Allergy diet - herb free

Aim

Excludes all herbs commonly found in foods in the Australian food supply to avoid reactions to one or more herbs.

Characteristics

Avoid all sources of culinary herbs including, but not limited to: anise leaves, basil, bay laurel, bergamot, borage, burdock, burnet, chamomile, chervil, chicory, chives, coriander/cilantro leaves, dill, elderflower, fennel leaves, kaffir/makrut lime leaves, lavender, lemongrass, lemon balm, lemon myrtle, lemon thyme, lovage, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory, sorrel, tansy, tarragon and thyme.

Herbs are the leaves of aromatic plants used for adding flavour to dishes and are not a main ingredient. They may be fresh or dried. They may also appear in oil extracts. If the generic term ‘herbs’ is in the ingredient list, it will be excluded.

This diet does not exclude spices.

Indications

All patients who have a reaction to any of the listed herbs should be ordered this diet unless a medical officer or dietitian has advised otherwise.

Nutritional adequacy

This diet can be nutritionally adequate.

Precautions

If the patient also has an allergy to a spice, the Allergy diet- spice free must be ordered.

It is not possible to provide a full list of all permitted commercial products. These are general guidelines only. Care should be taken to read all product ingredient lists to determine if the product contains any of the listed herbs. Clarification is required for foods that contain compound ingredients to determine their components.

Inulin is commonly derived from chicory but can also be derived from other herbs such as burdock. Inulin must be avoided on a diet that is herb free and food items containing inulin will be classed as non-compliant.

Natural and synthetic herb flavourings are avoided in this diet.

If an item is cooked with any herb, but it is removed before service e.g., bouquet garni, the food will be classed as non-compliant.

Paediatrics

Suitable for use in paediatrics when combined with an age-appropriate diet.

Specific menu planning guidelines

	Allowed	Not allowed
Hot main dishes	All others	Those prepared or garnished with any of the excluded herbs, e.g., lamb cooked with rosemary
Sauces, gravies	All others	Those prepared or garnished with any of the excluded herbs
Starchy vegetables / pasta / rice	All others	Those prepared or garnished with any of the excluded herbs
Vegetables	All others	Those prepared or garnished with any of the excluded herbs
Soups	All others	Those prepared or garnished with any of the excluded herbs
Sandwiches	All others	Those prepared or garnished with any of the excluded herbs
Salads, dressings	All others	Those prepared or garnished with any of the excluded herbs
Breads, cereals	All others	Those prepared or garnished with any of the excluded herbs
Spreads	All others	Those prepared or garnished with any of the excluded herbs
Hot breakfast choices	All others	Those prepared or garnished with any of the excluded herbs
Fruit	All	Those prepared or garnished with any of the excluded herbs
Yoghurt	All others	Those prepared or garnished with any of the excluded herbs
Desserts	All others	Those prepared or garnished with any of the excluded herbs Products containing herb-flavoured essences such as peppermint oil
Milk and cheese	All others	Those prepared or garnished with any of the excluded herbs
Beverages	All others	Those prepared or garnished with any of the excluded herbs
Biscuits	All others	Those prepared or garnished with any of the excluded herbs
Miscellaneous	All others	Those prepared or garnished with any of the excluded herbs

References

1. Australian Food and Grocery Council, Authorised Food Data System Product Information Form (PIF) V6.0 User Guide, Australian Food and Grocery Council; Canberra 2019, [cited April 2023].
2. Marcus JB. Aging, Nutrition and Taste Nutrition, Food Science and Culinary Perspectives for Aging Tastefully, Elsevier London, UK, 2019.
3. Puhlmann, ML and deVos, WM. Back to the Roots: Revisiting the Use of Fiber-Rich Cichorium intybus L. Taproots. Adv Nutr. 2020 July [cited April 2023] 11(4):878-89.
4. The Herb Guide, Taking the mystery out of herbs, Alderson L; Chatham, Kent, UK [cited April 2023].
5. The Spruce Eats, What are herbs? Danilo Alfaro, September 2022, [cited April 2023].
6. The Herb Exchange, 25 Best Herbs to Grow in Your Kitchen Garden. White K, 2019 [cited April 2023].
7. Taste Australia, Bush Tucker Taste Australia Native Food Blogs, Lilly Pilly. [Cited April 2023].