If a guest has a severe nut allergy, what steps should you take regarding a dish that contains almonds?

• A. Inform the kitchen and confirm a nut-free preparation; use dedicated utensils and surfaces if possible.
• B. Remove almonds from the dish and continue.
• C. Wash the dish and reuse same utensils.
• D. Proceed and hope for the best.

Answer: (A)

When a guest has a severe nut allergy, the priority is preventing cross-contact and ensuring the dish can be truly nut-free. The best move is to inform the kitchen and request a nut-free preparation, with explicit steps to avoid almond traces. This means verifying that no almonds or almond-derived ingredients are used and that dedicated utensils, surfaces, and ideally separate cookware or prep areas are employed so nothing contaminated touches the dish. If possible, confirm the entire preparation path with staff and consider using separate fryers or equipment to eliminate cross-contact risk.

Removing almonds from the dish or washing and reusing the same utensils doesn’t guarantee safety, because trace amounts can remain on equipment, surfaces, or in shared ingredients. Proceeding and hoping for the best is unsafe for someone with a severe allergy. If nut-free preparation cannot be guaranteed, offering a different safe option is the responsible choice.