The author has been living with alpha-gal syndrome for 18 months. The condition, usually caused by a tick bite, prevents him from being able to eat pork and red meat. Courtesy of Zack Barnes.

When I broke out in hives on a Friday afternoon, I didn't know what was going on inside my body. This wasn't the first time something like this happened, so I knew all the questions the doctor would ask: New detergent? No. New lotion? No. New soap? No. New food? No.

When it came to new foods, I had consciously decided to stay away them in recent months. This restriction came about because I kept being jolted awake in the middle of the night with what I thought was food poisoning .

These frequent sicknesses made me start to worry about food safety . When I did eat out, I always made sure the meat was fully cooked before taking a bite (which is especially challenging because I am colorblind). At home, I religiously used a meat thermometer when cooking to make sure the meat was cooked through.…