Joel Schaefer

Joel Schaefer is a certified Chef de Cuisine with the American Culinary Federation and one of the food service industry's leading authorities on cooking for people with food allergies and special diets. His career in food allergy management began at Walt Disney World Resort, where he served as Culinary Development and Special Dietary Needs Manager. In that role, he built the food allergy and special diets program for Disney properties worldwide and Disney Cruise Line a program widely recognized as the gold standard in the food service industry.

Joel is a consultant for Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) and served as a subject matter expert on ServSafe Allergens for the National Restaurant Association. His professional background also includes Manager of Culinary Product Development and Standards at Princess Cruises, Executive Chef with Sodexo, and culinary instruction roles at Valencia Community College and Kapiolani Community College in Honolulu. He currently teaches at the Las Vegas Culinary Academy.

Together with his wife and co-author Mary Schaefer a certified Executive Pastry Chef and former Pastry Chef at Walt Disney World for ten years, Joel has developed over 40 recipes for Allergic Living magazine and worked with multiple manufacturers specializing in allergy-friendly products.

Joel has lived with a milk allergy and gluten sensitivity since his teens. That personal experience, combined with decades of professional kitchen work, is what drives every recipe in At Home With Your Allergy Chefs a 300-page cookbook where every dish is free from gluten and all nine top food allergens, including sesame under the FASTER Act.