Food Allergy Blogs

Here are a few other food allergies blogs I like to visit...when I have time between planning meals, grocery shopping, label reading, calling food manufacturers, preparing food, washing dishes...:

http://www.childfoodallergy.com

http://allergicgirl.blogspot.com

http://peanutfree.blogspot.com

http://foodallergies.about.com

http://mykidsallergies.blogspot.com

http://kidsfoodallergiesblog.com

Read More

Get Rid of "May Contain..."Statements on Food Labels

THE FDA (Food and Drug Administration) is holding a public hearing today from 9 am to 4:30 pm to discuss clearing up vague statements on food labels. Hallelujah! Ever since the 2004 Food Labelling law went into effect, we have been bombarded with statements like, "may contain peanuts", "manufactured in a facility that uses eggs", processed on the same line as products containing dairy". These read to me like "don't sue us if someone has a reaction after eating our product". Vague statements are not helpful and downright confusing. Because of the 2004 law, we can now read a label and clearly see statements like "contains milk". That makes much more sense to most consumers than the word "whey" (which is from milk) in the middle of an ingredient list.

That said, there is more to do to make things clearer for those of us who purchase food. Food manufacturers should be able to be clear about what is, and what isn't, in the foods they sell. Most people recognize that there is no such thing as a 100% guarantee, but we need accurate, helpful information to make the best decisions possible.

You can read about the purpose of the FDA hearing here:
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/fr080808.html

I'll keep you posted about the results.

Read More

Food Allergy Lunch Tables

The elementary school cafeteria can be a dangerous place for children with food allergies. To keep food allergic children safe, some schools have a designated table called the "Peanut- Free Table" or the "Food Allergy Table". With so many children dealing with multiple food allergies, it is hard to ensure that this table is even safe for those who sit there. A peanut allergic child may be drinking milk beside the dairy allergic child. Ask if you can mark off grids with masking tape on the top of the table. Each child would have their own section and food must stay within the marked lines. All children (food allergic or not) should be taught to keep their hands to themselves when they eat, to avoid sharing food, and to wash their hands after lunch. Good lessons for us all.

Read More

A Few of My Favorite Things

There are some great products out there to make life a little easier when you deal with food allergies every day. Here are a few of my favorites:

Toaster Bags- These bags are great when you're traveling or visiting relatives. You just put the bread (or whatever you want to toast) into the bag and pop it into the toaster. No more worries about cross-contamination. When you're finished, just rinse it out for next time. You can get the bags at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012XGM92/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img.

Cupcake Holders- Sending a cupcake to school or to a birthday is no longer a messy endeavor. Just put the cupcake into this single plastic holder and it will travel in style and arrive in perfect condition. Go to http://www.cupacake.com to learn more.

Epinephrine Carrier- My son prefers the simple waist pack which can be found at http://medipouch.com. He wears it whenever he leaves the house. It's just like putting a belt on every morning and we know he has his medicine with him if he needs it.

Customized Medical bracelets- Several companies design medical bracelets for children and will engrave specific information on the back such as allergies, instructions, parent cell phone number, whatever you want. The designs certainly favor girls as the bracelets can be made with beads and crystals, but there are boy products available. See http://www.hahoriginals.com/catalog/default.php?cPath=66_63 for some ideas.

Restaurant Cards- We don't eat in restaurants very often, but these cards are great helpers to explain to wait staff, managers and chefs about food allergies. See http://www.achooallergy.com/foodallergycards.asp to order.

Ingredient Cards- I take ingredient cards to the store with me so that I can interpret some of the confusing food labels. How was I to know that "whey" means milk and must be avoided by someone with a dairy allergy? These cards a big help. You can purchase them for $2.00 each through the Food Allergy Network (http://www.foodallergy.org). Just click on "Shop for Books and Gifts".

Do you have any products you love? Please share.

Read More