Food allergy issues affect about 2% of U.S. adults and 4 – 8% of children. Part of that group includes Publix associates and their families, such as Jacksonville Division Vice President Scott Brubaker (pictured above with his family from left to right: Chelsea Rapoza (daughter), Lisa Brubaker (wife), Jessica Rogero (daughter) and Scott Brubaker).

“My daughters both have severe food allergies,” said Scott. “Their food allergies are life-threatening. One is allergic to gluten and peanuts, among others. My other daughter has a seafood allergy. Most people don’t understand how important it is for my family to find foods to accommodate their needs.”

Scott explained how having to look out for allergens changes your life.

“There’s a lot of frustration with trying to go out to eat,” Scott said. “It’s difficult when the restaurant or server doesn’t understand the severity of my daughters’ allergies when we’re ordering food with special requests. It’s emotional because sometimes you’re afraid you may be consuming something you may need your emergency allergy medication for.”

Scott explained that going on vacation can be especially hard for those impacted by food allergies, but premier customer service can make a huge difference.

“Our family went on a cruise and when we explained our daughters’ food allergies, the server and chef bent over backward to make sure their food was prepared correctly. Every day, the chef would come over to my girls and say, ‘I made something special for you.’ The cruise restaurant staff made them feel special and that they weren’t an inconvenience.”

Scott says it’s important for everyone to make people with food allergies feel like they’re not a nuisance.

“Be understanding of these customers,” he said. “They just want to enjoy food too.”

Scott has seen a change in the way people with food allergies are accommodated. Menu items are beginning to include gluten-free dishes, and more product packaging includes allergen labels. Scott said associates can become more aware of food allergy-friendly products by walking their stores to identify and understand what products are available for customers with different allergies. Read shelf tags and packaging, and know where to locate these items in your store.

“People with food allergies depend on the accuracy of ingredient labels and complete information,” he said. “The more you know what we sell and where it is on the shelf, the more helpful we can be to customers with all needs.”

To learn more, read our FAQs on food allergens.