Actor David Henrie, known for his roles in “Wizards of Waverly Place” and “How I Met Your Mother,” is warning parents of kids with food allergies after his son suffered a serious reaction while the family was on-site at his latest project in Italy.
On Saturday, Henrie’s 4-year-old son James, who has an allergy to tree nuts, suffered anaphylaxis at a restaurant.
In a post on Instagram, Henrie wrote:
Thank God he’s alive. I wish I woulda known this before traveling, so I’m sharing it with you now. If you’re traveling in Italy with severe allergies, make sure the water your pasta is made in is not mixed with anything else like ravioli which may contain pine nuts. My son had an anaphylactic reaction last night and the EpiPen saved his life. Thank God for the EpiPen and His Grace.

It’s likely James was exposed to tree nuts via cross-contact with his pasta during cooking or preparation.
Diners with food allergies must always question how their food will be prepared regarding shared cookware and surfaces when dining out. In this case, shared water for boiling pasta could have been the culprit or perhaps a shared surface. Another frequent source of cross-contact is deep fryers used to make french fries, as the oil may be contaminated with eggs, milk, wheat, fish, shellfish, sesame and other allergens cooked in the same fryer.
Important questions to ask are:
- “Do you have a dedicated fryer for your french fries?”
- “Will you use a clean pot and fresh water to boil my pasta?”
- “Will this be cooked on a grill where fish is prepared, or can you use a clean frying pan?’
- “How will you prepare my meal to ensure it doesn’t touch surfaces where other meals are prepared?”
Be sure to speak directly with management and the waiter, and don’t be shy about asking to see the kitchen and speak with the chef.
If you don’t feel confident that the establishment can accommodate you safely, leave.
And don’t forget the epinephrine, the only drug that can halt and reverse the progression of life-threatening anaphylaxis. If you have been prescribed epinephrine, take two auto-injectors or nasal sprays along everywhere, every time.
Henrie has not posted an update on how James is doing as of this writing.