Composting and Food Allergies: Take care of the environment and
yourself This article has been reviewed by Thanai Pongdee, MD,
FAAAAI As we become more environmentally conscious, earth-
friendly practices like composting are gaining popularity in
homes and community settings. That poses an interesting
question: Is composting food waste safe for people with food
allergies? For a food to cause a significant allergic reaction,
it must gain access inside the body. This can be through
ingestion, contact with an open wound (such as a scratch), or
inhaling fine particles in the air or fumes from heated food. In
most instances, being near or adding food waste in a composter
or a composting pile should have little risk to a food allergic
person, providing you take these precautions: • If you are food
allergic and are doing the composting, wear a pollen mask to
prevent inhaling any particles. Goggles, gloves, and wearing
long sleeves and long pants can prevent contact exposure if you
have scratches or open wounds. • If