Butter is everywhere in restaurants, that could be a big issue, especially in higher-end restaurants. And "fast casual" places tend to have some kind of cheese at the counter.
I have celiac disease, so I also have a lot of issues with cross contamination at restaurants, and I have problems similar to GP.
I can usually eat at restaurants, but I need to ask a lot of questions and/or make sure I go when they aren't busy, so I can be reasonably sure that the kitchen staff have the time to ensure that my food isn't contaminated. I also need to avoid fast casual restaurants unless it looks like the food bins at the counter have been recently replenished (less risk of utensil contamination).
I simply don't eat at company events, and for that reason I too don't put any value on food as a company gift. I try to eat pretty healthy anyway, so I don't mind being barred from pizza, Italian combo sandwiches, and tacos. When the team goes out to lunch, I usually walk with them to the door of the restaurant, and then go my own way.
That said, GP seems to be carrying a lot of guilt and bearing a lot of emotional burden related to this. Seems like the company work environment might have been disrespectful and/or toxic for other reasons, of which the food issues were a symptom.
No. There are plenty of places
I can go where this doesn’t happen. And I cook my own food. I know what I’m allergic to. A lot of expensive places I had to pick from used gallons of butter every night.
I’m also in the Midwest. Food safety is a bit of a foreign concept out here.
