Papa Jack Popcorn is nut/peanut free!

My wife recently ate a whole large bag of PapaJack Sweet and Salty Popcorn and decided, with a prickly popcorn-filled tummy, to email the Ottawa-based company about their nut/peanut policies.

We were happy with their reply:

Hi B*,
I am happy to hear that you enjoyed our popcorn.
All of our PapaJack products are 100% peanut and nut free.
We do not allow any nut products into our facility, not even for the employees lunches.

Thanks,
C*

YAY!

Dean’s Sweets – A Review

We recently had the great pleasure of trying some hand-dipped truffles from Dean’s Sweets in Portland, Maine. Dean’s Sweets uses no nuts or nut products in their truffles, and several are also gluten-free. With intriguing flavours like Stout, Ginger, and Cayenne, we could hardly wait to get tasting.

Want to advertise with us? marc @ eatnutfree.com

One thing our tasting panel noticed right off the bat was the wonderful quality of the chocolate. It was a deliciously rich, dark chocolate. It wasn’t the slightest bit waxy and it delivered a warm, slightly sweet cocoa flavour. The second thing we noticed was the absolutely natural flavour of the fillings. And the flavour intensity of the fillings was in perfect balance with that of the chocolate.

We sampled eight flavours — Maple, Stout (which is also dairy-free and vegan), Ginger, Salt Caramel, Blueberry, Lemon-Apricot-Chevre, Coffee, and Cayenne. Top favourites of the tasting panel were the Salt Caramel, which would have quite a broad appeal (who doesn’t love sweet mixed with salty?), and Cayenne, which had a devilishly spicy punch. However, we enjoyed every one we tried.

There was one child on our five-person panel, whose clear favourite was the Maple variety. But, these sweets are really geared toward those who really appreciate fine foods and are perfectly suited for adults to indulge in. Intriguing and satisfying, these are truffles are to savour and discuss.

Dean’s Sweets is now also offering a collection of chocolate bars (un-tested )

Before and after the review. Phew!
   

Deans Sweets | Elegant Chocolate Truffles

I want to bring your attention to a chocolatier that is new to us, Dean’s Sweets hailing from Portland. While I have not had the pleasure to sample thier offerings (no shipping outside of the U.S.) I would love to hear some reviews if you have! tell us what you think in the comments.

Deans Sweets offers elegant, extraordinary, hand-dipped truffles created from the finest imported dark chocolate. Luscious flavors include brandy, rum Myers Dark, scotch single malt, orange, raspberry, coffee, peppermint, ginger, plain, and cayenne!. All with a rich dark chocolate coating. Please see the Orders page for a complete list of our many chocolate choices.

For the chocolate connoisseur, what makes these truffles so unusually fine are their uncommonly good ingredients – centers are made with a delectable 56% cocoa content excepting of course the white chocolate and the coating is a rich 70%.

Please make special note that we use no nuts or nut products when creating these truffles. Anyone with allergies to nuts of any sort can rest assured that there are no tree or ground nuts in products from Deans Sweets. Also of special note: Our chocolate stout truffles are dairy-free. Delectable and yummy, this also makes them vegan. Most of our truffles are also gluten-free. Email us if you have dietary needs or questions.

Truffles are available all year, though in the peak of the summer months, delivery times and costs may be affected by warm weather.

For special events and corporate gifts, delivery times will depend on the size of the order. Please email us with your wishes and we will work to meet your deadlines. Special orders are gladly accepted and every effort is made to supply you with your ideal flavor choices.

via Deans Sweets | Elegant Chocolate Truffles.

SunButter® Sunflower Seed Butter Receives National Taste Test Award at IFT ’11 | Cision Wire

Another shout out to another of our favorite products!
SUNBUTTER, we love you! Congrats!

SunButter® Sunflower Seed Butter Receives National Taste Test Award at IFT ’11

Offers Innovative and Flavorful Ingredient Option for Peanut-Free Products

Fargo, ND (August, 2011) – SunButter® received third place in Mintel’s IFT 2011 taste test under the flavor and ingredient predictions for 2011 category. Mintel announced the winners of their IFT 2011 taste test, naming SunButter sunflower seed spread an example of the seed ingredient trend.

via SunButter® Sunflower Seed Butter Receives National Taste Test Award at IFT ’11 | Cision Wire.

CTV British Columbia – Misreading nut labels a potentially deadly mistake – CTV News

Even companies with the right intentions are taking the crossed-out peanut to mean they can include nuts in thier ingredients.

Be vigilant when reading labels!

A registered nurse is sounding the nut allergy alarm over potentially confusing allergy labels on packaged foods.

While the red circle with a line through it is an internationally recognized symbol for ‘no,’ the symbol with a line through a peanut doesn’t necessarily mean no nuts.

Rob Cimaglia, who has a severe allergy to tree nuts, was shocked to discover that a package of granola bars he purchased at IGA had the no-nut symbol on the front, but contained almonds in the ingredient list

 

Read on at CTV British Columbia – Misreading nut labels a potentially deadly mistake – CTV News.

Sunbutter Now a Daily Staple

We have been buying Sunbutter regularly because both my husband and I love to eat it; and a few months ago, my son asked to try it again. He said that he loves it, and he really meant it this time.

Every day, he wants a Sunbutter and jam sandwich. He also often asks for a snack of Sunbutter on crackers or cookies.

A five-pound tub of it is starting to look like a good idea.

bubblechild | Nut, dairy, and gluten-free PESTO

Erica at Bubble Child Blog has a great recipe for Nut, dairy and gluten-free pesto. She also has a great site that is a lot of fun to read. Her personal touch to her posts sets it apart and adds a new dimension to the news and recipes (and there are lots) she tells us about.

Presto! Nut, dairy, and gluten-free PESTO.It’s no wonder Italians are so happy– basil is apparently a natural serotonin booster.  You know what?  The way I feel right now eating this nut, dairy, and gluten-free pesto pasta, I sure believe it!For anyone who doesn’t suffer from a deadly nut allergy like me and other nut bubble children, they probably did not know that pretty much all pesto is made with nuts, be it pine nuts most common or walnuts a little bit more gourmet.

via bubblechild | Banishing the Bane of the Food Allergy.

CBC News – Stricter food label rules target allergens

HUGE Win for the Canadian Food Allergic Population

Food manufacturers have 18 months to adhere to tighter rules dealing with the labelling of food allergens, Health Canada announced Monday.

The amended rules would target food allergens, gluten sources and sulphites, which will have to be explicitly identified on packaging.Manufacturers will be required to list what type of allergens, gluten sources or sulphites are present in a product or in any of the ingredients used to make that product.

For example, a food product that lists “spice” or “seasoning” as an ingredient would have to specify whether the ingredient contains allergenic substances.

Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said Monday the new labelling requirements do not include beer and wine, which are being dealt with separately, because the government needed to move on food now.

The revised rules were first introduced in 2008 by then-health minister Tony Clement.

Most of the new regulations were published officially Monday in the Canada Gazette, the government publication that lists all laws and Orders-in-Council.

Read the full article via CBC News – Politics – Stricter food label rules target allergens.

Allergic Living – Quaker facility closed. Boy goes home :)

Allergic Living has reported that after the packaging error that occurred last week at the Quaker Canada facility the facility has been closed pending an internal investigation and that the boy that was affected by an allergic reaction has gone home.

We’re happy for the good news about the boy and hope that Quaker gets to the bottom of this soon!

Read the article here…

From the Quaker website

IMPORTANT PRODUCT NOTICE

The health and safety of our consumers is our highest priority. Accordingly, Quaker Canada has initiated a voluntary recall of our 14 count Quaker Chewy Granola Bars Value Pack cartons that may have been mis-labeled. No other packages of Quaker bars or Quaker products are affected.

Quaker Canada is taking this action out of an abundance of caution because the outside packaging erroneously states that the boxes should contain Chewy Chocolate Chip and Chewy S’mores bars, both of which are made in a peanut-free facility. The individually-wrapped bars are clearly and accurately labeled.

Consumers who have purchased a 14 count Quaker Chewy Granola Bars Value Pack carton with a UPC Bar Code ending in 10742 should inspect the contents of the carton to ensure it contains the correct product (Chewy Chocolate Chip and Chewy S’mores bars). If the carton contains Dipps Chocolate Chip and Dipps Caramel Nut bars and a consumer has a peanut or tree nut allergy, they should return it to the retailer where it was purchased for a refund.

No other packages of Quaker bars or Quaker products are affected.

There is NO health risk associated with handling the mis-labeled product for disposal, however this product should not be consumed by those in a peanut or tree nut-allergic household. The company is working closely with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Anaphylaxis Canada to notify the public.

Consumers with questions may contact us by calling the toll-free hotline at 1-800-267-6287.

Applebee’s won’t bend

I was contacted today by Paul about a series of posts that have been gathering attention on his blog at Allergy Eats.

This is not so much an attack at Applebee’s but hopefully someting that will bring attention to what the food-allergic community can potentially bring to a food chain. Applebee’s is a good starting point, being the largest casual food chain in America, and the largest food chain in America that does not cater to the food allergic.

What? How can someone so engrained in the U.S. be so standoffish? Apparently they don’t seem to care enough to provide Paul with a suitable answer. Not enough to give him a few minutes of time with an Operations Officer to discuss what they are missing out on. Were no’t just talking about the charming people who will not eat there now, were talking about the MILLIONS of dollars per year that they could be filling thier coffers with.

REad on to hear what Paul has to say, then send an email to the Applebee’s office and tell them to get off thier duff and do something about it.

Again, this should not just apply to Applebee’s. Insert the name of any restaurant, chain or not, that is not noticing the growing throngs of people who might like to eat there if only your staff were aware of how to manage our plates. It’s not really that difficult, it just takes awareness.

Al little piece of what Paul has to say:

The saga started on August 17 when we posted an AllergyEats Blog entry entitled “Guest post – Applebee’s disappoints!,” which detailed the story of one disappointing customer experience.  This opened up a flood of comments on our blog and Facebook page.  The posts showed that a tremendous number of food-allergic diners have had negative experiences at Applebee’s.  Given this response, and seeing that they had a poor AllergyEats allergy-friendliness rating (2.3 on a scale of 1 to 5), I decided to call and allow them to address the issue.

READ ON, it’s a really good read.

Sunbutter Video Contest

Sunbutter has contacted us to let us know of a new contest they are holding!

http://bit.ly/videodetails will take you to their Facebook page.

Sadly it does not seem to be open to Canadians.

So are you going to enter?

Here’s a lowdown on what they want and what you get:

BBC News – Hopes rise for low allergy peanut

How amazing could this be?

If they can create a peanut that is low allergy, when will they be able to create one that is NO allergy?

I know there is the camp that is against the whole genetic manipulation of food, but it’s very cool and promising.

Besides, genetically modifying food and plants may lead us to some very important medical discoveries!

Researchers are working on peanuts that are low allergy, which could put an end to the problems the popular seed can cause.

Through mixing varieties, the US team has managed to remove or reduce key proteins thought to spark the allergy.

They stress the resulting peanuts are not genetically modified but the product of conventional cross-breeding.

Peanut allergies are relatively common and usually cause breathing problems.

But at their most serious, they can lead to a potentially life-threatening anaphylactic shock.

Read on…

via BBC News – Hopes rise for low allergy peanut.

Today is the last day for the Delicardo Foodcard Giveaway!

Tomorrow morning sometime I will turn off commenting and randomly choose a winner in the Delicardo Foodcard Giveaway!

Until then get your comment in as soon as you can! You still have a chance to win!

Spread the word!

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 »

Introducing Mr. Christie Snak Paks Soft Baked Cookies!

We were recently very pleased that Kraft Foods gave us the opportunity to try their new Mr. Christie Snak Paks Soft Baked Cookies. They come in three flavours — Oatmeal Cinnamon, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip, and Double Chocolate – and are conveniently packaged in 30 gram snack-sized pouches, six per box. All three varieties are made in a peanut-free facility and so are perfect for school lunchboxes. Our son was so happy to try the new cookies, he didn’t waste any time getting to work.

Not being as fond of chocolate as most children, our son decided that the Oatmeal Cinnamon flavour would likely be his favourite (and they were), so he started with them. He took his “job” quite seriously at first, studying the first cookie and calmly stating, “I like the colour” (incidentally, there are no artificial colours or artificial flavours in the cookies). Then, taking small nibbles, he continued, “I like that they’re soft and chewy. I really like the taste of it.” But soon he was excitedly exclaiming, “They’re YUMMY! I love them! I want another bag!” (By the way, the soft texture is due to added vegetable purée [zucchini, pumpkin, or carrot, depending on the flavour]).

He’d eagerly polished off two packages before we introduced him to the next flavour, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip. By then, he was munching away happily, mumbling out a ”They’re nummy” between chews. Then, trying the Double Chocolate variety, he commented that they are “a lot chocolatey.”

Soon, there were wrappers all over the place, and our satisfied boy said, ”They should be in the stores so we can buy them. My friends would love them!” I’m certain that they will.

These cookies did not last more that a few days in our house, and my husband and I only got a couple of small tastes.

As for all those wrappers, Kraft Canada has a partnership with a company called TerraCycle, which allows the cookie wrappers to be collected and reycled. Through TerraCycle’s partnership with Kraft Canada,  groups such as schools and charites can earn money by collecting the used cookie packages, which TerraCycle then recycles, or “upcycles,” into items such as backpacks, pencil cases, and yoga totes.  That’s cool stuff!

Mr. Christie Snak Paks Soft Baked Cookies will be available in Canadian stores starting in April. Parents and teachers are often asking me for ideas for peanut-free snacks, and I’m looking forward to suggesting these treats to them. They’re sure to be a pantry staple at our house and many others.