Take and Eat: Compassionately Welcoming People with Food Allergies to Church

The day before his death, Jesus shared a last meal with his disciples. He invited them to “take” and “eat”. Every week we are all invited to share this Eucharistic meal. It is one of our greatest sacraments. Even beyond that, sharing food with one another is a simple and meaningful way for us as Christians to express inclusion, love, and care for others. Coffee hours, shared meals, and train meals are valued and important parts of our ministries and culture. Nurturing each other is our love language.

So what happens when expressing this love language is no longer loving towards someone? What happens when our primary sacrament is no longer safe or inclusive? Unfortunately, this is the case for children and adults with allergies and celiac disease. When families dealing with food allergies cannot safely participate in their faith community, it can cause profound emotional and spiritual harm.

Food allergies and celiac disease

One in 13 children in the United States suffers from a food allergy, and 40 to 50 percent of them require emergency care. Additionally, 1% of the U.S. population suffers from celiac disease, a serious autoimmune reaction to wheat, rye, barley and oats. Both conditions are on the rise, have no cure, and require strict avoidance of trigger foods to prevent reactions.

In food allergies and celiac disease, the immune system wrongly considers certain foods to be harmful. Even traces, like crumbs or residue, can trigger reactions. In severe cases, airborne exposure may cause symptoms. These severe reactions make it difficult for many families affected by allergies to fully participate in the life of their church when so much of our shared faith revolves around food.

Major food allergens include:

• milkman (which may include milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt, butter, cream)
• eggs
• fish
• seafood
• wheat
• soy
• peanuts
• nut (which may include almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pistachios, pecans and walnuts)

People with celiac disease should avoid gluten:

• wheat
• rye
• barley
• oats

Managing Food Allergies and Celiac Disease in the Church

1. Communion

For many people with wheat allergies or celiac disease, the most isolating challenge is that the Eucharist contains wheat. Wine can also be contaminated by drinking or breaking bread, and even traces of crumbs can trigger a reaction.

Here are some ways to be more inclusive:

1. Providing gluten-free or wheat-free (GF/WF) hosts manufactured in a dedicated facility and keep them separate from regular hosts, either in their packaging or in a closed pyx
2. Offer a dedicated GF/WF chalice to avoid cross contamination
3. Form the Altar Guild and those who serve at the Altar on how and why to keep GF/WF hosts separate and review this training annually
4. Suggest that regular members with celiac disease or wheat allergies bring and keep their own custode containing a gluten-free host. – They can place it on the altar before the consecration. This allows them to maintain control of their host and ensures that it has not come into contact with wheat or gluten.
5. Inform all visitors and newcomers of the GF/WF option and how they can participate

2. Programs for children and youth

1. Request allergen information on program forms – Be sure to include allergen information (and other medical information) in all registration forms.
2. Ask and monitor how parents and guardians want to manage their child’s allergies. – Do they trust you to find safe food, or do they want to provide it to you?
3. Inform leaders of participants’ allergies – Inform all leaders of food allergies among attendees and explain the importance of avoiding these foods.
4. Inform parents and guardians in advance of meal plans – Always inform parents with food allergens of any food-related activity 48 hours or more before the activity. Confirm that your choices are safe and don’t be offended if they provide feedback or choose to handle it themselves. One allergen parent’s feeling of security does not guarantee that another parent will feel the same way about the same product.

3. Art supplies

Food allergens are not limited to the foods consumed. Many art supplies contain wheat, such as modeling clay, paper mache, and glue. People with nut allergies may also need to avoid nuts and seeds in art. Parents and guardians may ask you to avoid them or find allergen-free alternatives.

4. Church-wide Food Allergy Policy

A church food allergy policy can help you systematically manage food allergy risks in your church. Parts of an allergen policy may include:

Nut-free zone
Consider making your church a nut-free zone. Nut and peanut allergies are particularly common and particularly serious. Walnut oils stay on surfaces for up to three days. Avoiding nuts completely is the safest and most inclusive way to accommodate families affected by nut allergies. Ask all ministry partners who use your space to respect this policy.

Coffee hour, potlucks and community meals
Ask participants to label the ingredients of their dishes. Separate allergen-free dishes so they aren’t at risk of contamination from shared serving spoons, accidental spills and other situations.

Microwave
Keep and maintain a labeled allergen-free microwave for families with food allergies if they want to enjoy a hot meal at a culinary event that might not otherwise accommodate them.

Meal trains
Always be sure to ask about food allergens before bringing food. If a family has a food allergy, don’t be surprised if they turn down the offer of a food train. Only they know how serious their allergy is and whether it’s worth the risk of someone else bringing them food. Instead, ask how you can best support them.

Other events
Evaluate all your events. What percentage of your programming involves food? How important is food to this program? Also consider ways to offer food-free events.

To raise awareness
One of the barriers that prevent families from feeling fully included is how often others question or dismiss the allergy. Help them by raising awareness in the Church about allergies and the importance of being alert to allergens.

Additional Resources

• Allergen-Free Art Supplies at Discount School Supply – This site lists their allergens and sells gluten-free/wheat-free playdough
• “Food allergies in schools», CDC website (July 9, 2024)
• “Managing Celiac Disease in Learning Environments», Celiac Disease Foundation Website
• “Safe Snack Guides», Snack Safely Website – Downloadable Lists of Safe Snacks by Allergen

The image shown is of Jessica Lewis on Unsplash