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.

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.

Nov. 29, 2010

Quaker Canada is recalling “Quaker Chewy Granola Bars Value Pack” cartons, sold in Canada, due to undeclared peanuts and tree nuts.

FAAN is sending notification of this recall because, per the manufacturer, some consumers of this product may be U.S. residents.

The affected product is packaged in 14-count cartons with UPC Bar Code 55577 10742. The carton should contain Chewy Chocolate Chip and Chewy S’mores bars, but could incorrectly contain Dipps Chocolate Chip and Dipps Caramel Nut bars.

Consumers should return the recalled product to the place of purchase for a refund. Consumers with questions should contact Quaker Canada at (800) 267-6287.

Nestlé USA is recalling “Nestlé® Raisinets® Fun Size Bags” due to undeclared peanuts. The 10-oz bags were sold in Target, Shop Rite, and Don Quixote retail stores in the U.S.

The product is marked with production code 02015748 and UPC 2800010255.

Consumers should contact the company at (800) 478-5670 for a refund.

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.

The History of the Peanut Allergy Epidemic, the first documented history of the rise of peanut allergy, is now available http://www.peanutallergyepidemic.com

Written by Heather Fraser a Toronto-based historian and mother of a peanut-allergic child, this meticulously researched book pinpoints the moment of the allergy’s appearance and reveals the perfect storm of social, medical, political and economic factors from which the epidemic has grown.

The epidemic proportions of peanut allergy have spawned intense research into numerous risk factors including peanut consumption, birth month, hygiene, parasite levels and even head size.   And yet, no one has been able to connect the specifics of this surprising epidemic with a functional mechanism of sensitization – how have 2 million children in just the last 20 years become sensitized to this one food?  Neither coincidence nor genetic fluke can explain the speed at which this allergy has spread in children or its peculiar features.   The allergy appears primarily in western countries including the US, Canada, Australia and the UK and in toddlers, boys more often than girls in a ratio greater than 2:1.

The history of food allergy provides some answers starting with Charles Richet who coined the term anaphylaxis in 1913 to describe a sudden and unexpected prevalence of mass allergy related to pharmaceuticals.  Clemens von Pirquet in 1906 called these altered reactions in children allergy.  Combing the literature, Fraser discovered that outbreaks of peanut allergy began to occur only after WW II.  There was a slow but noticeable growth of the allergy in children through the late 1960s up until about 1989. Around 1990, there was an explosion of this allergy just in toddlers.  This moment is well documented by ER records, cohort studies of the time and eyewitness accounts.  Society only recognized the epidemic when this mass of allergic kids showed up for kindergarten.

The surge of peanut and food allergic 4 and 5 year olds took everyone by surprise – school systems, teachers, parents, entire communities.  And it has persisted and worsened.  An estimated 2% of kids living in the US and Canada are peanut allergic.  A 2010 Australian stat indicated that 3% of children living there are allergic to peanut.

How has this happened?  Functionally, there are a limited number of ways in which a person can become anaphylactic to any protein – ingestion, inhalation, through the skin and injection.  Historically there was only one mechanism implicated in mass allergy.  This together with a series of swift, identical alterations in political, social, legal, medical and economic conditions in western societies between 1987 and 1994 the peanut allergy in children tipped into epidemic….  Events unfolded in plain sight.

The History of the Peanut Allergy Epidemic (Innovation Press, 2010) is a must-read for every parent, teacher, and health professional.  Heather Fraser, MA, BA, B.Ed is a Toronto-based writer.  The book consists 211 pages with endnotes, index and appendix showing the global prevalence of the allergy.  Book is $19.99 and available for purchase http://www.peanutallergyepidemic.com

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.

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.

Sarah and Sabrina Shannon (2003). Picture courtesy of CTV.

As a followup to the terrible article that they printed in their December issue “It’s Just Nuts”, Chatelaine plans to let the readers speak out with a January article from the many retorts they received.

Sara Shannon (Mother of Sabrina and allergy activist) chimes in this time  after writing to the editor of Chatelaine and others involved in the printing of “the article”.

Sabrina Shannon had such an interest in journalism that by the time she was 10, she produced a radio documentary. She hoped to educate people about kids who suffer from life-threatening allergies. Sabrina herself was allergic to peanuts, milk and soy and had to manage it every day by asking everyone what was in the food she ate.

But Sabrina didn't grow up to be a journalist. She died from an allergic reaction to french fries contaminated with dairy at her school in Pembroke, Ont. six years ago.

As Sabrina was on life support at an Ottawa hospital, her mother, Sara Shannon, promised her that she would become an activist for those suffering from anaphylaxis. Sabrina died a day later at age 13.

That is why Shannon, other parents, doctors and medical groups are livid at a magazine article which suggests parents are overreacting to the condition.

The article, called “It's just nuts,” appears in the December issue of Chatelaine. It mainly focuses on peanuts and suggests parents are overreacting to food allergies, anaphylactic reactions aren't as common as people think, and that death rates are low. The headline on the cover refers to a peanut allergy “myth.”

The groups who take issue with the article say it mocks parents who have to work hard to protect kids who can die from even invisible amounts of foods to which they are allergic. And they're unhappy with a photo on the article's front page that shows a boy opening his mouth with a piece of peanut butter sandwich on his tongue.

The article closes saying it isn't clear how big a threat peanuts pose, but with more research and debate, the writer's son might one day be able to eat peanuts at his school where they are banned.

In an email to CTV.ca, a spokesperson for the magazine thanked CTV for the opportunity to respond to the accusations but declined an interview.

“If we feel it is appropriate to respond, we will do so in the pages of our magazine,” wrote Suneel Khanna.

Chatelaine posted a note Monday on the online version of the article, saying the magazine plans to publish reader reaction in the January issue after receiving an unprecedented number of responses from readers.

Read much more via CTV Toronto – Article ‘cherry picks’ food allergy research: angry groups – CTV News, Shows and Sports — Canadian Television.