You asked:

Hello my name is S, mother of a boy (5) who is allergic to peanuts and I was wondering about the peanut free symbol, if it has a copyright on it or if there is a generic symbol that is easy for the public to identify.
I am looking for permission to use the peanut free symbol.

If you could contact me back and either inform me of the route to take or how I can go about using a symbol with permission.

My first question would be what you are planning to use it for.

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!

Sorry!

This announcement is an important one for anyone that has an auto-injector.

There have been some cases of people not understanding quite how to remove the cap or handle the EPI-Pen properly resulting in accidents.

Subject: Important Safety Information on the Correct Use of EpiPen® and EpiPen® Jr Auto-Injector

Pfizer Canada Inc. (distributor of EpiPen for Dey Pharma, L.P.) in collaboration with Health Canada would like to remind patients of the correct method to remove the blue safety cap and of the importance of following the instructions for use of EpiPen (0.3 mg epinephrine auto-injector) and EpiPen Jr (0.15 mg epinephrine auto-injector).  It has recently come to our attention that removal of the blue safety cap the wrong way by pulling it sideways or bending and twisting it off may prevent the device from working properly and potentially result in failure to deliver the drug.

Read on for the full advisory.

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.

As a father of a food-allergic child I know that this FACT is not a FAD.

This article has good insight and urges us all to think rationally when others around us are doubting our family’s health concerns.

A new British study on nut-allergy sufferers found that “parents are routinely made to feel by friends and even family that their child’s nut allergy is a ‘frivolous and self indulgent fad invented and maintained by attention-seeking people.’”

via Food allergies: fact or fad? – Editorial – The Cape Breton Post.

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.

Our family has enjoyed a few of their products and appreciate the work they do to provide tasty allergic aware foods (can a food be aware?).

Enjoy Life Shows Support For Food Allergy Community By Becoming Gold Level Sponsor Of The Kids With Food Allergies FoundationAugust 11, 2011 | Author: EnjoyLifeFoods | Posted in Food & Drink0inShareAugust 10, 2011 Chicago – Enjoy Life Foods, the leading allergen-friendly brand in the Supermarket and Natural Foods stores, has broadened its partnership with the Kids With Food Allergies Foundation, a leading resource site and organization for families who struggle with the everyday challenges of food allergies. By elevating itself to a Gold Level Sponsor, Enjoy Life will support a variety of KFA’s initiatives, as well as provide an opportunity for new KFA members to receive valuable coupons for Enjoy Life’s products, all of which are free of the 8 common allergens.

via Enjoy Life Shows Support For Food Allergy Community By Becoming Gold Level Sponsor Of The Kids With Food Allergies Foundation | Press Releases @ Your-Story.org.

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.

Organic Food Bar, Inc. is expanding its previous recall of “Chocolatey Chocolate Chip RAW Organic Food Bars due to undeclared peanut to include additional organic food bars in the following varieties:

• Cinnamon Raisin, Lot # 3070910, Expiration Date 09-Jul-11; Lot # 3072110, Expiration Date 21-Jul-11, Lot # 3083110, Expiration Date 31-Aug-11; Lot # 2092710, Expiration Date 27-Sep-11; Lot # 3100410, Expiration Date 04-Oct-11; UPC # 8 73521000114
• Chocolate Coconut, Lot # 6071210, Expiration Date 12-Jul-11; Lot #6072810, Expiration Date 28-Jul-11; Lot # 4081710, Expiration Date 17-Aug-11; Lot # 3082710, Expiration Date 27-Aug-11; Lot # 5102010, Expiration Date 20-Oct-11; UPC # 8 7352100031 2
• Oooatmeal Apple Pie, Lot #2071610, Expiration Date 16-Jul-11; Lot # 2071610, Expiration Date 16-Jul-11; Lot # 1083010, Expiration Date 30-Aug-11; Lot # 3090710, Expiration Date 07-Sep-11; UPC # 8 73521 001111.
• Chocolatey Chocolate Chip; Lot # 2062810, Expiration Date 28-Jun-11; Lot # 4062810, Expiration Date 28-Jun-11; Lot # 3071210, Expiration Date 12-Jul-11; Lot # 2072810, Expiration Date 28-Jul-11; Lot # 2081610, Expiration Date 16-Aug-11; Lot # 4092810, Expiration Date 28-Sep-11; Lot # 2102010, Expiration Date 20-Oct-11; UPC # 8 7352100021 3.
• Fiber Chocolate Delite, Lot # 6062810; Expiration Date 28-Jun-11; Lot # 7072110, Expiration Date 21-Jul-11; Lot # 1082710, Expiration Date 27-Aug-11; UPC # 8 73521000411.
• Keerunch Crunchy Chocolate Chip, Lot # 3070710, Expiration Date 07-Jul-11; Lot # 2101410, Expiration Date 14-Oct-11; UPC # 8 73521 00121 0.
• Oohmega Cherry Pie, Lot # 3072910, Expiration Date 29-Jul-11, UPC # 8 73521 00101 2.

The product was distributed in 12-pack cartons through retail stores, mail order, and direct delivery in the U.S.

Consumers may return the recalled products to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at (800) 246-4685, Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. PST.