If you are allergic to sesame you must seek to avoid it completely, as even a tiny amount may trigger a severe reaction.
The good news is that all pre-packaged food sold in the UK must declare and highlight the presence in the ingredient list of major allergens including sesame, even if they appear in small quantities. Read the ingredient list every time you buy a product.
The catering sector, too, is covered by UK regulation. Restaurants, hotels and takeaways, as well as other catering businesses, are required by law to provide the customer with information on the presence of major allergenic ingredients including sesame. This information can be provided in writing or by word of mouth. If information is provided by word of mouth, the food business will need to ensure that written signage is clearly visible telling customers that allergen information is available from a member of staff.
You should question staff very directly, asking whether sesame is an ingredient of the food you have chosen or whether there is a risk of cross-contamination, making it clear that even small quantities of sesame may cause a reaction. Don’t be afraid to ask the waiter to check with the chef.
New legislation came into force in October 2021 covering foods that are prepared and packed on the same premises from which they are sold (for example, fresh sandwiches). Such products now have to carry a full ingredients list that highlights major allergens including sesame.
Foods that sometimes have sesame as an ingredient include vegeburgers, breadsticks, crackers, burger buns, cocktail biscuits, Middle Eastern foods, Chinese, Thai and Japanese foods, stir-fry vegetables, salad dishes and health food snacks.
Dishes containing sesame include tahini, gomashio, hummus and halvah. It is in the seasoning called Furikake. Chinese stir-fry oils sometimes contain sesame oil. Sometimes it is found in the drink Aqua Libra.
Special care is needed when the food you buy is sold loose, such as at in-store bakeries or delicatessen counters. In-store bakery products must be viewed as particularly suspect because these may be contaminated by sesame seeds from other bread. The seeds may not be obvious – they may be in the dough or on the bottom.
Sesame seeds are difficult to control in the food industry. They often become ‘electrostatic’, causing them to cling to charged surfaces such as other foods and clothing, which make it difficult to prevent cross-contamination. If a food product is marked with a warning, such as “may contain sesame”, take this seriously.
Heating does not destroy the allergenicity of sesame and so cooked food containing sesame cannot be viewed as safe.
Sesame oil should be regarded as extremely risky because it is almost certain that it will be unrefined and therefore contain the proteins that trigger allergic reactions.
