Letter: One of my boys was rushed to the hospital after eating an unmarked danish

To whom this may concern, A suggestion to store owners and bakeries: Please put stickers that say ‘Dairy’ on your Dairy danishes. Last night, one of my boys had a danish thinking that it was a chocolate danish, and had allergic reaction and had to be rushed by Hatzalah to the hospital. So even if in the store it’s marked and separate, once it leaves the store it could be dangerous for people who are allergic to dairy – that’s besides the Halachic issue if you’re Fleishig.

Thank you in advance.

P.G.

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23 COMMENTS

  1. What does it help to tell a story with no details? Did he find it lying around? Why would anyone eat a Danish lying around?
    Did a friend give it to him? Wouldn’t his friend know? Shouldn’t he know to ask?

  2. Maybe it’s the responsibility of the parent or whomever brought the danish home to make sure it’s marked. What happens when the wrapper is removed? Ultimately, parents and guardians need to be responsible for their own children and/or charges.

    • The writer is not trying to shake off the responsibility. This person is making a simple request. If it’s a big deal for you, don’t do it.
      When people of a community try their best to help other members of the community, we all benefit from that in many different ways.

  3. My biggest question is why a child who is allergic to dairy was allowed to eat an unmarked, unwrapped product to begin with? I would hope the child himself would also be aware not to eat things that are laying out for fear of dairy being in it or even cross- contamination with dairy.

  4. Chocolate made from Dairy??? Seriously… Chocolate is pareve. YOU NEVER HAD NON DAIRY CHOCOLATE?? Chocolate comes from a tree. Also the Danish could have been accidentally moved in the store. You’ve never seen where there are just shelves of danishes and people help themselves? The writer is stating that dairy danishes should be individually wrapped.

  5. I’m totally with Yakov T. Why are we always looking to blame others?? If your child is allergic to something, you need to take extra precaution to keep it well marked. You knew exactly what you were buying when you bought the danish. Now in Halacha we do find that you can’t make bread fleishegs as someone may get mixed up, but you can’t add on to that Halacha.

  6. halacha states that dairy bread needs to be made in a different shape than standard bread. ask rabbi Hoffman or any qualified LOR if it applies to pastries

  7. What’s the problem here? Food labeling is an essential sign of contemporary civilization for numerous reasons. The more labeling, the better. If you sell food products educate yourself to be cutting edge on labeling for those who you want to purchase you products. Do a complete job.

  8. Whilst everyone is debating whether the danish should have or might have had a sticker I would like to compliment whomever took the picture of the danish whilst waiting for hatzolah to arrive. Sure looks like a delicious danish!

  9. While I am sympathetic to the issue, the reality is that it is impossible to mark every part of a Danish – I mean, what happens if it gets cut into pieces?? – so the allergic party needs to be extremely cautious. The store owners cannot be responsible for something like this.

  10. My daughter is allergic to nuts and knows to ask to see the packaging, even in school which is supposedly nut free. She won’t eat any baked goods from bakeries because of cross-contamination. She’s been this way since she started elementary school.

    I do think the schools and teachers have to be more vigilant when it comes to allergic kids, but let’s face it – they’re dealing with large classes, and, unless they have a child of their own who is allergic, they won’t be as alert. Any child who is allergic should be educated to ask before they eat.

  11. Just as in kosher you need to ask to see labels and see mashgiak so to chmira sakanta meisura and how dose one know its kosher if tjey don’t know what its made from

  12. theres no mention of location here the child ate it at home or in school.. that would help determine who if anybody gave it to him to eat. age of the child would help too. on another MORE IMPORTANT POINT was there no epipen at home or in school? there should be 2, one in each location. you get 2 with every prescription. my son has 1 at home and 1 in school. bh we have never used them . again not trying to blame or fault anybody but to prevent a tragedy g-d forbid in the future. maybe these circumstances were different. i cant judge

  13. I really think @bored citizen and parents that don’t have elergic kids will never grasp the severity of allergies. Kids are human and seeing a chocolate danish they assume that it is like every parve chocolate danish. They shouldn’t be expected to have anxiety and not eat normal looking food. I personally know a child who is now confined to wheel cheer because of such a incident.

Comments are closed.