In the midst of the Hostess Brands, Inc recall, I received an email from a women who recently spoke with Hostess regarding their company-wide allergen labeling policy. She was advised to call on every product, and that different runs of different products could be in different facilities. Put simply, you cannot rely on their (or anyone else for that matter) labeling for cross-contamination warnings.
Label reading can be one of the trickiest and most frustrating parts of food allergies. Either when in doubt or when trying a product for the first time it is always best to call the manufacturer. Also remember many ingredients and manufacturing facilities can change at any given time without warning. For more on label reading click here.
Its always been my fear that come Junior High/High School my son would somehow be involved in an altercation where he was attacked not physically but with food. He was diagnosed at age two with a life-threatening food allergy to tree nuts and though he is only four now I cant seem to shake these fears of another child intentionally placing my sons life in danger through the use of something so simple as a cashew.
After reading an article this morning on CNN Health entitled "Food allergies make kids the target of bullies" these fears where only reiterated. It sickens me to think that kids can be so malicious. I shouldn't have to be frightened to send my son out the door because another kid may find it amusing to see his fear over a walnut or an almond.
I would like to think its all just a lack of education but more and more I find it to be ignorance. Unfortunately these are probably the same children who's parents refused to leave out the PB&J that their child so desperately had to have in their school lunchboxes. As someone so kindly pointed out to me this morning, "the apple never falls far from the tree."
I just don't understand what it will take for some people to understand the seriousness of food allergies. I guess that is why I do what I do.
*Take our poll in the right sidebar - "Has your child ever been bullied because of their food allergy?"
Gremlins, ghosts, and ghouls should be the scariest part of Halloween but when your child has food allergies its usually the treats that tend to give us nightmares. All those improperly labeled bite sized candies full of nuts, peanuts, dairy etc can be overwhelming for parents and tempting for little ones.
Here's a few tricks for a fun filled Halloween without the treats!
Host your own Halloween party! Get the neighborhood kids, friends, and family together for a costume party. Play a game of Mummy Wrap. Using toilet paper or white crepe paper see who can wrap their mummy the fastest from head to toe. (I would skip on bobbing for apples which poses a risk of cross contamination from those who may have had a pre party treat.) Visit Kids with Food Allergies for some Allergy-free Halloween recipe ideas to serve at your party.
Swap out your little ones treat bag with your own bag of "safe treats" such as pencils, erasers, bracelets, bubbles and such from the party or dollar store (The Oriental Trading Company has a large selection of inexpensive ideas.) A fun way to swap out treat bags is to have your child leave their candy outside their bedroom door so that the "good witch" can come while they are sleeping and replace them with her special bag of goodies.
Check with your child's dentist to see if they offer a "candy for cash" event. Simply bring in your child's Halloween candy and the dentist will offer a set amount of cash usually per pound of candy. You can do this yourself at home as well by either offering a set amount, say 5 cents per candy, or by offering other rewards such as 30 extra minutes of TV time for 15 pieces of candy. Be creative.
Have your kids help create and run a haunted house for other trick-or-treaters. Again, be creative. Chances are your kids will have so much fun creating a haunting experience and scaring their unsuspecting visitors (especially neighborhood friends) that they wont even miss the candy.
Make it a family night in. Rent scary movies, play games, and enjoy each others company. Have the kids participate in making their favorite dinner and an extra special dessert.
Have a Safe and Happy Halloween!
Visit the Natural Candy Store for all-natural allergy-friendly candy options.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) one out of every 25 children has a food allergy, representing about a 20% increase between 1997 to 2007 while asthma affects over 20 million people at any given time. These numbers are rising.
Among the various possible causes of the increasing numbers of allergies and asthma is the Hygiene Hypothesis. This theory simply states that a lack of early childhood exposure to infectious agents, symbiotic microorganisms, and parasites increases susceptibility to allergic diseases by suppressing natural development of the immune system.
I recently came across a great article on Allergic Living's website that clearly defines the Hygiene Hypothesisand its link to allergies and asthma. The article, "Why So Many Allergies - Now?" can be viewed here.
As I have stated several times before, I strongly believe that the more we learn about all the possible causes of food allergies, the closer we will be to a cure.
Vaccine antigens are injected subcutaneously or intramuscularly into the body. Our Immune system in turn recognizes the agent as foreign and therefore destroys and "remembers" it so that the immune system can more easily recognize and destroy any of these microorganisms that it later encounters.
During the 19th century oil based ingredients where added to vaccines in order to extend there shelf life as well as make them more effective. These oil based adjuvants would prime the body so that it would be more sensitive to the vaccine reducing the amount of the active substance needed. Highly allergenic peanut oil is a very effective adjuvant used to not only prime the immune system but in some cases may also sensitize it as well.
A food allergy is an adverse immune response to a food protein such as those found in peanuts. A reaction occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly identifies one of these food proteins as harmful perhaps from the immune systems sensitivity to a particular protein. Could the use of the food adjuvants in our vaccines be setting our children up to react to these same food proteins?
The incidence of egg allergy from the 1930s onwards within the vaccinated population coincided with use of egg in the manufacture of vaccines, also introduced in the 1930s. Is this just a coincidence? What about the mysterious outbreak of cotton seed allergy in the US which started in the 1930's through the 1950's? Did this have anything to do with the use of cottonseed oil as an "active" substance in the manufacture of vaccines during that same time period?
Rates of peanut allergies have increased dramatically since the introduction of the Hib (Haemophilus influenza type B) vaccine believed to have containing adjuvant 65 (peanut oil) in the early 1990's. Same holds true for the advent of the Hib vaccine in Sweden during 2001. Yet peanut allergies are almost non-existent in countries such as China and Indonesia where the Hib vaccine is rarely given. Another coincidence?
As of now there is no proof that vaccinations are causing food allergies and by no means do I suggest by writing this that anyone should consider ceasing getting their child vaccinated without first speaking to your physician. Vaccines are just one of the many theories behind the cause of food allergies. The more we learn about theses possible causes the closer we may come to a cure and at least have the opportunity to make informed decisions in regards to the health and well being of not only our children but for ourselves as well.
Onespot Allergy was founded in 2009 by Elizabeth Goldenberg, the mother of a severely food allergic son. With an in depth understanding of food allergies, she has set out to improve the quality and safety of all those effected by food allergies. A full line of allergy safety products has been assembled for Onespot Allergy.
My son was diagnosed with a severe food allergy to tree-nuts at age two. He is now four and has so far avoided any major reactions. It takes strict vigilance when dealing with young children and food allergies. The risk of cross contamination is everywhere. For this reason I am always on the look out for helpful products that may help keep my son safe from the hidden dangers of food allergies.
Though we rarely have anything with nuts in our home, my husband has been known to hide a jar of his beloved peanut butter in a top cupboard for late night snacks after the kids have gone to bed. There are also those few occasions where we go out to dinner and one of us will indulge in a menu item containing nuts. Nuts have become a special sort of treat for us since they've been banned from our home.
While browsing through products on Onespot Allergy I noticed the individual stainless steel Toothbrush Holders. I am ashamed to say that it had never occurred to me that cross contamination could very easily take place just by placing our toothbrushes together in a single holder. Washing our hands thoroughly and brushing our teeth immediately after consuming anything with nuts has always been the rule. Here I thought we where doing our part to protect our son yet the risk of allergens being exchanged from brush to brush was right there.
After expressing my "lack" of knowledge to Elizabeth, she was kind enough to send me some of her Toothbrush Holders as well as her Allergy Labels and Towel Clips to review.
The Toothbrush Holders are a stainless steel tube that fits all toothbrush sizes, even my little guys toddler brush. I like the stainless steel because it matches our faucets which helped them to blend in with the decor. A suction cup is screwed onto the back in order for the holder to adhere to either a mirror or tile. I placed ours on the bottom corners of the bathroom mirror. Its been a week now and they have all held very well. The only one I had a problem with was my husbands. If you have a bulkier sized toothbrush I would suggest wetting the back of the suction cup slightly before sticking, after that it should hold securely. My two boys are not the gentlest of creatures at ages two and four, yet so far have refrained from pulling or knocking them off the mirror.
Speaking of the boys, they love them. They tend to enjoy things they don't have to share. I love them because not only are they a great way of preventing the exchange of allergens but they prevent the spread of germs as well. We used the Onespot AllergyFood Allergy Labels to clearly mark their toothbrush holders. The labels come with a pack of 6 sheets, 25 labels per sheet. There are five colors to choose from, black, red, green, blue, and orange. Each of the boys got to choose a color label to place on their holder. This mind you is a very empowering thing for toddlers and preschoolers.
The Food Allergy Labels are non-toxic and meet FDA standards. Since the boys have already chosen their color of chose for their toothbrush holders we are now able to use those same colored labels for identifying other personal items that cause either the exchange of allergens or germs such as their reusable water bottles and snack bowls. I keep the red labels in the pantry to place on any items that may contain nuts. When Grammy comes to stay with the kids she will now be alerted to any foods in the pantry that are not safe for my son. Because they peel off without leaving any residue I figure by carrying a set of labels in my purse I am able to stick them to the inevitable serving bowls containing nuts at bbq's and pot lucks. Anything that helps to bring some added peace of mind helps. With the numerous uses for these labels you are sure to find a labeling system that fits your allergy needs.
Finally, I was given the opportunity to try out the Towel Clips by Onespot Allergy. These
1¼ inch circular tags, 16 clips, 4 of each color are designed for identifying which towel belongs to whom. If you have food allergies it is also important to use your own towel to avoid accidental exposure to allergens left behind. I did not use these on our towels at home rather I tried them on the napkins while out to dinner. I easily slid a plastic clip onto both of the kids cloth napkins, each sticking with the same colors chosen for labeling their toothbrush holders, in turn creating a "color system". This worked wonderful. The large colored clips made it very easy for the boys, even at their age, to identify their own napkins and to keep them separate.
I also found the towel clips to work well for identifying the kids cups while at home. They fit perfect on the rim of their plastic tumblers. While I could have used the allergy labels on their cups as well since they are dishwasher safe, the kids seemed to like the towel clips. Not only did this allow them to identify and pick out their previously chosen colors on their own but the larger size of the towel clip made it easier for them to identify which cup belonged to them without having to search for the label. With the use of the towel clips my nephew was also able to choose a separate color to identify his cup whereas with the labels this may not have been possible without removing a previously placed label and adding a new one.
I have attached Elizabth's video on these products and would love your feedback. If you use any of these products yourself or for your family let us know about it.
This was not a paid post and honest opinions were used. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others. Thank you Elizabeth Goldenberg of Onespot Allergy for supplying the products for this review.