DISCLAIMER: It is crucial to read all food labels, EACH time you buy a product to double check the ingredients and disclosures –– manufacturers have been known to change recipes, sourced ingredients, processing facilities, handling/packaging procedures, etc. without warning. Never re-post anything from this blog without this disclaimer!

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Tomato Mountain Farm - safe

As to nuts - we don't have any nuts or anything closely resembling them in our kitchen. Our oak trees didn't even produce any acorns this year.
Dennis Fiser
(p) 608.577.1782
Tomato Mountain Farm
N7720 Sandy Hook Rd.
Brooklyn, WI 53521
(p) 608.862.3446

Monday, January 26, 2009

Back to Nature Granola Classic - safe

No artificial preservatives, flavors or colors. Made with 100% whole grain. Low fat. The essence of a deliciously honest granola, whole grain rolled oats lightly sweetened with fruit and cane juices. INGREDIENTS: Whole Grain Rolled Oats, Evaporated Cane Juice, Pineapple Juice Concentrate, Pear Juice Concentrate, Maltodextrin (Made from Non-Genetically Engineered Corn), Peach Juice Concentrate, Vitamin E, Natural Flavor. There are a couple more flavors from Back to Nature that are also nut-free and made on dedicated manufacturing lines to assure no cross-contamination.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Kids With Food Allergies - Safe Foods

My son is allergic to peanuts and treenuts. I am on a constant search for food items that can help him enjoy normal kids events without much disruption. These items I have found really help when I need "safe" versions of kids foods. Of course, always check the labeling before you consume, as recipes and ingredients can change. If anyone wants to share their food allergy solutions, please add your comments and identify your food allergy!

BIRTHDAY CAKE - nearly all commercially baked goods are off limits when you have nut allergies. However, Pepperidge Farm frozen cakes are presently NUT-FREE and not made on a shared mfg line. Available at your grocery freezer, they thaw in 20-60 mins... on the drive to the birthday party! Of course, we still must make sure the hands and eating surfaces are washed down.


PIZZA PARTY
- most deluxe pizza places make something with pesto in their ovens. That makes most pizza off limits. What to do when your kid is going to a party where everyone is eating pizza? I call Papa John's.  As a backup, I call Dominos - their facilities are usually NUT-FREE. I call one close to the party location, confirm they aren't baking any promo items with nuts or other ingredients that could be contaminated with nut dust, place an order for delivery to the party address and let the host know. If Dominos is not able to say their ovens are nut-safe because of fancier promotional fare, then I bring a mostly baked frozen pizza from home and finish it off in a microwave at the location (usually employees have a microwave they use). Again, we still make sure the hands and eating surfaces (and employee microwave) are washed down. I always travel with wipes and use soap and water where we land.

CRACKERS, CHIPS, PRETZELS, CEAREALS - what I can say here is that Snyders' products are NOT SAFE. However, most made for kids brands (e.g. Gerber) are nut-free. Ritz Crackers, Pirate's Booty, Back to Nature Apple Blueberry Granola are presently nut-free.

***Organic does not mean safe. Annie's brand is not nut-free. Amy's brand is generally not nut-free. Barbara's brand is not safe from tree nuts.

CANDY - this is a real danger zone for nut allergy sufferers. There's Vermont Nut Free Candies, but also, from most grocery or drug store candy aisles: Dum Dum Lollipops, Skittles, Lifesaver Gummies (not Gummy Bears!), Sweet Tarts, Trader Joe's Fruit Leathers are NUT-FREE. Chocolates, in general, are off limits because they are made on the same equipment as nut-containing foods.
ICE CREAM - another danger zone for nut allergy sufferers. Most frozen treat makers have a flavor with nuts in it that is made on the same line as the flavors/items without nuts. Even italian ice mfrs use nuts. I have found Breyers Vanilla is essentially NUT-FREE. Unilever told me that they break down their equipment and thoroughly wash and test it for traces of nuts between batches. That's as safe as I have found, in the mainstream, and its a big company that cannot afford to be sued for false labeling. Their labels do not include nuts in their allergy statement, thereby representing through silence that there are not traces of nuts in their vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt. Also, Annette's Homemade Italian Ice (Armitage@Bissell) can dish up NUT-FREE, no cross-contamination servings. They have several regular customers with nut allergies and segregate their safe italian ices in a separate freezer, and use scoops that are specially identified for the non-nut containers.

LEE KUM KEE - segregated/tested for peanuts, sesame

Our Hoisin Sauce does not contain peanuts or milk, but it does contain wheat flour, which is an allergenic substance to some people. For your safety, please consult your dietitian before consumption.

Our Plum Sauce does not contain any dairy, eggs, peanuts, tomatoes, honey, mustard, rye or potato (starch), but it does contain wheat and soy.

Most of our products do not contain milk, eggs, nuts or peanuts. We clearly list the top nine major allergens on the ingredient list if they are included in the product. The nine major allergens are soy, wheat or other gluten-containing grains, peanuts, eggs, milk (dairy), tree nuts, shellfish and crustaceans, fish, and sesame. For your own safety, please check the ingredient list on the label before purchasing a product.

Our manufacturing facilities handle peanuts and their derivatives. We have implemented nut handling policies and procedures to ensure that peanuts and sesame are kept in a segregated storage area, with its own tools and containers. We schedule the production of these peanut and sesame products at the end of each production week and follow careful cleaning procedures. Therefore, cross contamination is minimized. In addition, we analyze the peanut residue in the next production batch to ensure that no peanuts are carried over to other products

McCormick Spices - currently no nuts

Currently, we do not have a peanuts or tree nuts in our facilities. Sesame is always listed when it is an ingredient in our products.

We are aware of special allergies and intolerances to certain ingredients such as the following:

Peanuts Fish Soy proteins Sulfites
Tree nuts Eggs Wheat proteins Yellow No. 5 & 6
Shellfish Milk Red Pepper Sesame

As a responsible food company, our company follows the U.S. Food Drug & Cosmetic Act regulations to ensure consumer safety concerning food allergens. We declare these ingredients on our label in the ingredient statement. Federal regulations require us to list sulfites if they are over 10 parts per million, so we use that as our label declaration limit. Because we are constantly improving our products, we encourage you to read the ingredient statement on our packages at the time of your purchase.

In addition, we follow good manufacturing practices at our plants. Our employees are trained in the importance of correct labeling and the necessity of performing thorough equipment wash-downs to eliminate cross-contact of ingredients.

Although we cannot guarantee our products to be 100% free of allergens not listed on the label, we want you to know that we take this situation seriously and have taken extra precautions to eliminate the possibility of mislabeling or cross-contact.

If we can be of further assistance, please call us at 1-800-632-5847, Monday through Friday, 9:30AM to 9PM, and weekends 11AM to 7PM Eastern Time. If you wish to respond to this note by e-mail, please include your name and e-mail address.

We hope to have the continued pleasure of serving you.

Sincerely,
Leslie Lindle
Consumer Affairs Specialist

Ref # 1077887

Nestle - Libby's: rely on labels

Thank you for contacting NESTLÉ® Baking Products.
Labeling regulations require that if any of the eight recognized known allergens, such as peanuts and tree nuts, are in the product, they must be listed in the ingredient statement. We always list the allergen by the common name.
Additionally, our factories, that use any of the recognized allergens as an ingredient, take all precautions to avoid cross contact of products that do not contain them. We always add a cautionary statement at the end of our packaging ingredient listing if a product is made on the same line or factory of those products containing a recognized allergen. It is recommended that you always check the label before purchasing a product.
We appreciate your interest and hope you will visit our website often for the latest information on our products and promotions.
Sincerely,
Nicole Matthews
Consumer Response Representative
Ref: N16233028

Mentos candy - not safe

Since it would not be typical for peanuts, milk or eggs to be found in our products, we perform no specific test for them. However, due to the fact that most of the ingredients are agricultural products and could be processed on equipment that may also handle products containing these items, Perfetti Van Melle USA, INC. does NOT make the claim that our products are free of peanuts, milk or eggs.
Sincerely,
Jacqueline, Customer Relations Department, Perfetti Van Melle, USA, Service.Customer@us.pvmgrp.com

Mom Made Foods - not safe

Thank you for contacting Mom Made Foods. While all of our products are nut free, the facility we produce in is not allergen free.
Please let me know if you have other questions.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Mulchandani
Customer Service

Trader Joe's Allergen Info - rely on TJ brand labels - OUTDATED INFO

Thank you for contacting us again with your concerns. The information that was provided at the store to you is correct. If you do not see an allergen statement on a product then there are none of the eight major allergens present in the facility. If you see an allergen statement on the package and it does not list nuts then it is a nut free facility. For all products that are not Trader Joe's we ask that you contact the manufacturer as the allergen labeling is voluntary at Trader Joe's and
other companies may not list them on their packages. We will take your request for lists of this nature into consideration. Thank you for your inquiry and thank you for shopping at Trader Joe's .
Kellye
Trader Joe's Customer Relations

Pepperidge Farm - rely on labels

Pepperidge Farm follows all government regulations regarding the labeling of our products. In the case of the top 8 allergens (peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, eggs, fish, wheat, soy and shellfish) we list those ingredients in the product ingredient statement, no matter how small the amount might be. We do not include any of those items under the broader listings of "spices" or "natural flavors" We recommend that consumers always check the ingredient statement and evaluate the product based on the statement.

We work hard to clean and sanitize production equipment to minimize the risk of cross contact with any allergens (e.g., peanuts). We use a "may contain" statement on any products when we feel, despite the application of good manufacturing practices, there is a small risk of cross contact. Our decision to use a "May Contain" statement is made on a product-by-product basis with the consumer's safety being the ultimate goal.

Thank you for visiting the Pepperidge Farm website.
Pepperidge Farm Web Team

Kraft - rely on their labels

For every ingredient that Kraft purchases, we require our suppliers to fill out an extensive questionnaire, which includes a complete list of allergens both directly added and indirectly added through cross contact within the supplier's manufacturing facility. We then develop the ingredient statements and allergy information statements that are declared on our labels based on our formulas, the allergen information we receive from our ingredient suppliers, and any unavoidable cross contact allergens that come from our own manufacturing facilities. We have thoroughly researched all possible sources of allergens and have appropriately declared them on our labels. If peanuts or tree nuts are included in our products, in any amount, it will be listed in the ingredient line. Please be aware that formulas may change and the best source of information is the ingredient line. We ask that our consumers take the time to check the ingredient line prior to purchasing a product. When labeling products, we consider all possible sources of the 8 major allergens recognized by the FDA. These are eggs, fish, shellfish, milk, peanuts, soy, tree nuts and wheat. Kraft labels for an additional 2 allergens such as seed, celery & also sulfites. Again, thanks for contacting us, and I hope you'll continue to enjoy our products.
Kim McMiller
Associate Director, Consumer Relations

Worldfoods - safe, at Cost Plus and MyBrands.com

Thank you for your email. Yes, all our products are free from peanuts and are manufactured in a facility that is peanut free as well. However, we do use coconut milk in our products (coconut has been classified as a tree nut by USFDA in Oct 2006). Hope to have kept you informed.
Warmest regards,Kwan
info@worldfoods.com.my

Update: Thank you for your continued interest in the WORLD FOODS products. Your inquiry was past on to us as we handle the USA sales and marketing of the WORLD FOODS product line. Yes it is still true that the WORLD FOODS products do not contain peanuts or tree nuts and are made in a nut-free manufacturing facility (except for coconut). Currently the only retailer in the Chicago market that carries the WORLD FOODS products is Cost Plus World Markets and My Brands.

Once again thank you for your interest in WORLD FOODS products. If you have any questions or need additional information let us know. Best Regards, Patrick J. Murphy, 858-731-1009 - O
925.997.9219 - C

Vege-Sal -- not safe

Because Vege-Sal is manufactured on the same equipment that also makes products containing peanuts, walnuts, and pecans we are not able to absolutely guarantee no contamination whatsoever even though we do a thorough cleaning and sterilization between runs to avoid any cross contamination.

We hope the above information is helpful to you. Thank you again for your interest in our products.
modernfearn@aol.com

J. M. Smucker - rely on labels

This letter is in reference to your recent contact with The J.M. Smucker Company. We appreciate the time you have taken to contact us and most certainly enjoy hearing from consumers who enjoy our products.

In response to your comments, The J.M. Smucker Company labels for the top 8 allergens. Smucker's Jams, Jellies and Preserves are free of nuts. However, the best place to look is the ingredient statement as it will state "Contains" or "May Contain" if there are any of the top eight allergens in the product.

Again, thank you for taking the time to contact us. If you should have further questions or need additional information, please visit our website at www.smuckers.com or contact us at 888-550-9555, Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. EST.

Sincerely, Debbie Sparrow
Consumer Relations Representative
Ref # 7931455
consumer.relations@jmsmucker.com

British Curry (mango chutney) - not safe

Just to be on the safe side I would recommend that you do not eat it. I am so sorry.
Kind regards, Patricia
patricia11@britishcurry.co.uk

Peeps marshmallow treats - rely on labels

Thank you for your interest in our PEEPS® Brand Marshmallow Candies. We strive to be aware and responsive to food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities and are happy to provide as much information as we can to help consumers make informed decisions about the products they eat.

Because product formulations can change at any time, we encourage consumers to refer to our package labels for the most up-to-date ingredient and allergen information. We are required by law to declare major food allergens as defined by the FDA on our label. Moreover, it is our policy to voluntarily add advisory statements to our packages to alert consumers to potential cross contamination risks.

Should you have additional questions about our products, please contact us toll-free at 1-888-645-3453 between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm Eastern Time.

Regards, Lisa M. Guzzo
Consumer Relations Manager
consumerrelations@justborn.com
000507240A

The Peninsula Chicago - safe

Per your inquiry, all restaurants here at The Peninsula Chicago will be able to accommodate most food allergiess, such as the ones you stated, as long as our staff has at least 24 hours of notice.

Should you require assistance with booking a Reservation, have any questions, or need further information, please do not hesitate to contact me directly via phone or email.

Best Regards,
Aileen Hoang
Food & Beverage Assistant
The Peninsula Chicago, 108 East Superior Street, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
Tel: +1 (312) 573-6695, Fax: +1 (312) 573-6697
Email: aileenHOANG@peninsula.com

Erin Baker granola - not safe enough

Many of our products are free of nuts. We do process products with peanut, almond, and walnut products in our facility and on some of our equipment, but all of our machinery is thoroughly cleaned between each flavor.
Customer Service
Erin Baker's Wholesome Baked Goods
(877) 889-1090 toll free, www.bbcookies.com

Bob's Red Mill - not safe enough

Thank you for your email. Unfortunately we process tree nuts in both our facilities. Even in our dedicated gluten free facility. We process: almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts, coconuts. No peanuts though. Im sorry for this inconvenience. We do segregate our ingredients and thoroughly clean our equipment between production runs. Also, the first 30 lbs of product run on any line is purged. Hope this info is helpful. Thanks!
Lea
lea@bobsredmill.com
Customer Service, Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods

River Valley Kitchens - Portabella Pasta Sauce - not safe

We make all our sauces in large kettles, about 50 jars per batch. On a day when we make pasta sauce, no other products are produced. We do however, produce a couple of products that do have nuts in them, so there is a remote possibility of nut contamination. Probably best for him to avoid the sauce.
Sincerely,
Eric Rose, sales@rivervalleykitchens.com

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Popcorn

The only safe prepackaged microwave popcorn I have found is Orville Redenbacher's SMART POP.  Most brands use some peanut oil for the flavor.