is resolved by now.

Gloves are one answer, the other is water. Dip the product as you peel.

It may well not be an allergy as such but an irritation which could be the case with several veg or fruit.

Courgettes do it for me, chopping no problem but peeling without gloves is a problem.

One of those things you come across regularly in kitchens.

Not an issue work wise, plenty of chefs cant handle, eat, taste certain things.