Happy 4th of July!

I hope everyone is enjoying the outdoor festivities, but are keeping precautions against possible allergic reactions not just from from food, but also to insect stings, pollens, and other outdoor allergies. Apparently, if you are allergic to certain types of pollen, you might also show allergies to the smoke coming from the grills, if the wood chips used are from the same plants whose pollens you are allergic to!

mesquite, oak, cedar and hickory are types of wood used for this barbecuing - they are also trees that produce pollen that many people with seasonal allergies are allergic to. It appears that the allergen in this type of pollen is also contained within the wood of the tree; these allergens survive combustion and remain in smoke once the wood is burned.