By Layney Keesee
I developed an allergy to peanuts when I was a toddler. When I tell people this, I get mixed reactions. As one of the top eight most common allergies in the United States, peanuts are involved in both way more and way fewer food products than one would think. While not that many food products have peanuts actually in the ingredients list, the issue comes from the bolded list underneath, often denoted as “contains,” “may contain” or “manufactured in a facility that also processes.” While there are subtle differences in meaning between these labels, they have one thing in common — the risk of cross contamination. Although sometimes these labels are nothing more than a legality for the people that produce such products, it makes the line between safe and dangerous a touch more hazy. And when one is in a crowded location with food stand after food stand, with no allergen labels in sight? Terrifying. But food is such an integral part of North Carolina’s annual and record-breaking state fair. It seems that every year, there’s some new innovation. From fried Oreos to burger patties sandwiched with Krispy Kreme donuts, the North Carolina State Fair is a black hole in which calories and nutrition do not count, but allergies certainly still do.
Sometimes, it can be nerve-wracking to have an entire line behind you and ask about potential allergens. However, you are absolutely not the only one to have an allergy that has visited the fair, and certainly not the only one who has had to ask. Therefore, a lot of the vendors know the answer to your question already. Since food stalls are often smaller businesses, they are less regulated than a massive franchise. This in itself is somewhat scary, but it also means that a lot of, if not all, of the food is made in house, and most of the employees will know exactly what is in it, or how to find that information if they don’t know it off the top of their head. While it may take an extra second, I always ask about potential cross contamination. While doing so may be inconvenient for the person taking your order, as they undoubtedly want to keep the line moving, it is always good to ask rather than risk a reaction. A minute of time is not worth more than your life and well-being.
I also try to avoid stalls that sell several items. The more items made in such a small place, the greater the risk of cross contamination. Additionally, if the stall only sells three or four items, the confusion over ingredients is greatly reduced. I like to pick stalls that don’t appear to have any items with peanuts in them at all, and then ask anyway, just to double check. This strategy may be difficult with more prevalent allergens, such as gluten, dairy, soy, etc. However, I’m a firm believer that with the fair’s overwhelming choices, there must be something for everyone if you take the time to look. Lemonade stands (that only sell lemonade) will almost certainly be safe. The Golden K-dogs stand is peanut-free and Raleigh Popsicle Co. (this year located in Dorton arena) does not use any nuts in-store, but does have cookie flavors in which the cookies were processed with nuts. When I visited this stand, I avoided those cookie flavors all together (the strawberry lemonade flavor was absolutely delicious) and was a-ok. But different allergies have different tolerances and sensitivities, even among individuals allergic to the same thing, so use the information given to you by the employees and trust your gut! If the answer to your question feels too hasty or uncertain, find something else! It may take a little more effort to find a treat than our non-allergy peers, but it is still just as enjoyable of a visit.
The 2024 State Fair may have come and gone already, but this advice is applicable to traveling, smaller local fairs, local restaurants, and anywhere else you may come in contact with something unfamiliar! Be safe, have fun and trust your instincts!