AT the age of 26 Bandon woman Shannen O’Reilly has already gone nationwide with retailers and restaurants across the country using her allergy management app.
Shannen set up TrustDish two years ago after researching allergen management for her master’s degree at University College Cork – her interest in part driven by her sister Rachel’s severe peanut allergy.
The free food app was a natural progression for Shannen since her family has a background in food retail, and she knew from working behind a deli counter at a young age that giving allergy information to customers can be a struggle.
Shannen told The Southern Star: ‘I saw just how difficult it can be for both restaurants and delis to keep allergen information accurate and up to date. It’s a task that often feels overwhelming, but one my family always took seriously, because for us, it was personal.
‘My sister Rachel has a severe peanut allergy, and over the years, she has nearly died five times due to incorrect or unclear allergen information when eating out. Each of those incidents was terrifying and entirely preventable. It’s not just triggered by eating peanuts, but even airborne exposure.
‘This means that something as small as peanut dust in the air can cause a serious reaction, or the smell of someone’s breath who had eaten peanuts that day.
‘Her allergy impacts alost every part of her life but dining out and travelling are by far the most serious challenges.’
Shannen said Rachel’s ‘most frightening’ reaction happened in a local restaurant. She explained: ‘We had clearly communicated the severity of her allergy to the staff, but the message was miscommunicated to the kitchen. Her dish was cooked in peanut oil, and when she had a reaction, her EpiPens did not work.
‘At that moment, our family was faced with a terrifying decision: do we go to our local South Doc or try to get to CUH? We chose South Doc and were later told that if we had chosen CUH, Rachel likely wouldn’t have made it in time. That’s a moment none of us will ever forget, and it’s something no family should ever have to go through, or even witness.
‘The issue was never staff negligence, but rather a broken system built on outdated menus, messy allergen booklets, and verbal guesswork in busy environments.
‘These experiences made me realise how high the stakes really are, for vulnerable customers and for the businesses trying to serve them responsibly.’
After graduating from UCC Shannen was tasked with completing a research project based on the biggest challenge she saw within the food industry; cue food allergies and TrustDish.
The app has two main elements designed to make allergen communication accurate, efficient and safe. The ‘back office’ is used by food businesses to upload and update ingredient information while the ‘customer facing’ app allows people to filter the menu of a venue on their smart device using a traffic light system based on their own allergen requirements.
The business model works on the basis that the app is free for customers to download and use, while food businesses use that platform on a subscription basis.
TrustDish qualifies for the Local Enterprise Office grow digital grant, making it what Shannen describes as a ‘no brainer’ for businesses.
‘For me, this isn’t just a business, it’s a mission to make dining out safer, smarter, and more trustworthy for everyone,’ she said.
‘If more businesses used TrustDish, it would take so much of that stress and uncertainty away. It would give Rachel and people like her more confident and help avoid these awkward and potentially dangerous situations. It would quite literally make her life easier and safer.’Shannen now works with a core team of five others and the app has gone nationwide with BWG Foods (Spar, Mace, Londis), is going live with 62 Maxol stores nationwide, 16 Inver stores and many more.
‘In terms of hospitality we are now trying to grow this sector, and want to be in as many restaurants, hotels and cafés as possible,’ she said. ‘Our aim is to be the global language for allergen communication. ‘
Never one to rest on her laurels Shannen added: ‘Our next goal is to get into the UK, as that is where we need to be with Natasha’s Law and the new law Owen’s Law coming into effect in the coming months.’
