A local man wants to warn those with severe nut allergies about what he feels is a potential hazard at a local wholesale store.
John Mallory bought a turkey sandwich at a Burnaby Costco food court last month and, right after biting into it, knew something was wrong.
He quickly spat out the food, but within minutes, his lips were swollen with visible welts.
It turned out the sandwich contained pesto sauce, which is commonly made with pine nuts.
Mallory is one of a growing number of people who are severely allergic to nuts, to the point that ingesting even a trace of the plant can cause him to go into anaphylactic shock.
He has been hospitalized three times and said he once came close to death.
Though this reaction to the sandwich was relatively minor, the Burnaby film materials supply worker says he is concerned someone else with a similar allergy may ingest the pesto unknowingly and suffer a worse reaction.
"If they'd eaten the sauce that I'd had, - you know, you could have a death on your hands or a really serious injury."
Mallory said he spoke with management at the store, as well as at the corporate head office, to formalize his complaint and request the company take extra steps to alert customers to potential allergens in their food products. While he says he is not looking for compensation, he wants to see a warning sticker on the sandwiches or a sign clearly displayed at the counter.
"It just got me thinking: if they're not going to do anything about it, I probably should. My thought is that I should at least alert the public that anybody with allergies to (nuts) should stay away from that sandwich."
Management at the Burnaby Costco location declined to comment in response to a call from the Burnaby NOW.
Costco's national spokesperson, Ron Damiani, said. "We're satisfied that we're doing the best that is possible regarding food allergens in general. That's all that we're going to say at this point."
For Mallory, however, this response is not good enough.
"To be honest, I'm a little bit ticked off by their attitude. It blows my mind."
Mallory said he recognizes it is the individual's responsibility to check an ingredients list if allergies are a concern, but believes the company is not doing enough to protect customers with severe allergies.
"It's a really simple, cheap, fast fix," he said.
Dr. Ross Chang, President of the B.C. Society of Allergy and Immunology, said there is no known reason for the worldwide rise in nut allergies, but suggested it could be due to more nuts being consumed or people simply becoming more aware of symptoms.
Chang said a severe allergic reaction of the type Mallory experiences is "very rare," at less than one per cent of the population. Chang believes the onus is ultimately on the individual to ask before eating anything he or she did not prepare.
"It's got to be a cooperative thing between the individual and the store, and I guess it's the obligation of anybody who has an allergy to inquire, before they eat any food that they did not prepare, to ask whether the food contains something that they're allergic to," he said.
Chang said several types of foods, including dairy and meat, can cause anaphylaxis and suggested food providers could perhaps have a "blanket warning" label on their products or menus to alert customers to all potential allergens.
For those with known nut allergies, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website recommends not consuming a food or product if there is no ingredient list or if there is a risk the food might have come in contact with nuts. "If there is not enough information to make a decision, you can always call to ask the company or speak to a knowledgeable person at a restaurant," the website suggests.
