Allergic to certain foods?

With one in 25 Americans — that's 12 million people — making special menu requests because of a food allergy, there's an increased need for up-to-date and practical guidelines for restaurants to follow.

"Take Action to Prevent an Allergic Reaction" is the theme for National Food Safety Education Month this September. Taking the "action" part seriously, the National Restaurant Association, in partnership with the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, has updated and revised its 60-page food service training guide, "Welcoming Guests with Food Allergies."

Available free for download from www. foodallergy.org/welcomingguests.html, the guide is intended to educate restaurant employees. But Sheila Weiss, R.D., director of nutrition policy for the National Restaurant Association, says customers coping with food allergies can benefit from the guide's behind-the-scenes look at restaurant operations.

"Often, looking at the menu descriptions is not enough," Weiss says. "We strongly encourage communicating a food allergy to the restaurant staff so it can be addressed right up front. All ingredients should be disclosed. There are no secret sauces or secret thickeners."

While some food allergies are more serious than others, all food allergies and food intolerances demand serious attention when choosing what to eat or what NOT to eat when dining out. For instance, if you're allergic to shrimp, don't order the jambalaya. But, eggs or milk and nuts can sneak into recipes without any warning. This is where it's imperative to step up the detective work when navigating a restaurant menu.

Your first line of defense is the server, who should be able to describe menu items and their ingredients in detail. However, this is no time to guess what's in a dish. So if the server doesn't know for sure, ask to talk to the manager or the chef. And you can ask to see a container's ingredient label.

Chefs should be trained to prepare allergen-free versions of items upon request. But you should also know what's possible and what's not. If the gumbo is made with oysters, chefs can't just "whip up" one without oysters.

Restaurant staff should be aware that even a miniscule amount of food can set off a severe allergic reaction. For example, some people are allergic to mollusks but not to fin fish. So make sure to ask what kind of seafood was used to make the "seafood sauce" served with the fish.

Food allergies are potentially life threatening for some people, so the rest of us shouldn't "cry wolf" and demand a high alert from the restaurant staff if it's not really necessary.

Carolyn O'Neil is a registered dietitian and co-author of "The Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous!" E-mail her at carolyn@carolynoneil.com.