Eczema-Asthma Link Theory

How many of you are dealing with food allergies, eczema and asthma? It seems there are quite a few of us. In the current Kids with Food Allergies e-newsletter, they have a great link to a BBC article about the link between eczema and asthma, Eczema's Link to Asthma Uncovered. The Economist ran a similar article: Eczema's Link to Asthma, Breathe Easy. Very interesting articles. The theory is that eczema causes a chemical to be made by the body. This chemical then enters the bloodstream, and when it reaches the lungs, causes them to be sensitive to allergens to which they otherwise would not react.

Washington Nationals Offer 2 Games with Peanut-Safe Seating

Head on over to our sister site, peanutfreebaseball.com, for information on the Washington Nationals games with peanut-safe seating: http://tiny.cc/blJyT.

Living with Food Allergies Blog Carnival

It has been a quiet week here on Food Allergy Buzz as we recover from what seems to be a few minor cases of the flu! Be sure to stop by No Whey, Mama to check out the latest Living with Food Allergies Blog Carnival. Many good articles, as always!

Rainy Grey Tuesday

Hello and thanks for stopping by! Too tired to post anything new today. I swear kids with allergies get more colds or worse colds than other kids! We just finished two cases of strep throat, group A and non-group A, and now it seems one child has the flu or another nasty virus. The pediatrician would not test since our apparent case is not acute and Massachusetts won't process the test (huh?). So, one boy is in bed resting, the other is playing far away at the other end of the house, and mom (that's me) is trying to doze off while caring for and watching the boys. Oh yeah, did I mention I'm sick too? Let me know when it's really summer, will ya?

Op/Ed Article: My Son, the Superhero

I enjoyed this article, My Son, the Superhero, which was featured in the Boston Globe Ideas Section yesterday, June 21. It's not food allergy related, but since so many Food Allergy Buzz readers are parents, I wanted to share it anyway!

Win Gourmet Stuffed Pretzels in RFAK.org Contest!

We're helping spread the word--Raising Food Allergic Kids (rfak.org) is sponsoring a contest!

They're giving away a 10 pack of Kim & Scott's Gourmet Stuffed Pretzels. If you haven't tried them before, Kim and Scott's soft pretzels are a wonderful treat, found in the frozen food section and they're made in a dedicated nut-free facility! For more information on the contest and to enter for a chance to win, click here. The winner will be announced on July 1, 2009! Submit your entry now!

Frederick Keys & Frederick Allergy & Asthma Offer Peanut-Free Night

More "Peanut-Free" Baseball

If you're a baseball fan and are interested in "peanut-free" baseball, stop by peanutfreebaseball.com today. A few more games have been added recently, including the Lakewood BlueClaws and Fort Wayne TinCaps.

Thanks to those of you who send the peanut-free baseball info to Food Allergy Buzz. Keep sending it in to jenniferATfoodallergybuzz.com and we'll add it to the list!

If Only More Food Manufacturers Were This Responsive

Wow. Recently, I published a post speculating about Whole Foods' peanut-free labeling policy, Has Whole Foods Changed Their Peanut-Free/Nut-Free Policy? The impetus for that post was a Worcester Telegram article about a Massachusetts company, Indigo Rabbit, which makes healthy and tasty cookies. The article stated "But it’s the nutritional labeling that tells the story. Consumers who want a tasty cookie that is lactose free, gluten free, egg free, nut free, soy free and vegan turn to Indigo Rabbit, according to Foster, a former psychotherapist who specialized in eating disorders." If you are a regular Food Allergy Buzz reader, you can imagine that made my antennae quiver with concern!

I immediately contacted Whole Foods via Twitter to find out what the story with the peanut-free labeling was. They used to insist on dedicated facilities, did they change that practice? They responded fairly quickly and so did Indigo Rabbit's founder and owner, Sandy Foster. I have to admit that I have been really impressed by Sandy the two times I have spoken with her. She's smart, she's focused, she's worked really hard to develop great-tasting, quality foods, and her customer service skills are phenomenal. Indigo Rabbit is clearly a company that listens to its customers and cares about them. Huh, that almost sounds weird to say about a food manufacturer, since it seems that is so rarely the case.

Sandy sent an email explaining in clear language how Indigo Rabbit handles food allergen labeling, how the labeling and packaging reads at Whole Foods and will eventually read at all stores carrying Indigo Rabbit cookies. They're changing their labeling so it will no longer say gluten-free, it will say wheat-free, and it will no longer say peanut-free or nut-free because of the shared facility. The label also bears additional information about the shared facility to address potential cross-contamination questions. It sounds like Indigo Rabbit has really made an effort to make its labeling clear and helpful for food allergic consumers. Imagine that! If only more food manufacturers would hear our concerns and clarify their labeling similarly! It's fantastic!

I'm still waiting for Whole Foods to confirm their peanut-free labeling policy. (nudge, nudge!) In the meantime, however, below is some very helpful information I received from Indigo Rabbit:

I would like to address the concerns raised online regarding Indigo Rabbit’s product labeling practices. At Indigo Rabbit, we take food allergies very seriously.

All Indigo Rabbit products are baked in the same bakery. Good manufacturing practices (GMP’s) are used to reduce the risk of cross-contamination, including but not limited to sterilizing of machinery, line scheduling to segregate allergen and non-allergen ingredients, and line testing for gluten. Please see our website, http://indigorabbit.com/allergy-info/ for a more detailed description of our practices.

Indigo Rabbit product packaging includes ingredient statements, Contains statements, and advisory statements (“Manufactured in a facility that processes nuts wheat, eggs, milk and soy”), the latter of which are not currently mandated by the FDA.

Products are labeled “Nut Free” if they do not contain peanuts or tree nuts by formulation.

I will also address our “Gluten Free” labeling as this may be relevant to some of your readers. Indigo Rabbit products are labeled “Gluten Free” if they do not contain wheat, rye, barley or oats by formulation. We line test throughout production to ensure that all products labeled as such test negative for gluten. Indigo Rabbit executes such assessment even though it is not currently mandated by the FDA.

Whole Foods Markets upholds an allergy labeling guideline that extends beyond that stipulated by the FDA. Indigo Rabbit products sold in Whole Foods, therefore, do not contain the terms “Nut Free” or “Gluten Free” in order to make clear that Indigo Rabbit cookies are baked in a shared facility.

We are working toward a production-wide shift in Indigo Rabbit package labeling. Consumers who seek Nut Free and/or Gluten Free items will note that our product line has such offerings by formulation and will be able to make the best decisions for their families based on manufacturing practices, which have always been clearly defined in Indigo Rabbit marketing materials and correspondence.

Thank you for the opportunity to make our processes clear so that cookie lovers, both members of the allergy community and not, can have the greatest confidence in the Indigo Rabbit product line, of which we are very proud.

Back To School Food Allergy Twitter Party July 23 #foodallergy

Ruth of www.bestallergysites.com and I (Jennifer B of www.foodallergybuzz.com) are busy planning the next Food Allergy Twitter Party. The theme is Back to School with Food Allergies but feel free to bring all of your food allergy related tips and questions. Summer vacation may just be beginning but before you know it, those back to school preparations will be underway! Here is a link to our invitation: http://www.socializr.com/event/foodallergies/twitterparty. Please RSVP and feel free to pass the invitation on to others.

Everyone loves to get goodies at parties. The kids these days seem to expect goodie bags at any and all parties. We gave away some great prizes from food allergy aware entrepreneurs and advocates at our last Twitter Party and plan to do the same this time too. If you work for a food allergy aware business or own one, and would like to contribute a prize for the upcoming Food Allergy Twitter Party, please email me at jenniferATfoodallergybuzz.com. Feel free to contact me if you wish to discuss Twitter Parties or other partnership arrangements.

There have been requests for a Twitter Party tutorial, so we are planning to do one about 2 weeks before the party itself. Stay tuned for details.

Remember our hashtag! #foodallergy

A Look at Some of the Food Allergy Research Funded by FAAN

An estimated 12 million Americans are living with food allergies, and the number is growing. Jennifer Trammell takes a look at how the condition impacts one local family, and how research at Northwestern University could be the answer to finding a cure. Dr. Daocheng Zhu, M.D., Ph.D., a researcher at Northwestern featured in the video, is one of the six leading scientists receiving funding from the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN)'s latest research grants.

In the Washington Post: Desensitizing with Peanuts

Two interesting articles in today's Washington Post:

Like Them or Not, I must Eat Peanuts

Peanuts, Anyone? Researchers Expose Kids to Risky Foods in Order to Cure Them

I know these treatments are not available to the general public now, and may not work for everyone when they are available. Still, my heart skips a beat at the prospect.

Interview with FAAN's VP of Research Administration, Cara Schmitt

We're pleased to share an audio interview by Jen Trammell with Cara Schmitt, Vice President of Research Administration for the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN).

Cara Schmitt, left. Photo courtesy of FAAN







Press Release from FAAN:

Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network Commits $1.1 Million for Food Allergy Research

FAIRFAX, Va. (May 14, 2009) In research centers throughout the country, six leading scientists are working on potential food allergy vaccines and therapies, painstakingly studying anaphylaxis to better understand it, and trying to solve the mysteries of food allergy development, thanks to a $1.12 million commitment from the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN).

With this commitment – the largest since FAAN's Research Grant Program began in 2004 – more than $4.3 million have been awarded to scientists who are studying the areas of epidemiology, etiology, treatment, and prevention of food allergy and anaphylaxis.

Funds are raised for FAAN's Research Grant Program through various events throughout the year as well as through member donations and other sources. This much-needed research could potentially lead to a cure for food allergies, a condition shared by 12 million Americans, including 3 million children.

"We are optimistic that these research studies will lead to improving the lives of people with food allergies," said Julia Bradsher, CEO of FAAN. "This research would not be possible without our generous donors' contributions toward finding a cure."

Research conducted as a part of FAAN's Research Grant Program has resulted in 62 publications, abstracts and presentations since the program's inception.

Here's a glimpse of the newest studies funded by this program:

* Carlos Camargo, M.D., Dr.P.H., Massachusetts General Hospital, is studying the association between vitamin D and the development of food allergy among children. Camargo's previous work has drawn a possible link between low sunlight exposure and increased risk of anaphylaxis.

* Simon Hogan, Ph.D., Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, is studying anaphylaxis by comparing the levels of IL-9, a factor in the body thought to be associated with anaphylaxis, in children who are at risk for this life-threatening reaction against children who are not at risk. This information could help in the diagnosis of food-triggered, life-threatening anaphylaxis.

* Patrick Leung, Ph.D., University of California-Davis, is studying the use of DNA vaccines to suppress the allergic response toward the major shrimp allergen in an effort to design therapeutic vaccines for food allergy.

* Marc Rothenberg, M.D., Ph.D., Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, is working on developing new diagnostic and treatment approaches for Eosinophilic Esophagitis, an emerging type of food allergy disorder characterized by the infiltration of a large number of eosinophils (a type of white blood cell) in the esophagus. He hopes to uncover the molecular basis for EE.

* Xiaoping Zhong, M.D., Ph.D., Duke University Medical Center, is working on developing a new therapeutic approach to peanut allergy.

* Daocheng Zhu, M.D., Ph.D., Northwestern University, is working on developing a new "fusion protein" that will inhibit the allergic response of cells. Once developed, this molecule will be tested on its effectiveness in blocking the allergic response in peanut allergy.

Each project is funded in the range of $50,000-$150,000 per year, for up to two years. Projects that have been funded by FAAN in the past include oral immunotherapy studies and anaphylaxis prevalence studies.

For more information about FAAN's Research Grant Program, visit www.foodallergy.org/research.html.

Has Whole Foods Changed Their Peanut-Free/Nut-Free Policy?

You may recall an earlier post, Allergen Labeling Update: Whole Foods Responds, where I mentioned Whole Foods' policy on labeling products as peanut-free or nut-free:

"The Coordinator said that Whole Foods has very strict requirements which must be met in order for a product to be labeled and sold as "nut-free" or "peanut-free". In fact, there are only 2 nut-free products at Whole Foods: Sha Sha's Cookies and Divvies. In order for a product to be labeled as "nut free" or "peanut free", the manufacturer must provide documentation that the product is certified "nut free" or "peanut free" all the way from the suppliers of ingredients to the finished product. "

I just read an article in the Worcester Telegram which states that Whole Foods in Framingham, Massacusetts and other North Atlantic region stores are selling cookies made by Massachusetts company, Indigo Rabbit. They sound quite lovely! It is the way the cookies are being marketed, specifically toward those with food allergies, that concerns me.

From the Worcester Telegram:
"The cookies, Gingerlicious, Luscious Lemon Chewies, Heavenly Chocolate Pillows, Seriously Cinnamon Almond and Perfectly Peanut Butter, all have a common ingredient — fresh vegetable puree. Suggested retail is $4.99 to $6.99, depending on variety.

The cookie names alone cry out, “Try me.”

But it’s the nutritional labeling that tells the story. Consumers who want a tasty cookie that is lactose free, gluten free, egg free, nut free, soy free and vegan turn to Indigo Rabbit, according to Foster, a former psychotherapist who specialized in eating disorders."

These cookies are in packages bearing various allergen-free symbols, depending on the variety. Some varieties actually bear a peanut-free symbol and nut-free symbol, despite the fact that the company manufactures peanut butter and almond cookies. Confused? Did our eyes deceive us? They use nuts and peanuts in their manufacturing facility and declare cookies without those ingredients to be "peanut-free" and "nut-free"? This is a perfect example of why the FDA needs to set standards thresholds or allergen-free claims.

From the Merriam-Webster Online dictionary:

Mislead
"intransitive verb : to lead astray : give a wrong impression"

The company does provide additional information on its allergen policies and procedures to avoid cross-contamination. The information on their website sounds familiar, like the statements that major companies such as Kraft or Heinz read to me when I call for additional information about potential for cross-contamination. I am sure you've heard those statements too.

It seems it's time to call Whole Foods again and inquire about any changes to their definition of peanut-free and nut-free. I'm all for mom-preneurs and supporting local business, and if we did not have a peanut allergy in the family, I'm certain we'd happily enjoy Indigo Rabbit cookies. I think it's fantastic that Indigo Rabbit is a local company making healthy cookies and I wish them much success. Getting a product into Whole Foods is a great accomplishment. Since we do have a peanut allergy in the family, however, I am painfully aware of the very real risks, and I am compelled to find out more. I can't just sit by and say nothing because I think of that unsuspecting customer who might buy that package of cookies with the comforting peanut-free or nut-free symbol, and might unknowingly give a peanut or nut allergic loved one a cookie which she thinks is 100% peanut-free or nut-free.

The Asthma Learning Curve

Over the last year or so, every time my 5 year old gets a cold, he develops a cough that lingers. We end up needing to use the nebulizer each time, which I naively thought would be something used only on the rarest occasions. Now, the albuterol does not seem to help enough, so apparently pulmicort and albuterol will become part of the cold treatment routine. This reminds me of learning how to treat my son's eczema when he was an infant. I was reluctant to use any form of steroid, and no one explained how the steroids worked, so we struggled along, using the steroid sparingly while trying to provide him with some relief. Now, I understand that using the pulmicort will help his lungs heal from the irritation, much like how the desonide helps his skin heal from the eczema flare-ups.

I have to confess that I find it disturbing to watch my son struggle to keep up with his friends because of the coughing that always occurs. I don't hold much hope for outgrowing the peanut allergy. I suspect his numbers are too high. I am hopeful, however, that asthma will be less of a problem as he grows. I imagine many of you have been in this position or are there right now. Troubling so many children have food allergies and asthma, but there is comfort in knowing we are not alone in facing these challenges.

NOTE: Recently, I listened to a very informative show about asthma in children on Dr. Gwenn's blogtalkradio show. One of her guests was--I believe--the founder of the Allergy and Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA). AANMA has a great website with a lot of helpful information and resources about asthma and allergies. I am adding it to my list of online resources.

Father's Day Discount from Vermont Nut Free Chocolate

http://daveg227.wordpress.com, has the latest on discounts from Vermont Nut Free. I think Dave (or someone in his family!) must have a sweet tooth like me! Thanks, Dave, for highlighting these sweet deals: 10% Discount. Hurry--the discount ends on June 6!

Readers Look for Alternative Products

We need your advice! Many members of the food allergy community are at a loss as to how to find replacement products for the items they used to purchase from Miss Robens Allergy Grocer. The following are comments from Food Allergy Buzz readers in search of specific products. If you know a good substitute for these readers to try, please tell us in a comment below!

Anonymous said...

I am so sad to hear that, I live in Lima Peru, where we don´t have any Gluten or casein free store not even organic, and the only way I keep my baby on the diet was by buying on line Miss Roben´s Products. Can aanybody help me? I need to find a replacement for Miss Roben´s french bread, Ice cream and pancakes, do you know any other mixes? please let me know!

Jo-Ann Turning said...
I am desperately looking to find another supplier that has pre-made frozen soft pretzels! Allergygrocer.com had the best ones - and my 4 year old loves them! We just toasted the last one we had - and I'm so sad that I'm going to have to tell him we don't have them anymore to give to him. If anyone knows of where I can find them somewhere else, please let me know!

Anonymous said...

OH, NO!! I just went online to purchase the Miss Roben's soft pretzel mix for my son and I'm just learning the bad news. We buy the mix in mass quantity since he eats them twice a day, more if I would let him. He needs a gluten free substitute for soft pretzels, any thought?

Diane said...

My son is the little guy who eats the soft pretzels daily. He has celiac disease so he needs to avoid gluten. Thanks!

Vladeck said...

Unfortunately, Navanfoods doesn't have the animal cookie mix as of 5/21 which was a staple of baking in my house. We're lost without it!

NOTE: Navan Foods has notified us on June 5, 2009, that they have the animal cookie mix, goldfish cracker mix and bagel mix. Just call Navan Foods at 1.866.707.7706 to order.

Anonymous said...
It's really too bad that Miss Roben's is closed. We'd be happy to support other vendors, but have yet to find anyone with the quality of mixes (especially the chocolate cake mix).