Consumer Alert! Food Allergens Show Up in the Nuttiest Places

If you're dealing with nut allergies, you know about checking for ingredients in food of course, but it doesn't stop there. Shampoo, lotion, cosmetics, sunscreen, hand soap--they all can contain nut ingredients.

Most of us are aware of those dangers, once we've read a few labels and seen how prevalent nut ingredients are in all sorts of products. Still, I came across a few new ones while perusing my FAAN newsletter. It just goes to show you--always check labels no matter what!

A few of the unusual products sited for food allergens:

Looseleaf tea -- nut allergens on the ingredients label

Packaged popcorn -- fish mentioned on the ingredients label

A type of multivitamin -- peanut mentioned on the label

Here are a couple of more that I've gleaned in my travels:

Beanbag chair filling--sometimes can contain peanut shells

Pet food, especially small rodent food and birdseed--often contains peanut ingredients

I'm sure you've encountered others, so if you have some "out there" ones of your own, please share then with us!

Gluten-Free Pasta Follow-Up

A while back I blogged about gluten-free pasta and how it sometimes contains a protein called lupin that can cause reactions in nut-allergic people. I wondered if this is something we should look out for in restaurants, etc.

Well, I have some more info, thanks to my fellow allergy blogger and writing buddy who let me know the name of the gluten-free pasta that contains the lupin ingredient. It's called Bi-Aglut. Also, she found this at a conference for people with celiac disease and the people she spoke with there were also concerned about this pasta's potential to cause allergic reactions in those with nut allergies. In other words, it seems that many gluten-free eaters are aware and that's great!

It doesn't sound like this pasta is widely used in restaurants, but if you are at a restaurant that touts gluten-free entrees, you may want to ask.

Also, if you have friends that are eating gluten-free, maybe skip the pasta when you eat with them or at least take a peek at the package.

We still need to be careful of the gluten-free pasta, but at least it's probably not a huge issue for us--yet! :)

If anyone has any questions, let me know and I'll see what other information I can uncover.

Wishing You a Warm, Wonderful Allergy-Free Holiday!

Just a quick note to wish you all a wonderful allergy-free holiday!

I appreciate your readership, the great allergy tips that you share and the warm show of support that you show to me and your fellow food allergy parents and sufferers all year long.

My best wishes for a safe and happy holiday season!

I'm looking forward to hearing about your holiday success stories and helpful tips very soon. You can expect lots more from me as well.

Best to you and yours!
Jenny,
The Nut-Free Mom

Food Allergies Tackled in December Issue of Kiwi Magazine

Before it goes off the stands, check out the December 2008 issue of Kiwi Magazine featuring great food allergy tips from Gina Clowes of Allergy Moms.

The best thing about this article is that it talks to non-allergic families as well, and gives them tips for dealing sensitively with food-allergic kids. It's a great, short but thorough and well-written piece.

If you haven't checked out Allergy Moms yet, you really should. It's a treasure trove of great food allergy info and advocacy!

Food Pulled From Shelves After Tribune Investigation

The Chicago Tribune has produced yet another groundbreaking food allergy story on the front page of today's paper. Read it here.

After their food allergy investigation series, stores are now pulling items off the shelves that have undeclared food allergens.

When I read the article, I wasn't surprised that one source was quoted as saying "If I had food allergies, I wouldn't eat imported foods." I've blogged in the past about my family's avoidance of imported foods for our child, and it looks like that concern is not unfounded.

Also, imported or "fancy gourmet" foods are frequently served at holiday parties, so use caution. It's another great reason to bring a couple of your own dishes to the celebrations you attend.

The really scary part is that out of 50 foods the Tribune tested for this story, 26 of them had undeclared food allergens. Lesson learned: be aware of what is a high-risk food for your particular allergy. Educate yourself so that you are not only relying on labels and what the people who work at a given store are telling you. The buck stops with us.

The other thing I liked about the story is that it did not focus much on nut allergies--it talked about milk and gluten allergies. The reason I'm glad about this is that many times in the press and in our daily lives, folks concerned about nut allergies aren't taken seriously. Talking about the other "top 8" shows how widespread the problem really is.

Despite the fact they it appears they employ a legion of "nut-happy" food editors, this paper is making a big difference and the author of this article is a hero to all of us.

Better labeling and better manufacturing practices are what we've been waiting for--and stories like this will help us to get it.

Congrats to the writer, Sam Roe, for his helpful investigation!