Happy New Year

Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2009!

Clothing for Food Allergic Kids

Photo courtesy of Allergy Apparel

I recently received an email from a Virginia mother who has started a business selling t-shirts and hoodies for children with food allergies, Allergy Apparel. Theresa's inspiration for the business is her young nut-allergic son. The shirts offer a new option to those in search of "allergy clothing". As Theresa says, the shirts are "great for children to wear during school, special occasions, daycare, visiting grandparents, babysitters...They are not only reminders to your child's caretakers, but they help to raise awareness."  Allergy Apparel shirts feature a cool skull and crossbones design on a black background, and come in short sleeve, long sleeve, and hoody versions. They are available for a variety of allergies such as dairy, eggs, nuts and wheat, and you may even be able to work out a custom message by contacting the owner, Theresa, directly.

For more information on Allergy Apparel, please visit the website at www.allergyapparel.com or send an e-mail to info@allergyapparel.com.

Beautiful Dairy-free, Egg-free, Gluten-free, Nut-free Cookies

Have you heard of Cookies...for Me? Before long, I think you'll be hearing a lot more about them. Cookies...for Me is a baking company which makes really lovely, eye-appealing all-natural cookies and they are dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free and nut-free (peanuts and tree nuts). Yes, you heard right--beautiful, delicious and safe for many people with multiple food allergies as well as celiac.

The package of cookies and one scrumptious brownie from Cookies...for Me was impressive indeed. With just the peanut allergy in my family, I can say that my children "ooh'd" and "ah'd" upon seeing the cookies; they look so good! It's hard to believe they're allergen free! They're made from the highest quality ingredients, with no artificial colors or flavors. Jamie, the owner, told me of how carefully the ingredients and suppliers are selected. 

The cookies are not tiny. Each cookie is a few inches long and a couple inches wide. Yet, my five year old devoured the better part of one iced sugar cookie in one sitting. In fact, I discovered I had to pace trying all the different goodies. It is wonderful that Jamie Enders, founder of Cookies...for Me, has created such beautiful and tasty treats that are safe for so many food allergic sweet teeth. When I thanked Jamie for the package of goodies and told her of my children's delighted reactions, she said "I want any kid big or small to have that exact reaction that your children had.  Shouldn't anyone with food sensitivities be able to eat like anyone else?  That is what motivates me each and every day." Absolutely. Yes. She's right.

Like many of the wonderful new companies focusing on food allergic consumers, Cookies...for Me is the creation of a mother inspired by her child. You see, Jamie's young son, Matthew, has celiac disease and multiple food allergies. In fact, the name of the company, Cookies...for Me, is inspired by him and a few simple words he uttered as a very young child, wondering if he could partake in the same foods as his twin brother, Joshua. Take a look at the About Us page on cookiesforme.com to read more about the company and its start.

Cookies...for Me's products may be purchased online at www.cookiesforme.com and likely will be available at a Whole Foods Market near you soon if they aren't already. Can you imagine being able to just stop by the local Whole Foods and pick up a brownie or other goodie for you or your food allergic loved one in the bakery section? I know it is hard to believe, but isn't it fantastic?! If that doesn't wow you, the incredibly rapid growth and success of Cookies...for Me should. The company is not yet 2 years old and already has its goodies in the bakery department of many Whole Foods Markets!  It's phenomenal! Thank you, Cookies...for Me, we're glad you're here! We wish you much success.

Cookies...for Me is located in Furlong, PA. Please visit their website at www.cookiesforme.com for additional information.

Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free Cooking Videos

There are a number of short cooking videos on youtube by Jean Duane, the Alternative Cook, for dairy-free, gluten-free diets. Ms. Duane also has produced a cookbook and DVDs which provide instruction on gluten-free and dairy-free Mexican, Italian, and Kids Meals--these items are available for purchase on www.alternativecook.com.

First Family Cookies Are Nut-Free

I came across an entry on Seattle Weekly's Voracious blog for "First Family" cookies from Little Rae's Bakery in Seattle. You may remember Little Rae's Bakery from an earlier Food Allergy Buzz post--the wholesale bakery converted to nut-free over last summer. Little Rae's sells cookies, scones, and other baked goods to stores and cafes around Seattle, and also sells many of the same items online. One bag of Little Rae's all natural shortbread cookies bearing images of the incoming First Family costs $15.95 including shipping. They're cute--you should take a look! There are photos of the cookies on Little Rae's website as well as the Voracious blog.

Happy Holidays

It's already the 4th night of Hanukkah. Happy Hanukkah!

.................

Tonight is also Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas!

New Website Aims to Connect Food Allergic Individuals with Food Allergy Friendly Businesses

I received the following email from the founder of Food Allergy Friendly Network, an interesting new company with the aim of bringing together food allergic consumers and food allergy friendly businesses. With her permission, I am pasting the email here for you to read.

"I would very much like to announce the launch of our food allergy certification business, and that we are currently in our campaign to attract site Users and Certified Members.  

The site is completely FREE to both visitors and our Registered Users.  www.foodallergyfriendly.net 

Additionally we are offering to PAY $100 to you for referring Certified Members.  Keep reading this post for more info.

We have created the food allergy friendly standard for Restaurants, Retailers and Food Products.  

Our mission is to connect the food allergy consumer market with the businesses that are dedicated to meeting their various food allergy needs. 

As an individual with multiple food allergies, I like many others like myself, found it very difficult to find the food products that I could eat, where to buy them or restaurants that had allergen alternative menus or at the minimum, were receptive to altering their menu items to meet my needs.

We have developed a website that has a categorized, searchable database of our Certified Members; so much more than “just a list”.  You will be able to search for exactly what you want, where you want.

Gluten-free breakfast cereal?     Search it!

A family style restaurant in San Diego that has a soy-free, vegan menu?  Search it!

A retailer in Chicago who is happily ready to assist you shop for your allergen alternative products?  Search it!

We will only include Certified Members in our database; they must meet our requirements and agree to uphold to the Terms of Membership.  Otherwise, they won’t be listed and they can’t use our red stamp certification mark.

Right now, we are trying to build both the User and Member base.  To do this, we are offering special discounts to our Members as well as offering to PAY $100 to our Registered Users who refer a Member when they become certified.  It’s really easy, visit the link www.foodallergyfriendly.net/mrip to learn about becoming a Registered User and joining our Member Referral Incentive Program (MRIP).  Read complete details at our site, but basically:

Complete the FREE registration which assigns you a unique User ID #

Agree to and enroll in the MRIP

Create FREE customized dietary restriction cards to take with you to restaurants, and choose to have your MRIP # printed on the card.

Encourage your local restaurant to become certified and use your MRIP # as the REP CODE.

Then,  when they become certified, we send you $100

Visit our site, read about our service and certification process on the LEARN pages, read the link “Our Story” and register as a User and start earning your $100 incentives today.

Thanks."

"Another One Bites the Dust"

Another One Bites the Dust by Queen

A visitor to Food Allergy Support wrote in a recent thread about food manufacturers that Stroehmann, Thomas' and Entenmanns all now are on shared lines. This caught my attention immediately because about two months ago, I had called Thomas' to learn if their mini-bagels were made in a peanut-free facility. I remember I was so excited to hear that they did not use peanuts in any of their factories; the customer representative said all Thomas' products were made in facilities which do not handle peanuts. 

Unfortunately, that no longer is the case. Now, all products from George Weston Bakeries, Inc. brands--Thomas, Entenmans, Arnold, Freihofer, Brownberry and Boboli--apparently are all made in facilities which use peanuts and tree nuts. When I phoned customer service yesterday, they confirmed this and stated that they follow practices which meet and/or exceed that required by law and make all reasonable efforts to avoid cross-contamination, etc. What a disappointment! Just eliminating Thomas' is a lot food to cross off our safe list. 

I can't help but wonder which products they make containing peanuts and tree nuts. A quick visit to their websites helped confirm that some danish made by Entenmann's contains tree nuts and Freihofer's, Brownberry and Arnold all have nut breads containing tree nuts. I cannot, however, find any Thomas' or Boboli products that contain tree nuts or peanuts. In fact, I could not find any products at all made by any George Weston brands that contain peanuts. 

I find it hard to believe that they have significantly altered their manufacturing process in a few months' time such that now all the Thomas' products are made in facilities using peanuts and tree nuts. I am not suggesting that anyone should ignore the statement from George Weston Bakeries, but I wonder how accurate it is. It reminds me of the time when we were going to eat at an italian restaurant and they told us that everything in the restaurant contained peanuts! It obviously wasn't true, but they wanted to make it clear they did not want to deal with the peanut allergy. Are all the facilities of all the brands of George Weston Bakeries really using peanuts and tree nuts suddenly? It's hard to even guess which, if any, of their products might contain peanuts. With Christmas around the corner, it might take while, but I am going to try to get some clarification from the parent company on this apparent manufacturing change.

These sorts of broad "advisory" statements don't seem very helpful sometimes. Of course, it's easier for a company to simply state that it can't guarantee the safety of anything. That way, no one has to deal with which major food allergens are present at a particular facility. It's a sort of "pass at your own risk" way of dealing with food allergic consumers. It almost borders on discrimination. Surprising that so many food manufacturers fail to recognize that a little effort to be food allergy friendly goes a long way. I think we are a pretty loyal bunch of customers--when we find something safe, we stick with it--and we also tell our friends about food allergy friendly products. With the rise of food allergies and the growing market for food allergy friendly foods, one wonders why a company would change its practices so that its products appeal to fewer consumers.

UPDATE: I received some helpful information from George Weston Bakeries' Director of Marketing which you can read about in Allergen Labeling at George Weston Bakeries.

General Mills Allergen Statement

A reader asked me to pass along the following email from General Mills. (thank you!)  I thought it was especially interesting that General Mills labels for sesame, sunflower and mollusks in addition to the top 8 food allergens. 

From: Corporate.Response@genmills.com <Corporate.Response@genmills.com>
Subject: General Mills Web 2008/12/19-1555 CMD
Date: Monday, December 22, 2008, 8:00 AM

Dear Valued Consumer:

 

Thank you for contacting General Mills concerning ingredients in our products.  As manufacturers and consumers, we understand your concern about potential allergens in the foods you eat.  Our primary goal is to provide accurate information; and we believe this is best accomplished by referring to the specific ingredients listed on each product package.  This is the most current information for your needs.

 

If one of our products contains any of the top 8 allergens (peanuts, tree nuts, dairy products, eggs, soy, wheat, crustaceans, and fish) or if it contains sesame, sunflower or mollusks, that ingredient is always listed in the ingredient panel, and also in bold letters just below the list of ingredients.  If a product is exposed to any of these allergens in the manufacturing facility the allergen will be listed in bold in the ′Contains Statement′ just below the list of ingredients.  This list is your ingredient assurance for that package.  It is not intended for other packaging of the same product.  Ingredients may vary from one package to another due to product reformulation.  If you have allergy concerns, please read each package ingredient panel.

 

We hope this information helps you.  You may also want to contact the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) at 1-800-929-4040, or visit their web site at www.foodallergy.org.  Although they cannot provide specific ingredient information regarding a particular product, they are a good resource to help in the management of your allergies and sensitivities.

 

We appreciate your interest.  Please contact us again with any further questions or comments.

 

Sincerely,

 

Cecile M Davidson

Consumer Services

If It's Really Nut-Free, Why Doesn't the Label Say So?

This has been on my mind for a few days. Over at Food Allergy Support (again, if you haven't visited there, please do--there's a wealth of helpful info there!), a member pointed out that Freed's Bakery of New Hampshire has a nut-free facility. Freed's is the maker of all those wonderful little mini-cupcakes we see in the supermarket bakery section, at least here in New England. This news brought joy and jubilation to some of us--imagine being able to go to your local supermarket and get a package of safe nut-free/peanut-free mini cupcakes? I don't know about other schools, but these little things are standard elementary school party fare. It'd be amazing and oh-so-convenient if they are safe.

I called the bakery in New Hampshire--as I am sure many others did upon reading this news--to find out a little more. The gentleman I spoke with said they converted to nut-free in February 2008. Apparently, they only had one item that contained tree nuts and they decided to eliminate it from their line of products. He also said that they have statements from their suppliers confirming the nut-free/peanut-free status of their ingredients. Moreover, the cupcakes are packaged at the nut-free facility--not the supermarket--so there should be virtually no chance of cross-contamination. Excellent!

So off I went to the nearby supermarket when what should my wondering eyes spy, but a package of mini-cupcakes for us to try. I checked the label, as I always do, and there was that warning--you've seen it too: "Made in a facility that processes peanuts, tree nuts...". I asked the supermarket bakery staff why that label is still there if the cupcakes are actually manufactured and packaged in Freed's nut-free facility. The answer? Freed's would need to provide "certification" to the supermarket's corporate office in order for the package to read "nut-free". That makes sense. So here's my next question, why hasn't Freed's bothered to do that? If they have, is there a reason that the supermarket's corporate office does not feel reassured that it is really a nut-free facility? Is there anything for us to be concerned about even though Freed's says that their cupcakes and facility are nut-free? I don't know about you, but I'd feel better if they'd get that warning label off and start using a nut-free label. I've left a voicemail for Freed's and will try them again soon. What's your opinion? Would you or do you buy them even though they still have that supermarket allergen warning label?

Non-Food Gift Idea for Food Allergic Preschoolers

During the last year, I came across a lovely publication out of Portland, Oregon aimed at the preschool audience--Tessy and Tab.  I think this is a neat gift idea for the pre-reading set! My five year old has a subscription; it costs $48 annually. Every two weeks, we receive a new issue--a small colorfully illustrated story with some simple pre-reading exercises at the end. 

When you have food allergies in your family--even just one--it's part of everyday life, and for us, I think it is really important not to let it dominate. I imagine I feel like many parents of food allergic children in that I want my child to enjoy the same things every other child his age does (while being ever-vigilant about the allergy, of course!). When relatives ask for gift ideas for the kids, I try to discourage food allergy related gifts. I think it's more fun to receive a gift any child would enjoy, allergies or not. It's too late for this Christmas, but if you find yourself stumped for birthday or other gift ideas in 2009, this is one which lasts the whole year through! It's really well-done, intended to encourage a love of reading, and it's always very exciting for the younger family members to receive their own mail.

Frosting and Icing for Homemade Gingerbread Houses

I've noticed a lot of recent visitors to Food Allergy Buzz are looking for egg-free icing recipes for gingerbread houses. I found the recipes below on cookinglight.com. They may be worth a try.

Royal Icing 
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 teaspoons)

Combine ingredients and whisk to combine. Thin with water, as needed. Yield: 1/2 cup

Author: Martha Stewart Living

Royal Icing (if you only wish to avoid using raw eggs)
1/4 cup meringue powder (usually made of egg whites!)
1/2 cup water
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
Food coloring (optional)

In a medium bowl, beat together meringue powder and water until soft peaks form. Gently stir in sugar until fully incorporated. Icing consistency can be adjusting by adding more or less water by the tablespoon. Beginning with a few drops of food coloring, mix well to achieve desired colors. Yield: 3/4 CUP

Author: : This recipe courtesy of Tamara Dilworth and Daniele Boglivi
Source: Royal Icing with Tamara and Daniele -martha stewart living

I thought perhaps some of you might have other suggestions. If you do, please send in a comment to help with this gingerbread icing challenge! And hurry!

[EDITED to add] I found an interesting post about egg-free icing on another blog called Hoppo Bumpo: The great eggless royal icing experiment. Check it out!

FAAN Response to Articles on Seriousness of Food Allergies

The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) has published a statement in response to recent news articles and editorials regarding the seriousness of and risk of death from food allergies. The statement may be viewed here.

Powerful Video Message from Trace Adkins and The Doctors

A reader spotted a powerful allergy awareness video on youtube from Trace Adkins and The Doctors. It promotes awareness and reminds the public that an Epi-pen can help save an allergic child's life. Check it out here. It's short and to the point, and very well done.

Asthma News

Asthma has been in the news quite a bit lately. For many food allergic individuals--including my son--asthma presents an additional set of challenges. Here are links to some of the recent headlines:

Anatacid Use in Pregnancy May Increase Child Asthma Risk, LA Times Booster Shots - December 16, 2008
Asthma Rate Higher in U.S. Born Blacks, Dorchester Study Finds, The Boston Globe - December 1, 2008
FDA Advisers: Restrict Some Asthma Drugs, ABC News - December 11, 2008
Study Links Asthma Rate to Birth Month, The Boston Globe - December 1, 2008

Watch Out for That Canola!

I gave myself a fright when I went grocery shopping on Monday. I took a photo of the scare with my phone camera to commemorate the incident. (see above)

I have been baking so much lately, I needed more canola oil. I try to buy organic because my understanding is that only organic canola is non-GMO. As I was placing the bottle of canola into my shopping cart, I thought I should check the label to do due diligence. What is it going to tell me, I thought, that the canola oil is made of organic canola oil? Good thing I looked! It said "Bottled in a facility that produces peanut oil". That was horrifying. I know there's that whole thing about some peanut oil being safe and whatnot, but with my son's peanut allergy, I would prefer not to have any peanut pieces, juices, oils, or dust in my house. Needless to say, I bought organic canola oil that did not bear that warning. Now I just need to call and verify that it too is not made in a facility that processes peanut oil. I almost missed that one! Almost! 

Gluten-Free Cooking Classes

I often think about how fortunate it is that our cooking and recipes haven't really changed much since the peanut allergy diagnosis. We just cook more from scratch and have to look a little harder for purely peanut-free and tree nut-free ingredients, like breadcrumbs. Many Food Allergy Buzz readers can attest to the fact that other allergies such as egg, milk, and wheat add extra challenges and creativity to old recipes and meals from life before the allergies. Take a look at some of the handiwork of food allergy bloggers focusing on cooking and recipes for multiple food allergies, like The Allergic Kid , Food Allergy Mama, Lisa Cooks, Shops and Dines Allergen Free or Mom's Food Allergy Diner. This is also true for those with celiac disease and need to avoid gluten--it's a whole new way of cooking and eating. By the way, if you haven't visited gluten-free girl, you really should at least once, even if you don't cook or eat gluten-free. 

Have you ever thought it might be helpful to take a cooking class to address the challenges of cooking for a gluten-free diet? Chef Rebecca Reilly--author of Gluten-Free Baking --is the one the we see most often here in New England in connection with gluten-free cooking classes. She'll be teaching a Gluten Free Italian Baking class in Falmouth, Maine in mid-January, the second in a series sponsored by the Institute for Italian Studies in Portland, Maine. She also teaches gluten-free recreational cooking classes at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts in Cambridge, MA. If you don't live in the area, however, don't fret, Chef Rebecca was just in Texas last month and has speaking engagements around the U.S. throughout the year. 

Now, I am wondering if there are classes out there for cooking with multiple food allergies. Anybody know of any? If you do, please send in a comment and share that info--that would be super!

A & J Bakery Holiday Specials

My children and I recently assembled our gingerbread houses from A & J Bakery. I have included a photo of the finished houses for you to see. The boys were very particular about placement of the candies and decorations! I had hoped to keep the finished gingerbread houses till Christmas but they keep asking if they can eat it now. They have already planned to join next year's gingerbread houses together to build a gingerbread hotel next year--it could be interesting.

Today, I received an email about additional holiday specials from A & J Bakery. Here are the highlights from it:

"We are proud to announce some additions to our Holiday Menu for this holiday season. We will be making a 6 pack of Cinnamon Buns that can be purchased baked or unbaked for your Christmas morning breakfast treat.  These buns are totally nut free and a delicious treat for the whole family. We will also be selling this holiday season, a traditional Chocolate Yule log (chocolate cake). This chocolate treat will please anyone’s craving for chocolate during this stressful holiday season.

In addition to those new items we have our cheesecakes in a variety of sizes and flavors, along with pies (apple, apple streusel, apple-cranberry lattice, pumpkin, lemon meringue, egg custard and blueberry), bake at home apple crisp, assorted loaf and bunt cakes, biscotti and cookie trays. These are just some of the items you can purchase for the holiday. Please don’t forget about the little ones we have decorated cutout cookies, decorated cupcakes, brownies and much more for the little ones in your house."

A&J Bakery is located at 1458 Park Ave., Unit 5 Cranston, RI 02920. The telephone number is 401-228-8696 and the url for the web site is www.aandjbakery.net.

Holiday Offer from Homefree

Homefree (formerly Gak's Snacks) asked me to share the following with you. 

"Looking for great stocking stuffers? With any web order at www.homefreetreats.com (no coupon needed) between now and December 16th, we’ll send you three cookies for free! If you purchase HomeFree cookies at stores, simply send us a December receipt and your address by December 16th, and we'll still send you cookies!

Planning on purchasing a cranberry or apple coffee cake for the holidays? We suggest (for regular shipping) that you order by Sunday, December 14th. 

From our family to yours, HomeFree would like to wish you a very happy holiday season!"

Price Change Spotted on Cherrybrook Kitchen Mixes

There was a small window of opportunity for me to get to Shaws supermarket today and look what I found! Cherrybrook Kitchen on sale for $4.99 and $4.59; a marked improvement over the recent sale price of $6.29 I griped about here. Maybe that post helped...I don't know, but a big thank you goes out to whoever is responsible, Shaws? Cherrybrook Kitchen? Both? So, for those of you who live near a Shaw's, you may want to swing by soon and see if they're on sale near you. We'll enjoy our chocolate Cherrybrook Kitchen cake and hope you will too!

Seats for Peanut Allergic Red Sox Fans

A reader wrote to say that Fenway Park in Boston has peanut free seating. If you are interested in the peanut free seating area, you must contact the Red Sox and request to be put on the waiting list. The reader says that those on the waiting list typically receive a phone call when seats are available in Conigliaro's Corner. In the past, tickets have run about $25 each.

This is great information! Thanks so much for sending it. If anyone else has additional information to share about peanut free seating at Fenway or any other ballpark, please email me, jennifer@foodallergybuzz.com, and I'll pass on the information about these sought-after tickets.

Hot Chocolate?

I am drinking a cup of Swiss Miss (we're real gourmets!) and was wondering what varieties or recipes for hot chocolate and hot cocoa work for different food allergies. Swiss Miss seems acceptable for us and our purely peanut-free, nut-free diet. Ahlaska is a dairy-free, nut-free chocolate syrup I spot occasionally, but what are some other options? Please send in a comment and tell us what you like or what works with the food allergies in your family. Thanks!

Baseball Season Not So Far Away

We just had our first snow yesterday, December 7, and I've spotted the first mention of peanut free baseball for the 2009 season. If you followed Food Allergy Buzz during the summer, you'll recall my penchant for following all the baseball games with special accommodations for food allergic and specifically peanut allergic fans. I can't stop now!

Here is the press release for the first one I spotted for 2009. The River City Rascals in O'Fallon, Missouri, along with Gateway FEAST (Food Allergy, Eczema, and Asthma Support Team) have planned Peanut-Safe Wednesdays in Section 109. To purchase tickets, call 636-240-BATS and ask about the Peanut-Safe section, #109.

Please email me, jennifer@foodallergybuzz.com, with any news of peanut-free, food-free and other special accommodations for the upcoming baseball season. We'll help spread the word!

Mednotes, an Online Tool to Track Medicine & Alerts

I came across a press release for Mednotes, a new online tool which provides comprehensive information on medications for consumers. According to the press release, "MedNotes is an award-winning, easy-to-use, personalized medication management program that can be used to track the whole family's medications...MedNotes will help mothers and caretakers stay informed about their family's prescription and over the counter (OTC) drugs, safety news and possible allergic, food and drug interactions."

It seems like a tool which could be handy for many Food Allergy Buzz readers, since so many of us have medications for asthma, eczema, allergies and other health conditions. You can register for free or try it one time without registering at http://www.drugs.com/mednotes.html. I did a test run to see how it works, and it looks pretty useful. I input Singulair (my son's prescribed asthma maintenance drug) and the results provided recent news articles about Singulair, a clickable list of other asthma maintenance drugs to compare it with, FDA warnings, and user reviews and ratings. I was impressed--it is user friendly, and would be especially helpful for those with prescriptions for multiple drugs. 

New Hampshire Considers Food Allergy Protection Law

On seacoastonline.com, there is an interesting article entitled Food allergy protection: Bill would require warnings on NH menus. The bill, proposed by state senator Lou d'Allesandro, is similar to Massachusetts'--it would "require all restaurants to prominently display a poster about food allergy awareness in the staff area and to include on all menus a notice of the customer’s obligation to inform the server about any food allergies."

"In addition, it asks the Department of Public Health to develop a voluntary program that allows restaurants to be designated as “Food Allergy Friendly” by the department and requires that if the restaurant meets the guidelines for designation, it must include a list of all the ingredients used in the preparation of each food item on the menu."

It's an encouraging piece of news.

Feast Your Eyes on a Nut-Free Coupon Code!

Have I got a treat for your peanut allergic and nut allergic sweet tooth! Little Rae's Bakery of Seattle is offering Food Allergy Buzz readers a 20% discount with the coupon code "AllergyBuzz08".  To use the coupon code, enter it at the bottom of the checkout page. 

If you have any questions or need additional information, their phone number is 1.866.954.5750. They always have great photos of the baked goods on Little Rae's website. Right now, there are some lovely looking decorated cookies in the shape of gifts, Santa, and Reindeer. Don't forget to order ginger twinkle cookies--they are amazing!

The Same Old Peanut "Song and Dance"

I came across an article entitled The War on Peanuts on investors.com. My first reaction is that this is an article written to encourage heated comments like those that appeared on wsj.com's September 11, 2008 article Peanut Butter Bans: Nuisance or Necessity?. I am tempted to ignore the article so as to avoid inspiring this tired discussion. It's like "Name that tune" and the song's a cinch because it's gotten so much play.

The author uses terms like "peanut-allergy nazis" and states that a "Washington lobbyist group is behind the anti-peanut push. It's stalking schools with fears about children going into anaphylactic shock if they so much as touch something peanutty." The Washington lobbying group he is referring to is FAAN! Funny, many parents of peanut allergic kids criticize FAAN for not taking a strong enough position and advocating a peanut ban! This poor investors.com author doesn't know his subject very well, I'm afraid.

He also throws out strange statistics. I don't know where he obtained his information. It's not even worth trying to argue the points he makes, but I guess it is a good reminder that there are people who really do hold those views, who really are that uninformed, and that we must keep advocating awareness.

Corn-Free and Gluten-Free Vanilla

Photo courtesy of Meraby

I have been checking in with many of my contacts at food allergy friendly companies to see what's new for the holiday season. One handy product this time of the year is vanilla. Meraby has some excellent vanilla, in addition to their line of baking mixes. Meraby's vanilla extract is made in a facility that does not produce nut extracts and it is made from the highest quality vanilla beans. It's also corn-free and gluten-free. It would make a nice food allergy friendly gift. (hint, hint!)

If you are not familiar with Meraby, I heartily recommend trying their products which include an allergy friendly line of baking mixes that are peanut-free, nut-free, dairy-free and egg-free and a gluten/wheat free line of baking mixes too. We've enjoyed both the blueberry and cranberry orange allergy friendly mixes. You can buy all of Meraby's products online.

Oh, and in case you are new here, and are wondering, is this is a paid advertisement? No! Believe it or not (and maybe this is foolish of me), I do not get paid for any of the products, manufacturers or resources I write about here. I just love getting the word out on things that make the world better for people with food allergies and intolerances, like my son.

Read the Labels for Toys Too

In a follow-up to my recent post, I have a photo of the allergen labels on a Girl Gourmet Cupcake maker package from a trip to Walmart in Massachusetts yesterday. Gale, an acquaintance from peanutallergy.com, snapped a quick shot of the package at a Sams Club in Indiana. She's given me permission to share the photo with you--thanks Gale! The labels do not bear the same allergen information. Confusing? We think so!

Click on the photo to enlarge. Keep in mind the press release stated:

"Kids and parents can also breathe easy when it comes to the ingredients for Girl Gourmet cupcakes which are gluten and wheat-free, trans-fat free, and made in a nut-free facility. Many children who suffer from Celiac and nut allergies will be able to participate in the art of cupcake making AND eating with all of their friends." (emphasis added by me)

Taken at Walmart in Massachusetts 12/01/08

Taken at Sams Club in Indiana 11/30/08

Think we need better labeling standards? Absolutely! It should not take a veritable committee and investigation to figure out the allergen situation for a baking mix! I alone have sent at least 4 emails trying to get some clear, consistent information. Others have emailed and phoned too. The manufacturer's most recent explanation for the inconsistent labels: 

"The Girl Gourmet cupcake ingredients are made on nut-free machinery and in a nut-free facility. The original Girl Gourmet Cupcake Maker packaging that first hit the market (and is still available on shelves) reflected incorrect information regarding the ingredients. We have since updated and corrected the packaging, which is reflected on most of the products currently on shelves."

If anyone feels motivated, please email Jakks (the manufacturer) and tell them we need better labeling and clarity! The Jakks consumer relations email address is consumers@jakks.net. If you come across more confusing labels, please snap a photo with your phone and send it to Food Allergy Buzz. We need to wake these manufacturers up!

UPDATE: 5:00 PM same day. Have received email from Food-Tek, developer of Girl Gourmet mixes:

"Hello, everyone!

My name is Larisa, and I represent Food-Tek, Inc. We are the developer and licensor of the food mixes for the Girl Gourmet products, as well as one of the manufacturers. It has come to our attention that some of the original packaging was printed with an incorrect allergen statement, which was corrected on subsequent printings.

Here is the correct statement for the Cupcake Maker:
"Contains Milk, Egg and Soy ingredients. Mixes are processed in a facility that also processes Wheat ingredients."

And the correct statement for the Ice Cream Sandwich Maker:
"Contains Wheat and Soy ingredients. Mixes are processed in a facility that also processes Milk and Egg ingredients."

As far as your more specific questions, all facilities that process these products are completely peanut and tree nut free. Wheat ingredients are processed on the same equipment, however, mixes are tested by a third-party laboratory to assure that they are below the 20ppm maximum recommended by the Celiac-Sprue Association.

If you have any further questions, or if I missed anything, please let me know. Also, feel free to email me at lsim@foodtek.com or call me at 800-648-8114 for more information."