Chef believes that coeliacs are attention seekers

Chef Damian Cardone admitted on his Facebook profile on March 10, 2011 that he thinks celiacs on gluten free diets, who request gluten free meals at the restaurant he works in, are timewasters and it's all in their "disturbed little heads". He freely admits to serving high gluten pasta to anyone asking for gluten free.

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His justification for such mean spirited treatment of people who request gluten free meals is that he's never seen anyone suffering a reaction after eating his gluten containing pasta. As most coeliacs don't experience symptoms until the food actually hits their gut a few hours later, they're not going to fall off their chair at the restaurant.

Some people will however react immediately. I'm one of those people, so perhaps he would like to feed me high gluten pasta then watch me yak up continuously at the table for the next hour. Oh and don't forget the heart pains, numb face and hands, sweating and dizziness.

This is the reason why I haven't eaten in a normal restaurant for over 6 years. If there is a staff member that thinks you're just after attention or on a fad diet, then you will get contaminated food. I've even been told by someone who I thought was a friend that it's "all in the mind", then blatantly prepared brushchetta on the same table as all the carefully prepared gluten free foods, and threw a hissy fit when she was asked not to by another friend who could see me sweating with worry.

So with those sort of attitudes in the world how can people with genuine food allergies ever feel safe eating at a restaurant? I'd just started to persuade myself that maybe I could have a safe meal at a local restaurant. That feeling is well and truly gone again thanks to Damian Cardone. I can only sincerely hope that he never gets work as a chef again, anywhere, ever.