Caribbean Dining with a Corn Allergy: Your Safety Guide

Navigating Caribbean cuisine with a corn allergy can feel overwhelming. Corn hides in unexpected places—from frying oils to sweeteners—making beloved dishes like fried plantains or jerk chicken risky. But with the right knowledge and tools, you can savor the tropics safely.

Why Corn Lurks in Caribbean Cuisine

Corn appears in many forms:

• Corn oil for frying plantains, seafood, and dumplings
• Cornmeal in breads (e.g., Jamaican hardo bread), coatings, and fungee (cornmeal porridge)
• Cornstarch as a thickener in sauces, stews, and desserts
• Corn syrup in tropical drinks, marinades, and glazes
• Whole corn in salads, salsas, and side dishes

Red-Flag Caribbean Dishes

Exercise caution with:

• Fried foods (often cooked in corn oil)
• Soups and stews thickened with cornstarch
• Baked goods containing cornmeal
• Sweetened beverages or rum cocktails with corn-based syrups
• Pre-made seasoning blends or marinades

Your Allergy Survival Toolkit

1. Communicate Clearly: Use mm food’s translation feature to explain “no corn” in the local language. Specify derivatives like starch, syrup, or masa.
2. Choose Safer Options: Opt for grilled seafood, roasted meats (ask about marinades), rice and peas (verify broth), or fresh tropical fruit.
3. Scan Menus Smartly: Upload a restaurant menu photo to mm food. Set your corn allergy in the app’s dietary profile to instantly see AI-analyzed, safe suggestions.

How mm food Takes the Guesswork Out

Our app empowers you to dine confidently:

• 🔍 AI Menu Scanner: Detects corn-derived ingredients in any translated menu.
• 🛡️ Personalized Alerts: Flags risky dishes based on your custom corn-allergy profile.
• ✅ Safe Recommendations: Suggests naturally corn-free Caribbean classics like callaloo (verify thickeners), ceviche (check added sugars), or grilled whole snapper.

Corn allergies shouldn’t steal the joy of Caribbean flavors. With vigilant choices and mm food as your digital ally, you’ll savor every bite—safely.