There’s a new fudge place in Portsmouth. A friendly couple own and operate it.

I was so excited entering their appealing little store! But within 10 seconds of my arrival, I was aggrieved.

I greeted the proprietor and asked, “I’m allergic to peanuts. Do you…?”

“Oh, we use peanuts here,” she interrupted. “You shouldn't get anything.”

Of the six varieties of fudge in display cases, one clearly contained peanut butter. The others? Well, I assume they might contain traces of peanuts because the owners wield sloppy spatulas when whipping them up.

Is it too much to ask that food preparers take basic steps to prevent nuts from proliferating like loose nukes? 

I understand everyone's on edge due to legal liability. As I've learned over the years, no one will give me the gift of peace of mind and say, "I guarantee what we serve is nut-free."

Just once, I wish someone would say, “These items are meant to be nut-free. We take careful steps to prevent contamination. Mistakes can happen, but rest assured we use an entirely separate part of our kitchen when cooking with peanuts.”

That’s better than rejecting me as a customer, Mr. & Mrs. Fudgemaker! About 3 million Americans report being allergic to peanuts; that’s roughly1% of the U.S. population.

If you’re going to open a business, why drive away 1 out of every 100 fudge lovers?

When I tell my physician, “Doc, I’m allergic to penicillin,” I expect to hear, “Thanks for telling me. You’re safe here.”

No doctor would reply, “Well, I can’t guarantee that you won’t come in contact with penicillin here. We use it. Traces of penicillin even get on our thermometers--like the one I just jammed under your tongue.” 

At least, no doctor would say that now. After health insurance reform, who knows?

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Morey Stettner writes The Young Curmudgeon blog for portsmouthnh.com. He’s the author of five books including SKILLS FOR NEW MANAGERS (McGraw-Hill) and THE ART OF WINNING CONVERSATION (Prentice Hall) and the editor of the popular newsletter Managing People at Work (www.managingpeopleatwork.com).