When Beef Is No Longer What’s for Dinner

We live in beef and deer country. Steak on the grill, burgers at a cookout and venison in the freezer are just normal parts of life around here. But for some of our neighbors, one tick bite can change their relationship with all of it.

Alpha-gal Syndrome (AGS) is an allergy associated with tick bites, particularly the lone star tick. Alpha-gal is a sugar found in most mammals, meaning someone with AGS may react to beef, pork, lamb, venison, bison and other mammal products. Depending on the individual, dairy, gelatin and other mammal-derived ingredients can cause reactions too.

Reactions can range from stomach problems and hives to potentially life-threatening anaphylaxis. No two people with Alpha-gal seem to have the same experience. Some can tolerate certain mammal products while others cannot. Some improve with time, while others may live with it indefinitely. We’ve also heard from people who believe acupuncture helped them regain tolerance, although it is not currently considered a medically established cure.

One woman who developed Alpha-gal as a teenager told us about cooking separately from her family, struggling to find affordable substitutes and constantly reading labels. When we asked the hardest part, her answer was simple:

“I was scared to eat.”

It isn’t only about giving up a steak. Chicken itself doesn’t contain Alpha-gal, but someone sensitive to cross-contact may need to know whether that chicken touched beef, was cooked on the same grill or in the same fryer, or had butter or mammal fat added. Even seasonings and marinades may require another look.

Then there are ingredients most of us wouldn’t immediately connect to mammals. Gelatin can show up in gummies and marshmallows, and mammal-derived ingredients can be found in processed foods and some medications.

Suddenly grocery shopping takes longer. Restaurants require questions. Potlucks get complicated. Even having someone else cook dinner requires trust.

That’s where all of us can do better.

We’re learning right along with everyone else. We’ve been trying new recipes and looking for different proteins and products that give people with AGS more choices. That includes bringing in things like ostrich steaks and duck—because losing beef, pork and venison doesn’t mean meat has to disappear from the dinner table.

It takes more than putting different meats in the freezer.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you’re preparing food for someone with AGS, ask what they personally can and cannot tolerate. If you’re living with AGS, ask what’s in the seasoning, how something was prepared and whether equipment is shared. Food establishments of all kinds can help by knowing their ingredients, understanding cross-contact and educating employees. If something can’t be safely accommodated, an honest answer is better than guessing.

Prevention deserves just as much attention. You don’t have to be deep in the woods to encounter a tick. People in our community have found them working in the yard, walking to the mailbox, at the rodeo and on bike trails—inside and outside city limits.

Use appropriate tick repellent. Wear long pants around tall grass and brush and tuck them into your socks or boots. Check yourself, your children and your pets after being outside.

We live in beef and deer country. We also live in tick country.

Knowing a little more about Alpha-gal might not change what’s for dinner at your house, but it could make sharing a meal a whole lot easier for someone else.