In general, avoid foods that are hard to chew or especially sticky. When foods splash, splatter, and drip on shirts, blouses, and laps, diners get annoyed, embarrassed, and stained. Not only will this make them unhappy, it will also make them less presentable. No one wants the camera to zoom in on the keynote speaker only to reveal a big blotch of barbecue sauce on a white collar. Overdressed salads, soupy sauces, long pasta, BBQ, pizza, foods sitting in broth, and unwieldy giant lettuce leaves are common culprits.
Allergies can kill.
It's important to provide complete and accurate information on ingredients and preparations. Nut allergies are particularly insidious because nuts can sneak into foods through oils, dessert crumbles, and salads. Candy makers actually label their no-nut candies as containing nuts if they are made on the same machines as their nutty brethren. Some airlines won't even serve nuts for fear of a mid-air allergic attack. In addition, certain drugs can make it dangerous to eat some foods.