Thankfully, this week’s story ended well and a young girl survived an allergic reaction after eating a mis-packaged nut item while on a camping trip. “Hidden Danger: Undeclared Allergens Lurk in Many Foods, “ by NBCNews details the events of her story. She ate an Ocean Spray Greek Yogurt Covered peanut instead of a Greek Yogurt Covered Craisin! Note: the product was promptly recalled. I applaud this family for sharing their missed tragedy so the rest of us can learn from their situation regarding cross contact and that accidents do happen, even when camping. There are many other side lessons, but the biggest lesson here for me is that if an allergen is present in a manufacturing facility, then the risk for an accident exists.
It’s been my family rule that our food allergic children never eat any products that are manufactured in the same facility with their allergen unless there are some very unusual protocols in place. Period. When I say unusual, I’m referring to strict allergen cross contact policy that is vetted–for example, the company also tests for allergens. Even this policy may change since the recent Silk Soy Milk recall. We had always purchased Silk since they told me that they test each batch and test every 20 minutes. The reality is that accidents happen and we are all human. For me, the risk is higher than I want to take. I had an epic baking failure two nights ago–I made a baking mistake too, but thankfully, I don’t bake with allergens.
Do you feel comfortable purchasing products manufactured in the same facility with your family’s allergen? If so, what policy do you look for that makes you feel comfortable?
One of the hardest things I find about managing both life threatening food allergies and asthma is talking to others. I hate to be the one that might be perceived as demanding, pushing or for asking too much. What I now know, fourteen years later, is that honest, clear information presented with kindness works!..
Wow, yikes I didn’t hear that story! Our family does not purchase products manufactured in the same facility with peanuts, tree nuts and shellfish. Naturally, we just assumed the warning is there for a reason. Its a trust issue with us and honestly we don’t trust many…the young waiter/waitress when you place an order at a restaurant, the school cafeteria workers who are always rushing around mad. Over the years I’ve heard so many scary stories. Eating ANYTHING takes TRUST on the FA individual. Life is precious. Why gamble with life and death?
Did you see Gina Clowes recent article – 10 Food Allergy Myths? http://www.healthcentral.com/allergy/c/48542/101241/10-allergy-myths/
I loved these 2 the best –
Myth: If a label does not have a “may contains” or “processed in a facility” warning, it means the product is “safe”
Truth: False. Those precautionary (i.e. “may contains”) warnings are voluntary. Just because a company chooses not to tell you about potential cross contamination does not mean that the product is safe. If there is concern, call the company to ask about manufacturing practices, or purchase only allergy friendly products, like Enjoy Life, Lucy’s or CherryBrook Kitchen.
Myth: In the United States, food labels must list every ingredient.
Truth: Sadly, this is not true. The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) requires that the labels of foods regulated by the FDA identify ingredients containing the eight major food allergens (milk, wheat, egg, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shell fish and soy.) This type of labeling is not required on foods regulated by the USDA (meat, poultry), alcoholic beverages, over-the-counter or prescription drugs, cosmetics or health and beauty aids (toothpaste, mouthwash etc.) In addition, FALCPA does not cover fresh produce (fruits and vegetables) or highly refined oils even if derived from one of the major allergens. (For example, refined peanut oil does not need to be identified as “peanut”) And those of us dealing with less common allergies, such as sesame, garlic or mustard, need to remember that these foods can hide behind words such as “natural flavors” or “spices”
Hi Dana,
I didn’t see Gina’s post. I appreciate you sharing it with us. It really gets down to trust. There are times my kids have “gut” feelings and we run with those.
It’s a delicate dance.
Labels are so hard! No, I would never buy something that says “may contain” or “produced in a facility with peanuts”. And always call or check the website for allergen info when I bring a new product into the house. My son is allergic to peanuts, but we avoid TNs too. Sometimes, if I have vetted the company’s allergen policy, like you said above and feel they are a thoughtful company in regards to allergens, and there are limited options (like with grains for making bread) we will buy “produced in a facility with TN” because my son used to eat those w/no problem before we were advised that wasn’t wise. As much as I’d love to support all Enjoy Life, Cherrybrook, Lucy’s etc, and am so happy they are available, these brands don’t cover all our needs–they make mostly snack foods–and I don’t want my child eating snacks and sugar all the time either. The choices are typically hard–and you need to think twice or three times to feel comfortable about a product, even if you think you have a good system in place.
Hi Robin,
I find that it is very tough to determine who to trust or not. Even though I love to bake, I am very happy to see parents on non-food allergic children to have choices.
Thanks for joining the conversation.
Caroline
Though I don’t have food allergies, I do have sensitivities, so I try my hardest to avoid even “this product may contain” or “this product is produced” labels, but don’t stress too much about them. But, as I said, I have SENSITIVITIES, not ALLERGIES. Whenever I buy for someone with allergies or make something for someone with allergies, I use ingredients and items that in no way contain any allergens. I make sure that the products are trusted, tested, etc. I will not take risks with someone else’s life. I even save all packaging and let them look over labels to make sure they are comfy with the items before consuming, too. Maybe that seems a little overboard, but I know that even a little of an allergen can be fatal, and I don’t want to take that chance. When I was told I had allergies to soy, tree nuts/peanuts and seafood/shellfish, I avoided any chance of there being an allergen in something. I avoided anything that had labels that said “natural flavors” or “may contain” or anything that was not clear as a bell, and if I ever had any hint of a reaction, I avoided the brand no matter what it was. Yes, I was that strict, and I think that is the only way to be when you are dealing with life or death.