The One Type Of Seafood Sunny Anderson Can't Eat

As a chef, it's probably pretty annoying when you can't eat or prepare certain foods. Unfortunately, that happens to be the case for cookbook author and Food Network star Sunny Anderson, according to a post on Instagram from 2015. At the time, she wasn't completely sure if her shellfish allergy was legit, and she was seeking out testing to find out for sure. "Chillin in Seattle with a possible growing shellfish allergy I've yet to get fully diagnosed is really tough, but I have excellent coping skills," she posted alongside a plate of waffles.

According to FARE, about 2% of people living in the United States are allergic to shellfish, and these allergies are usually lifelong. Shrimp is the most common shellfish allergy, and allergies to crustaceans such as shrimp, prawns, crab, and lobster are more likely to occur than allergies to mollusks, such as mussels, oysters, and scallops. Finally, several years after the original Instagram post, Sunny Anderson revealed what type of shellfish she isn't able to eat.

When a confused fan made a Twitter post on August 24, the mystery regarding what shellfish Sunny Anderson is allergic to was finally resolved. The post read "@SunnyAnderson I thought you were allergic to sea food I am watching you eat shrimp and mussels." It's unclear if the poster watched a TV episode where Anderson consumed shellfish or saw her at a public restaurant. Either way, the chef replied with, "Crab. Just crab." She went on to say that the allergy started about seven years prior.

Something else is also holding Anderson back from enjoying certain foods. According to Everyday Health, she suffers from ulcerative colitis, a condition that causes stomach pain and other gastrointestinal issues when specific foods are ingested. Raw fruits and vegetables including corn, green and red bell peppers, and bananas trigger her symptoms. "Food is sometimes the last thing you want to think about with UC, especially when experiencing a flare and symptoms are at their worst," Anderson explains. It sounds like being a chef is a difficult profession for Sunny Anderson at times.