# Ingredient that most likely to cause allergy



## noitcefrep (Jan 28, 2007)

hi there, just afew days back, my girl took some tiramisu at a cafe and she began having rashes so was just wondering wat is the most likely ingredeint that could have cause the allergy? 

she have no problems eating eggs, cream , or normal cheese (i serioulsy have no idea wats _MASCARPONE CHEESE ) and she can take alchohol however she have an allergy to prawns which will make her lips puffy ... so was wondering if you guys could help me out so that i could prevent her from having another allergy 
_


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## kitchenelf (Jan 28, 2007)

I wish I could help but I have no clue!  Mascarpone is similar to cream cheese I believe.


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## Claire (Jan 29, 2007)

I'd guess almonds.  Almond paste can be an ingredient in deserts that many don't think about.  I've had friends who didn't even know they were allergic.


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## TexanFrench (Jan 29, 2007)

Don't know about your girlfriend, but I have strong allergic reactions to certain types of yellow food coloring, often found in margarines. Within 30 minutes, I get a raging headache and itchy red blotches all over my body.  

Might there have been food coloring lurking somewhere in one of the ingredients of that particular tiramisu?  Or maybe a whiff of prawns on a utensil or a plate?

I'd try making it at home, from "scratch" to see if it is the quality of the ingredients, rather than the type of ingredients, that affected her in this dessert.


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## buckytom (Jan 29, 2007)

it might not be one ingredient, but a combination of things.

send your gf to a doc for an allergy test, if she hsn't been recently. you can develop allergies throughout your life; you aren't necessarily born with them.

i had some strange allergic rashes when i was young, and it seemed to occur when i combined chocolate with champagne. my doc guessed it might have also had to do with hormones. 

tiramisu is often coated in cocoa or espresso powder, so look into those as possible clues, having ruled out eggs and dairy.

my sister is severely allergic to shrimp. we found out when she was about 10 or 11 years old. before that, she ate breaded shrimp or shrimp cocktail with the rest of us whenever mom treated us to it. 
well, one night during a dinner of shrimp, my sis started to have a bad reaction and couldn't breathe. as her tongue and throat swelled, she tried to tell our parents that something was wrong. of course, another sister and i started to imitate her funny "fat-tongued" speach, also complaing to our parents and getting louder and rowdier all the while. dad put down the law and we all shut up, until my poor sis turned pruple and passed out in her plate. fortunately, my dad was a world war 2 medic and was able to stabilize her until they got her to the hospital.
fun times with allergies...


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## Chopstix (Jan 29, 2007)

Ya Bucky.  A recent dinner guest told us about how her allergy to seafood just suddenly kicked in at around that age too - 10 or 11 yrs old.  Prior to that she had no problems eating shrimps and crabs.  The dinner conversation went this way because she couldn't eat most of what I had prepared that night!  What a near disaster!  Good thing I had ossobucco to go with the seafood paella! She couldn't have the shrimp gambas nor the calamari appetizers!


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## Poutine (Jan 29, 2007)

*coincidence?*

maybe they are unrelated events
the rash could have been caused by something else


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## boufa06 (Jan 29, 2007)

It could be weather-related.  I get rashes when the weather is dry and wearing too many layers of clothing.  The only way to find out if it is food related is for your girl to eat tiramisu again and see if the rashes resurface.


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## VeraBlue (Jan 29, 2007)

Tiramisu is eggs, brandy, coffee, mascarpone cheese, chocolate, sugar, and flour, depending on what type of lady's fingers were used.

I suspect the deli purchased the tiramisu, rather than making it from scratch.  However, a deli would make shrimp salad...and the same utensil could have been used and improperly sanitized for serving.


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## Candocook (Jan 29, 2007)

Why blame the tiramisu?  How long after eating did the rash occur? She should go to a doctor.
I became ill after a luncheon in May. Not acutely, but noticeably. Other physical symptoms occurred. After 3 months and tests there was a diagnosis--by doctors--for a medical problem.


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## lyndalou (Jan 29, 2007)

I think the best advice is to get her checked out by a professional. Not doing that can be very dangerous since ,as someone has already said, you don't really know what caused the reaction.


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## jennyema (Jan 29, 2007)

Tiramisu is often made with Amaretto or Frangelico, both of whuch are made from *nuts*.

But I agree with the others that it could havebeen something else she ate or cross-contamination from another source.

Like Andy says, she needs to see an allergist right away.  Food allergies are nothing to sneeze at!  Pun intended.  *Seriously, they can kill you.*


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