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