Food Allergy

Last Updated: Dec. 19, 2025

Purpose


The University of Toronto is committed to a safe and healthy environment for faculty, staff, students, and visitors. This information on this webpage is intended to:

  1. Raise awareness about food allergies and potential risks.
  2. Provide steps for responding to food allergy concerns.
 
Introduction


A food allergy is an immune system reaction that happens soon after eating a certain food. Food allergy symptoms can range from mild discomfort to life threatening (e.g. anaphylaxis). In some cases, a tiny amount of the allergen (i.e., allergy-causing food) can trigger symptoms such as hives, swollen airways and digestive problems. Some common symptoms include:

  • Tingling or itching sensation in the mouth.
  • Hives, itching or eczema.
  • Swelling of the lips, face, tongue, and throat or other parts of the body.
  • Belly pain, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting.
  • Wheezing, nasal congestion or trouble breathing.
  • Dizziness, light-headedness or fainting.

Symptoms of anaphylactic reactions include:

  • Constriction and tightening of the airways.
  • A swollen throat or the sensation of a lump in your throat that makes it hard to breathe.
  • Shock with a severe drop in blood pressure.
  • Rapid pulse.
  • Dizziness, light-headedness or loss of consciousness.
 
What can you do to help support individuals with food allergy?

  1. Wash hands before and after handling food.
  2. Be considerate and do not leave behind food waste or residue.
  3. Ask for food restrictions before eating a common food allergen with others.
  4. Ask about allergies and accommodate when planning activities/events involving food and/or other common allergens.
  5. Doctors and allergists highly recommend a medical ID for individuals with severe allergies (e.g., food, drug, insect stings) that could lead to anaphylaxis.

For more information, please refer to UTSC Allergy Awareness webpage: https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/ehs/allergy-awareness

 

What can you do as a Supervisor?

  1. Listen to the person with respect and civility.
  2. Clarify the issue. What type(s) of food causes the reaction and what type of assistance do they needed on-campus? Discuss communicating the allergy for the purposes of prevention (Note: It is not necessary to provide the name of the individual and indicating there is an individual with an allergy is sufficient.)
  3. Where applicable, communicate the issue with other individuals (e.g. staff, students, visitors) as needed.
    • Send reminders to team members periodically. The message may be sent with other annual reminders where applicable. E.g. “This is a peanut-free workplace. For the health and safety of colleagues with severe peanut allergies, please do not bring any peanut-containing products, including those that ‘may contain peanuts,’ into the office.  
    • Share the UTSC Allergy Awareness webpage: https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/ehs/allergy-awareness
    • Post signage at entrance points for visitors. Sample signage for a nut allergy below. Departments can tailor language on MySafetySign (free website).
    • If the department expects a lot of visitors, consider using a tag line in emails/invitations about the allergy, similar to the example above.
    • Meetings and events with catering: the team member in charge of catering should be aware of the allergy and ask the caterer to label the food they provide. For potlucks, please refer to Food Services’ Potluck Guidelines: https://foodservices.utoronto.ca/potlucks/
  4. If the individual has an epi-pen, discuss with the individual if they would like to let a few colleagues or nearest first-aider know the location of the epi-pen. In an emergency, the colleagues/first aider can assist getting the epi-pen to the individual. Please note that they can provide assistance while the individual is conscious but should not be administering medication if the individual is unconscious.
  5. Emergency Contact Numbers are readily available.
  6. For any life-threatening situations, call 911, then call Campus Safety at 416-978-2222. EHS occupational health (ehs.occhealth@utoronto.ca) can also be contacted for assistance in developing an emergency response plan (recommended for those with severe allergies). If individuals require medical accommodation for their allergy, please contact Health and Well-Being (employee) or Accessibility Services (students, UTM, UTSC, UTSG).

Sample Poster


Nut Free Zone Poster (Word Template)

Note: The template poster above is available for departments to use or customize to meet their needs and address different food allergies.

Resources


Food Allergy Canada

Dining Safely at UofT, Food Services