Do You Have Valentine's Day Specials for Food Allergies?

This post is aimed at all the food allergy mompreneurs and other food allergy businesses. If you wish to be included in a post listing Valentine's Day specials for food allergic consumers, please send an email to jenniferATfoodallergybuzz.com. It's an opportunity for some free advertising here on Food Allergy Buzz.

Likewise, if anyone's purchased a food allergy friendly Valentine's Day food item and would like to share their discovery, feel free to comment here or send an email.

New Massachusetts Law Will Require Epipen Training for School Bus Drivers

When I read Epipens on School Buses Targeted, I did a double-take! What? Epi-pens on school buses? I just looked into this not that long ago--see my earlier post Food Allergy Buzz looks for Answers re: Epipens on School Buses--and was told the bus drivers here don't administer Epi-pens, they call 911. Did I miss something? Apparently, I did! A Massachusetts law going into effect in March will require new school bus drivers to receive Epi-pen training. Specifically, the newspaper article states "State law as of March requires new school bus drivers to be trained in the use of an EpiPen — the name brand of an epinephrine injector — to get their annual certification renewed."

What's the catch, you ask. There's always a catch. According to the Cape Cod Times article, "Because the new law targets only new drivers, it doesn't require the training for the majority of the state's 20,000 school bus drivers, a Registry of Motor Vehicles spokeswoman said."

It's an interesting bit of news, especially to those of us with school aged food allergic children here in the Commonwealth. Take a look.

I'm curious to know what the rule is in other states regarding school buses and epi-pen training and administration. Can anyone shed some light on that? Are there similar laws in effect or going into effect? Thanks for any info anyone might be able to provide!

What's your opinion? What do you think about Epi-pen training for school bus drivers?

 This post has been edited to include the new text to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 90, Section 8A: "All original applicants for a registry of motor vehicles school bus driver's license or a department of telecommunications and energy driver's license when used to drive school pupils to or from school shall have first satisfactorily completed a pre-service school bus driver training program established by the commissioner of education in collaboration with the registrar and the commissioner of the department of telecommunications and energy and a basic course in first aid which shall include training relative to the administration of an epinephrine auto injector, as approved by the registrar. Upon successful completion of the first aid course, section 55A of chapter 71 shall apply to such applicants. In addition, all renewal applicants for a registry of motor vehicles school bus driver's license or a department of telecommunications and energy driver's license when used to drive school pupils to or from school shall have first satisfactorily completed an in-service driver training program established by the commissioner of education in collaboration with the registrar and the commissioner of the department of telecommunications and energy. All original applicants for a registry of motor vehicles school bus driving instructor's certificate shall have first satisfactorily completed an instructor's training program as approved by the registrar. No person shall be employed to provide instruction in any capacity for the operation of school buses unless such person is the holder of such an instructor's certificate issued by the registrar."

Danish Food Allergy Author Needs Volunteers

I received an email from Danish food allergy cookbook author and mom, Charlotte Peyk. Charlotte wrote a cookbook for egg-free and milk-free several years ago and is now working on a new book. She is requesting some assistance with her new book from U.S. and Canadian moms and other food allergy bakers on a volunteer basis. Specifically, she is looking for volunteers to test her recipes with "American ingredients and measurements together with some proofreading". Charlotte says "I can unfortunately not offer any reward for the testing/proofreading but I have a "Thanks to-page" in my book and I can mention names at that page."

Tempted? Me too! You can contact Charlotte directly at postATmorgenfrue.dk.

Miss Roben's "Name the New Bread Mix" Contest

From our friends at Miss Roben's and Allergy Grocer:

 Miss Roben’s “Name the New Bread Mix” contest sponsored by Allergy Grocer

Finally, Miss Roben’s developed a soft and delicious bread loaf that can be made with or without yeast and works great with substitutions - The only problem is that it tastes so good, we could not think of a suitable name – really, we tried for hours and nothing seemed to fit…

Please help us out.  Purchase a mix or two at a significantly reduced rate at “New Bread Mix” and after you try it, submit a name by responding to Allergy Grocer’s contest blog.  The winner will receive a $50 gift certificate and free shipping anywhere in the USA from Allergy Grocer.

Winner will be notified by e-mail.  If by chance, two people submit the same name, the submission received first will be the winner. Contest ends midnight, February 21, 2010 and the winner will be announced February 23, 2010. 

• We tested with rice milk, potato based milk powder and 2% milk and all worked well.   Egg substitutes also worked very well
• You can add flax, dried fruit, or nuts to provide an even more yummy taste to this delicious bread mix
• 14 oz  yields 12 thin slices;  Use 8x4 inch or 9x5 inch loaf pan

Ingredients:  brown rice flour, tapioca starch, salt, unrefined cane sugar, corn free baking powder (sodium acid pyrophosphate, potato starch, baking soda, monocalcium phosphate), guar gum, 8.75g yeast
Additional needed ingredients: milk, eggs, oil, or substitutes
Free From: casein, corn, dairy, eggs, fish, gluten, peanuts, sesame, soy, shellfish, tree nuts, and wheat
Nutrition: Per serving: 1/4 cup serving, 12 servings - Calories-110, Fat Cal-0, Total Fat-0g, Sat fat-0g, Trans fat-0g, Cholest-0mg, Sodium-250mg, Carbs-26g, Fiber-1g, Sugars-4g, Protein-1g

As with all Miss Roben’s products, ingredients are carefully sourced to provide the same allergen-free status as the manufacturing plant and all ingredients are considered allergens – equipment and room are cleaned after every change in ingredients and produced at a separate time. 

Is That Food Really Safe?

We really take our chances with food, don't we? A year or two ago, there was some issue with packaged salad greens. I haven't bought bagged salad greens since then. There was, of course, the famous peanut butter contamination problem. Everyone heard about that. Now there's a salami salmonella problem coming out of Rhode Island. It's really scary. With food allergies, celiac disease and other conditions, even if there's no E. Coli or Salmonella worries, we still have to worry about cross-contamination with certain foods. It can be a matter of life or death, or cause unforgettable sickness, so constant vigilance is essential.

Here is yet another story that makes you think twice about what exactly is in our food and how we put our lives and our trust in the hands of food manufacturers: Local Bakery Closes After Gluten is Found in "Gluten-Free" Bread Claim.

Benefit Concert & Silent Auction in St Paul, Minnesota

I received an email notice from the Anaphylaxis and Food Allergy Association of Minnesota for the upcoming Benefit Concert & Silent Auction on Saturday, January 30. I have copied and pasted the following information from their website. (My apologies to the kind folks who sent the email--I could NOT for the life of me reformat the email to fit in this post!)

From http://www.minnesotafoodallergy.org/:

AFAA Benefit Concert and Silent Auction

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Silent Auction 2 p.m., Concert 3 p.m.

St. Anthony Park Lutheran Church
2323 Como Avenue; St. Paul, MN
[map]

Lauren Drasler

singing Broadway tunes from Rodgers & Hammerstein, Cole Porter, Noel Coward, and Kurt Weil!

Also featuring

Kent Sommer

performing compositions by Bach, Chopin, & Turina on piano

Volunteers and Auction Donations Needed!

Auction Item Donations Accepted
To donate an item or volunteer at the concert, please contact Christine Vitelli

Jessie's Favourite Things (Even with Food Allergies!)

Jessie's Favourite Things (Even with Food Allergies!)
By Melanie Playle
Illustrated by Maria Eugenia Papeo and Marina Saumell
Available for purchase for $19.97 at http://allergysmart.net/products/

Coming soon: Jack's Favourite Things (Even with Food Allergies!)


My 9 year old son's summary of Jessie's Favourite Things (Even with Food Allergies!): "People with food allergies can do anything that people without food allergies can do, but they cannot get near foods they are allergic to."

As a food allergy mom and advocate, the thing I really like about Jessie's Favourite Things (Even with Food Allergies!) is the message that kids with food allergies are just like other kids. They can do the same things, play the same games, and participate in the same activities as their peers. The only difference is that they must take special precautions when it comes to food and drinks by eating only safe foods, not sharing foods or drinks, and always carrying their epinephrine auto-injectors.

I think this is such an important message for food allergic kids and their parents. I am sure you've read commentaries and articles about the crazy, paranoid food allergy moms who keep their kids in a bubble. The truth is most food allergy parents aren't keeping their kids in a bubble. In fact, they're trying their best to ensure their kids have as normal a life as possible, while staying safe. Jessie's Favourite Things supports the efforts of food allergy families, encouraging food allergic kids to just enjoy being kids and to stay safe too. Isn't that what every parent wants for their child?

The main character of Jessie's Favourite Things is an elementary school-aged girl with allergies to peanuts, eggs, and milk. The story is suitable for reading aloud to preschool and young elementary school-age children and is written at a level which may be read by a child as young as 7. In the story, we learn about the many things Jessie enjoys doing--swimming, painting, ballet, etc. We also learn that she has food allergies and she knows what she must do to stay safe with regard to her food allergies. The illustrations depict a happy girl enjoying childhood activities on her own, with family and friends. It's a positive perspective on life with food allergies--don't let food allergies slow you down!


Jessie's Favourite Things is authored by Australian food allergy mom, Melanie Playle. Be sure to check out her family's website, Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Information-Online TV and Podcast Blog.

Chef2Chef.net's Top Food Blog: Grandma's Gluten-Free Baking N Cooking

I feel like I have been hibernating the last month or two! I do stuff everyday, lots of stuff, and yet I seem to be missing so much of what's going in the world! I just noticed in my Google Alerts on Melodika.net that Joyce Paige aka @SilknPearls and @GFGrandmaBNC won Chef2Chef's Best Food Blogs of 2009! I don't even know when they announced the winners; could have been days, maybe weeks ago!

I know Joyce. Well, sort of. I know her the way I know so many of my food allergy, gluten-free, GFCF  and autism buddies on the internet--on Twitter. I feel like I know Joyce and have admired her efforts for some time. So, here's a humble little message of congratulations to Joyce for coming in #1 with Grandma's Gluten-Free Baking N Cooking. If you haven't visited her site, there's no better time than the present! What're you waiting for?!

Living With Food Allergies Blog Carnival

Have you seen or participated in the Living with Food Allergies Blog Carnival? Click here to read the latest edition over at Rational Jenn's blog. Jenn is the founder of this great online food allergy community-building event.

I joined the ranks of food allergy bloggers about 2 years ago and more food allergy bloggers appear online each month. The Living with Food Allergies Blog Carnival is a wonderful way to share your writing and thoughts with the online food allergy community and to make more food allergy friends from afar. We have a fantastic supportive online community so don't hesitate to submit a post, meet some new food allergy friends, and maybe even drive a little more traffic to your blog too.

The blog carnival is hosted at a different blogger's site every two weeks. I handle scheduling the hosts and making sure the links and urls are right--the rest is up to you! It's a voluntary team effort and great community-building for the online food allergy folks. No special skills are required.

We are always looking for hosts for future editions of the Living with Food Allergies Blog Carnival and fantastic food allergy blog posts. If you are interested or curious, please comment here or send an email to jenniferATfoodallergybuzz.com.

Click here to submit your post for the next edition, hosted by Robyn of Peanut Allergy Kid. Thank you, Robyn!

Help with Corn and Peanut Allergy Snack Suggestions

I'm taking a bit of a break from FAB Snacks while I work on other projects but I continue to receive FAB Snacks emails and phone calls. Earlier this week, I received a call from a mother of an 18 month old child with peanut allergy and corn allergy. She is looking for safe snacks for her child and I thought perhaps all you amazing food allergy folks might have some suggestions for her. Keep in mind, we have to avoid cross-contamination too, so a snack without peanut or corn but made in a facility or on equipment which handles peanut and corn isn't going to work for them.

Please leave a comment with any helpful tips or suggestions you may have for this mom and little one. Thank you!

Living with Food Allergies Blog Carnival

The deadline for next edition of the Living with Food Allergies Carnival is tonight, January 20 at 11 pm eastern time. Here is the link to submit entries. Tomorrow you can read all of the great food allergy posts there from fellow bloggers living with food allergies at Rational Jenn. Jenn has lots of other great stuff too. I especially enjoy her posts about parenting. It's good to hear others encounter the same or similar challenges and amusing episodes.

2010 Walk for Food Allergy is Now Open

I received a note from the Chair for the 2010 Walk for Food Allergy Tempe, Arizona, with information on how to get involved in this year's Food Allergy Walk. Time to sign up and take part!

The main site for all locations http://foodallergywalk.org (part of FAAN http://foodallergy.org).

The Tempe walk is on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/business/dashboard/#/pages/2010-Walk-for-Food-Allergy-Tempe-Arizona/288084990619

Please share this information with interested friends and family. Thanks!

Countdown to the Gluten Free in the New Year Party

Only hours left to the Gluten Free in the New Year Party, sponsored by General Mills. The hashtag is #glutenfreely and the party starts at 7 pm eastern time tonight, January 14.

Click here to view the invitation.

Feast your eyes on the lovely prizes which will be given away during the party tonight:

Gluten-Free Goodies

The Gluten Free in the New Year Party is coming soon--this Thursday, January 14, 7:00 to 8:00 pm Eastern time. Click here for details and to RSVP! I sat in on last night's Glutino Party and it was great, so be sure not to miss Thursday's Gluten Free in the New Year sponsored by General Mills.

For those of you who enjoy the thrill of competition, here are some of the great goodies that will be given away!  They're of the gift pack/basket variety and each includes a number of different items. They sound lovely!

Progresso "Prize Pack"

Betty Crocker “Simple Joys” Fruit Flavored Snacks Packs

Betty Crocker “Sweet Treats” Dessert Mixes Packs 

Remember to include #glutenfreely in your tweets during the party so we can hear/see you what you have to say! See you there!

Gluten Free Twitter Parties

It's a busy week on Twitter for those who follow a gluten-free diet.

Monday, January 11, is the Glutino Gluten Free Twitter Party. It is scheduled from 8:00 to 9:00 pPMeastern time and the hashtag is #GF. To RSVP, click here. Sponsors for the Glutino Twitter Party include www.befreeforme.com, www.glutefreefaces.com and www.iansnaturalfoods.com.

Thursday, January 14, is the Gluten Free in the New Year Twitter Party, sponsored by General Mills. General Mills has a website dedicated to gluten free products and resources at www.liveglutenfreely.com.It is scheduled for 7:00 to 8:00 PM Eastern time and the hashtag is #glutenfreely. Click here to RSVP.

For tips on how to attend a Twitter party, take a look at this other post, Twitter Party Tips.

School Has Subway Bring Lunch in for Elementary School Students?

Yes, you read that right. We received an email today announcing that Subway would be providing lunch to two of the elementary schools in town on a designated day in the near future. The heading on the email was "Subway is coming!!!" It clearly was intended to be exciting news. It never occurred to me that a fast food sandwich chain would provide lunch at school. I thought to myself "What? The MBTA is going add a subway stop way out here?" But no, our food services department has kindly arranged a special day where students may purchase a turkey, tuna, ham and cheese, or vegetarian cheese sandwich from Subway.

As the parent of a child with a life threatening food allergy, a school sponsored event focused entirely on food was disappointing news, to say the least. Of course, this event is not terribly surprising. I had already discovered just how sensitive to the needs of food allergic students our food services department is a few months ago. See my earlier post, Bewildered by School Allergy Accomodations and the Lack Thereof. My child is in half-day kindergarten and accordingly does not eat lunch at school. If he attended full-time, as he will next year, I can imagine how left out he would feel. I do not feel comfortable with him eating at Subway. He reacts to very minute, trace amounts, and I have heard things about Subway that leave me feeling less than confident. Peanut Allergy Kid had a post about Subway in August 2008 entitled No Way Subway which confirmed my feelings of hesitation and discomfort regarding Subway.

So, as I head off to bed tonight, I confess my continued disappointment in our school department's food services decisions. I hope for increased awareness and sensitivity. I dream that my son won't ever feel excluded in school due to his food allergy but...I know. I know he will, just as I know he will rise above it and the grown-ups in charge who just don't "get it" or don't want to "get it". I knew this was coming, having read the stories of children and families who are further along in this food allergy journey than we are, and I am comforted by the knowledge that we are in good company.

January 7 Edition of Living with Food Allergies Blog Carnival

We had one wonderful submission for the Blog Carnival and then a bunch of spam, so we'll include that entry again in the January 21 edition. Thank you to the Food Allergy Assistant for that post,  Food Resolutions.

If you are interested in hosting a future edition of the Living with Food Allergies Blog Carnival, let me know. We have some openings in March (4 and 18) and May (13 and 27). It's very easy to do, and all food allergy bloggers and food allergy advocates with non-food allergy blogs are welcome!

To submit a post for the next Blog Carnival, scheduled for January 21, please click here.

Everything is Relative

For me, the internet has been fantastic for learning more about my son's peanut allergy and finding safe goodies for him to enjoy from dedicated facilities. Despite allergen labeling, getting the skinny on facilities and equipment is always a bit more challenging. Usually, however, I find someone else has already much of the leg work for me and then I can do my due diligence and verify the details with the manufacturer.

The internet is also a great place to remind yourself of how everything is relative. We're headed to the dentist this morning and I remember how the dentist office reacted when I expressed concerns about peanut and/or peanut oil possibly being in the toothpaste. Imagine how the conversation would go if you or your child were allergic to the powder on the gloves dental hygienists wear, as described in Open Wide on Corn Allergic: What I Reacted to Today. That could be very challenging! Yet, Christine shares the challenges of living with a corn allergy with grace and a sense of humor. She has a great blog with thought-provoking, well-written posts and a healthy attitude too--a must read for those who frequent food allergy blogs!

New Year, New Hosts for the Living with Food Allergies Blog Carnival

I thought I didn't do New Year's Resolutions, but I do feel this need, this urge, to try to be more organized this year. So, in the spirit of doing a better job in the New Year, I am hoping to schedule host blogs for the Living with Food Allergies Blog Carnival for the next few months. No special skills are required other than being a blogger who is interested in food allergies and is an advocate for food allergy awareness.

I sent an email to a bunch of food allergy bloggers but I am sure I missed plenty! If you haven't received an email, let me know you want to be added to the Living with Food Allergies mailing list--it'd be great to have more food allergy folks involved! These are the available dates for the next few months:

February 18
March 4
March 18
April 1
April 15
April 29

If you'd like to volunteer to host, just send an email to jenniferATfoodallergybuzz.com to tell me which date(s) you prefer or comment here if you wish, and I'll put you on the schedule!

To submit a post for the next edition, January 7, please click here and complete the short submission form. The deadline is 11 pm Eastern time, Wednesday, January 6.

Enter Allergies and Me's "Allergy Free" Recipe Contest

I first heard about it over on Go Dairy Free and then over at Planet Lactose--the "Allergy Free" Recipe Contest underway over at Allergies and Me! It sounds great--look at the prizes:

"First Place: An autographed copy of  “Food Allergy Mama’s Baking Book” AND $150 in shopping dollars to spend in the Allergiesandme.com store 

Second Place: $100 in shopping credits to use in the online store

Third Place:$50 in Allergiesandme.com shopping dollars  

Your winning recipes will be posted, with pride, on the website and you will also be recognized in the company’s monthly newsletter, as well as many other announcements…that’s the FAME part."

The contest ends February 28 so get cookin!