CBC News – What teachers and parents should know about severe food allergies

What teachers and parents should know about severe food allergies

This article by Gwen Smith of Allergic Living Magazine gives an important message for everyone with children in the school. Whether you are a parent of an allergic child, a parent with a child attending the school with allergic children, or a teacher at that school, you need to read this article.

It goes through many important points to consider for snacks and lunches. Outlines a few facts and dangers associated with food allergies and how we can all get along together if the allergic and non-allergic make a few adjustments.

This is a Canadian site, but these apply to wherever you are.

via CBC News – Canada – What teachers and parents should know about severe food allergies.

A Nut Allergy Skeptic Learns the Hard Way – TIME

Illustration by John Ueland for TIME

Joel Stein has a knack for writing articles that raises the hair on the back of people’s necks.  (See his article “Have Americans Gone Nuts Over Nut Allergies?”

This time he gets his own, though not in a way I would wish on ANYONE.

A Nut Allergy Skeptic Learns the Hard Way

By JOEL STEIN Saturday, Aug. 14, 2010

Years ago, sitting on an ear doctor’s examining table after causing my inner ear to bleed for days by puncturing it with a Q-tip, I looked up to see a framed copy of a column about how stupid it is to put Q-tips in your ears. It was a column I had written. When you publish hundreds of obnoxiously self-righteous proclamations, some of them are going to cause you embarrassment. Which doesn’t seem all that big of a deal when you also have blood leaking from your ears.

At the beginning of last year, I wrote a column that questioned whether the increase in food allergies among children was a matter of overreporting. It began with this carefully calibrated thought: “Your kid doesn’t have an allergy to nuts. Your kid has a parent who needs to feel special.” After that, I got a little harsh.

(See nine kid foods to avoid.)

The column was not the first thing that came to mind after my 1-year-old son Laszlo started sneezing, then breaking out in hives, then rubbing his eyes, then crying through welded-shut eyes, then screaming and, finally, vomiting copiously at the entrance of the Childrens Hospital emergency room an hour after eating his first batch of blended mixed nuts.

via A Nut Allergy Skeptic Learns the Hard Way – TIME.

Allergies Attack iPhone Game

Allergies Attack is a fun game developed by an allergic-aware developer who put together this game to help promote awareness of allergies and at the same time, help people have fun while getting through the day.

Allergies Attack!

The game follows a boy during his dreams in which he goes on the offensive against all types of allergies; pollen, bees, peanuts, dust, pet dander, you name it.

Fly a ship and shoot the baddies out of the sky as they come flying towards you.

I bought the game and found it to be fun and managed to get through a few levels of play. I’ve been told that there will be an update to introduce a more child-friendly settings so that even the little ones can enjoy it to its fullest!

At only .99 cents you too can support the awareness campaign! (links to Itunes.com)

Enjoy!

Game Intro screen

Game screen

Congratulations Delicardo Foodcard Winner

Thank you everyone who visited and left a comment for the giveaway!

A special congrats goes out to Sarah D. of Matthews, North Carolina. She will be receiving her free pack of Gluten Foodcards in the mail!

For those who did not win, watch the web and especially the Delicardo Facebook page. They sometimes have special offers and contests so you may yet win!

Peanuts lead allergy list, national survey finds

The Toronto Star’s Health Zone reminds us just how many kids are nut or peanut allergic.

Canada’s first nationwide food allergy survey shows that about 1.7 per cent of children under 18 have a probable peanut allergy, while another 1.59 per cent have a probable allergy to tree nuts, such as hazelnuts and walnuts.

This study was from 2008-2009 and was conducted over the phone to 10000 families. That’s a good sized sample and shows that a great many children are affected.

It’s also notable that there is a great difference between results in the US and Canada.

He says the rates are higher in Canada than in the U.S. — a 2002 American study found that 0.83 per cent of children have peanut allergies and 0.51 per cent are allergic to tree nuts.

Keep in mind the time between studies. It is possible for those results to have changed in 6 years.

Read the whole article here.

Toronto restaurant offers cooking classes for food allergic kids

Another feature of Health Zone from the Toronto Star.

The Chef Upstairs in Toronto has started offering cooking classes for children. The Chef Upstairs is a food allergy aware restaurant that is completely free of peanuts and tree nuts.

Check out this full article. It’s great to see restaurants picking up on the need for specialty venues or even just being aware that a good portion of clients may have sensitivities and allergies.

Food Allergy Complexity: More Than Meets the Eye, by Margaret Pingolt

Margaret Pingolt is a journalism student at Arizona State University. She requested a few questions answered from yours truly for an article she was working on. Below is a wonderfully written piece on college age people and life away from home.

Thanks, Maggie!

By, Maggie Pingolt

PHOENIX- Waking up the day of high school graduation is typically a gift from the gods, a chance to leave the confines of an underage life with parents.  For some with food allergies, it’s just another day of heightened awareness.  One misstep at the party buffet and the night is ruined in hives, sneezing or anaphylactic shock.

Going to college is a difficult tradition in and of itself.  In addition to a life threatening condition like food allergies, teens and young adults are at the highest risk of death because of vehicle accidents, drug overdose, and alcohol intoxication.

Read the rest of this entry »

May Declared Food Allergy Awareness Month in Canada

This just came across my desk from Anaphylaxis Canada. I have yet to find a link online but as soon as I do i’ll post it.

News Release from Anaphylaxis Canada

Anaphylaxis Canada welcomes Parliament’s declaration of May as Food Allergy Awareness Month

“It means so much to me” – Sara Shannon, whose daughter Sabrina died of an allergic reaction

Toronto, May 4, 2010 – Anaphylaxis Canada applauds Parliament’s motion
recognizing Food Allergy Awareness Month and will be commemorating the
occasion by promoting a number of initiatives intended to support the
1.3 million Canadians who live with food allergies. This is the first
year such a month has been designated in Canada and will now be a
permanently recognized occasion. Several other countries including the
US, UK, Italy, New Zealand and Australia have similar declarations.

“The declaration of Food Allergy Awareness Month is a significant step
in the ongoing effort to educate the public about food allergies,”
said Laurie Harada, Executive Director of Anaphylaxis Canada and
herself the mother of a teenager with multiple food allergies. “We are
thrilled that all political parties united to support this motion.”

Food allergy is a growing public health issue in Canada. More than
fifty percent of Canadians know someone with a food allergy. While
allergic individuals must take responsibility for their condition,
awareness and support of the community are key to keeping people,
especially children, safe. Without treatment, anaphylaxis, the most
severe form of an allergic reaction, can cause death.

In the visitor’s gallery to watch Parliament vote on the motion was
allergy advocate Sara Shannon. Sara’s daughter, Sabrina, had her own
advocacy efforts tragically cut short by a fatal anaphylactic reaction
in 2003 when she was just 13 years old.

“This means so much to me,” said Sara Shannon, “and it would have
meant so much to Sabrina. In her short life Sabrina experienced many
parts of Canada, from the mountains of British Columbia to the
beautiful city of Montreal. She would want everyone to share in this
country’s beauty and possibility and would therefore be very pleased
that the serious issues around food allergies are getting attention
from our federal lawmakers.”

Anaphylaxis Canada will be recognizing Food Allergy Awareness Month
through a number of planned initiatives and events. This includes the
organization’s annual conference, hosted this year in Toronto, during
which exciting new food allergy research will be presented by leading
Canadian experts. Anaphylaxis Canada will also be launching two key
initiatives for teens and young adults: a new French version of its
website especially created for allergic teens to help them manage
their food allergies more effectively; and the Sabrina Shannon
Memorial Award for youth involvement in community anaphylaxis
education. The award is dedicated to the life of Sabrina Shannon.

Delicardo Foodcard Giveaway!

Comments are no longer being accepted towards the draw, a winner has been chosen and will be contacted soon!

Thanks for playing!

Exciting! Together with Delicardo we are proud to annmounce that we will be giving away a package of 10 Delicardo food cards!

The contest is simple.

Leave us a comment stating what type of Foodcard would work best for you and  and at the end of the give-away we’ll pick a random guest to receive a card set!

The contest will run until May 15th (1 month from today!) so to give everyone a good chance to enter and get their comments in.

I may have to massage the rules a bit so these are not set in stone.

Also only one entry per person!

Good luck!

Introducing Delicardo Foodcards – Your Dining Assistant.

• How do you describe your allergies to a waiter or chef?
• Are you sure you covered everything?
• After he leaves to go place your order, did you forget to tell him one other thing about what you can not eat?
• What if the waiter forgets to mention something to the kitchen or says the wrong thing?
• What happens if you are travelling? Do you know how to describe your allergies to someone in their native language?

Delicardo Foodcards can help you get through these situations. The Delicardo Foodcard contains all the information a food preparation professional could need. It lists the food you can and can not eat. It even tells them where these allergic reaction-inducing ingredients can be most commonly found.

Read the rest of this entry »

Reverse Allergy Alert Quaker Crispy Minis are Nut-Safe again

This is great news. We love rice snacks and the Quaker brand was always the best. When they started producing them on a line that also processed peanuts we were shocked and promptly dropped them from our grocery list.

We were pleased to receive this notice today telling us they are reducing  the allergens by changing the production of some of their treats.

NOTE: this is from the notice below.

The changes will reduce the number of potential allergens in most flavours of rice chips products only. Allergen labeling on other Crispy Minis products, including Crispy Minis Bite Size rice chips, Crispy Minis Delights cookies and Crispy Minis rice cakes, remains the same.

NOTICE FROM: PepsiCo Canada

March 2010

IMPORTANT NOTICE: QUAKER BRAND TO REDUCE ALLERGENS

IN SEVERAL CRISPY MINIS® RICE CHIPS

As part of its ongoing mission to deliver healthy and convenient options that fit into a healthy lifestyle, PepsiCo Canada’s Quaker brand is making changes to its manufacturing and allergen control procedures for its Crispy Minis rice chips.

The changes will reduce the number of potential allergens in most flavours of rice chips products only. Allergen labeling on other Crispy Minis products, including Crispy Minis Bite Size rice chips, Crispy Minis Delights cookies and Crispy Minis rice cakes, remains the same.

The reduced allergen Crispy Minis rice chips are now on store shelves in major Canadian retail outlets. Accordingly, ingredients listings will be changing, and precautionary labeling will be adjusted only on affected products, as follows:

The Quaker brand reminds consumers of these important tips regarding the importance of carefully reading food ingredient labels:

Food-allergic individuals and those buying for them are encouraged to read food ingredient labels at least three times: once when purchasing the item; a second time when putting the item away; and a third time just prior to serving the item.

Take steps to improve your understanding of labeling regulations and their limitations. It should never be assumed that all sizes and flavours have identical allergen profiles, so check the label every time.

Products with a “may contain” warning could be problematic for individuals with life-threatening food allergies. If there is a precautionary warning, it is possible that the product contains traces of the allergen.

Website for Restaurant and Travel Destination Reviews

We tried something like this in our forums that just ended up being a haven for spam so I am happy to see someone that is devoting their site to it.

www.lonelyplate.org is  all about getting the word out on places to go and safely enjoy your time out without worry.

I went to Disney World a couple years ago and they were FANTASTIC! We’ll be going back sometime very soon to reproduce the trip, pretty much exactly. Land and sea cruise/park package. Stay at Animal Kingdom and just soak it all in.

Ok, I’m leaving.

Wait, Here’s the info in this press release. Check it out and participate! Make this the Go To place for this info!!

PRESS RELEASE: New Food Allergy/Celiac Restaurant and Travel Review Website

WASHINGTON – A new website catering to the food allergy and Celiac community, www.LonelyPlate.org, was launched in February by Sharona Schwartz, who up until a year and a half ago was News Coverage Manager at CNN’s Washington Bureau. While at CNN, Schwartz produced award-winning television reports with chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta on food allergies.   She is also the mother of a daughter diagnosed with multiple food allergies, including wheat, peanuts, fish and more.

At LonelyPlate.org, individuals dealing with food allergies and Celiac can write reviews about restaurants, hotels, airlines and theme parks they visit.

“There are fantastic online resources reviewing restaurants and hotels, but because I couldn’t find any that consolidated our unique experiences in an easy, interactive, international platform, I decided to create an interactive database where we can review restaurants, hotels, airlines, and kid-friendly venues,” says Schwartz.

“Wouldn’t it be great to give a shout out to a place that did a great job helping you have a safe meal, or warn others of a place to stay away from at all cost?” Schwartz says.

Recognizing dining out for those with food limitations is an experience fraught with worry for many, Schwartz says the website will disseminate reports, both positive and negative, to families facing similar medical challenges. “This kind of information-sharing is crucial not only to keep each other safe but also can be a message to restaurants that we are a consumer community worth catering to,” she says.

The Examiner.com writes of the new site: “…what a great accomplishment for those of us on a restricted diet.  With so many people being diagnosed with a food intolerance, this type of website will help us feel more normal and stay safe when we are traveling and when we are at home.”

The web address is www.lonelyplate.org.

Contact information: info@lonelyplate.org

Link to The Examiner article:

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-15981-Gwinnett-GlutenFree-Food-Examiner~y2010m2d16-Lonelyplateorg-offers-national-consumer-reviews-for-those-with-food-allergies

Link to godairyfree review:

http://www.godairyfree.org/201002284124/News/Nutrition-Headlines/Lonely-Plate-Launches-as-Food-Allergy-and-Celiac-Restaurant-and-Travel-Review-Website.html

How strange an allergy are these?

Ever stop to think of those people who are alergic to water, or vibrations?

What about those poor individuals who can’t be around deodorant or underwear?

These are real allergies and our friend at Online Nurse Practitioner Schools outlines 20 of the strangest allergies I’ve ever heard of.

Here’s #12 for example:

12. Pressure

One of the most common classifications of urticaria, dermatographism comes from a negative reaction to varying degrees of pressure. Depending on the severity of the case, anything from a slight touch upwards can trigger an allergic episode. It can either affect the entire body or localized areas. Many individuals stuck with the condition have quite a bit of fun with it, using their bodies as outlets for creative expression by scratching messages and designs into their skin. While a permanent cure has yet to be found, antihistamines usually work well as a treatment option. More serious instances may require some shifts in lifestyle to minimize potentially painful contact.

Hop on over to their site to see the whole list!

Peanut residue/oil cleanup

We recently received an email asking a question that I am sure is on many people’s minds, especial those who are new to nut/peanut allergies.

I.P. asked:

I have been searching and searching to try to determine how long nut/peanut residues last on surfaces.  I cannot seem to find an answer to this question.  My son suffers from peanut and nut allergies and I was wondering how long an allergen stays on door knobs or other surfaces before they “die” or does it just sit there until someone cleans it up.

My reply was this:

You will be glad to hear that it is actually quite easy to get rid of peanut and nut residue.

This article outlines a study from a few years ago on how most cleansers will remove it from surfaces. Take note that dish soap does not work very well. You need to use a cleanser like Fantastic or Lysol wipes.

http://www.webmd.com/allergies/news/20040510/peanut-allergy-cleaners

Also it is important to realize that nut proteins are not living things and they do not die. They will last (practically) forever on a surface if left alone.

Allerglobal

There’s a new site in town.

Allerglobal is offering a service to allergic travelers where they can print out an allergy awareness card in the language of your choice.

Example card, downloadable as PDF.

Qabiria introduces Allerglobal: A new website dedicated to travellers with food allergies

Qabiria Studio is proud to introduce Allerglobal (www.allerglobal.com). This new website is dedicated to people suffering from food allergies who travel abroad and need to explain their condition in a foreign language.

Allerglobal is a free on-line service that conveniently translates food allergies in almost all Central and Eastern European languages. It automatically creates a customized, accurate passport-sized card with the user’s allergy information in the chosen language. Users just need to print it, slip it in their wallet, and show it at restaurants, hotels, or wherever needed. This service is intended to contribute to a safer, more comfortable travel for people with food allergies and intolerances.

Built upon a database of almost 2000 terms, Allerglobal is the first food allergy translation tool that offers such a wide choice of languages: 7 source languages (English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese, Catalan) and 27 target languages (English, Albanian, Bulgarian, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, German, Estonian, Finnish, French, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Ukrainian). Moreover, Qabiria Studio is planning to double the number of available languages in the future.

Qabiria Studio is a language service provider based in Barcelona, Spain. Besides offering translation, training and consulting for the translation industry, Qabiria strives to make a creative use of language and technology to find smart new solutions for everyone.

via Allerglobal.