Allergy diet - sesame free
This document is part of the ACI Diet Specifications for Adult Inpatients. It is not to be used for patient education.
Aim
To provide a diet that eliminates sesame seeds and their products.
Characteristics
Avoids all traces of sesame seeds, sesame products (such as tahini), and foods processed on equipment used to process sesame seeds.
Indications
Diagnosed allergy to sesame seeds.
Nutritional adequacy
Nutritionally adequate
Precautions
Reactions to sesame may be severe, so the labels of all packaged foods must be checked carefully . It is not possible to provide a full list of all permitted commercial products; the following are general guidelines only. Sesame-based ingredients (eg sesame seeds, flour and paste) are used in many commercial products, especially breads, biscuits, bakery items, dips, sauces and condiments. The following ingredients indicate the likely presence of sesame: benne, benniseed, gingelly seeds, sesame seed, sesarmol, sesomolina, sim sim, tahina, tahini and til. Particular care is needed in food handling and preparation to avoid cross-contamination.
All packaged food with sesame ingredients must carry a mandatory warning statement under Standard 1.2.3 of the Food Standards Code. Products with advisory statements that they may contain sesame are not suitable for use with this diet
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, including plain cooked beef, lamb, pork, poultry, fish and eggs | Any dishes including sesame, or made with tahini |
| Sauces, gravies | Others – check label | Satay and Asian sauces |
| Starchy vegetables / pasta / rice | All | - |
| Vegetables | All | - |
| Soups | Others – check label | Asian soups with sesame |
| Sandwiches | All others | Tahini |
| Salads, dressings | Others – check label | Any dressings with sesame Tahini, hummus |
| Breads, cereals | Sesame-free bread only Rice, oats, pasta and noodles Most other plain breakfast cereals | Breads with sesame seeds Mueslis and breakfast cereals with nuts |
| Spreads | Butter, margarine, jam, honey | Tahini, hummus |
| Hot breakfast choices | All | - |
| Fruit | All | - |
| Yoghurt | All | - |
| Desserts | Others – check label | Halva |
| Milk and cheese | All | - |
| Beverages | All | - |
| Biscuits | All other nut-free biscuits | Any biscuits with sesame ingredients |
| Miscellaneous | - | Pretzels, marinades |
References
- American Dietetic Association. Nutrition care manual. Chicago: ADA; 2009. [accessed 17 March 2010];
- Anaphylaxis Australia. Allergen cards. 2007.