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Please note that we have removed a number of products from the Safe Snack Guide:
- Ritz Crackers – all varieties.
We received a report that two sleeves of the Peanut Butter variety of Ritz Crackerfuls were packaged in a box of the Classic Cheddar variety. Though the individual sleeves were clearly labeled as containing the Peanut Butter variety, this could have led to unthinkable consequences had the error not been discovered by an observant parent before the treat was given to a child.
A study of 12 one year old babies with food allergies conducted at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Victoria, Australia has found preliminary evidence that children may acquire allergies prior to birth.
The study measured DNA methylation – a mechanism that determines how genes are switched on or off – in the babies’ blood samples. “We found several switches that were different in the children with food allergies that occurred in some important immune genes”, said Dr David Martino from the Institute.
If you’ve followed our blog for any length of time, you know we’re big fans of two very different organizations dedicated to helping families cope with food allergies: No Nuts Moms Group and FAACT. Now we have even more reason to celebrate as Lisa Rutter – the founder of NNMG – has joined FAACT as Director of Education.
With the success of NNMG, Lisa has fostered one of the largest support groups for families of children with food allergies, with over 50 local chapters serving the US and Canada.
Please note that we have removed a number of products from the Safe Snack Guide:
- Oreos: All varieties other than Original and Double Stuf;
We received information and a photo from a concerned individual showing package labeling for the Minis variety carrying a “may contain peanut” warning. Given the information we received recently from Mondelēz and in keeping with our policy to err on the side of safety, we are removing all Oreo varieties other than the traditional Original and Double Stuf varieties.
We have also removed the following Oreo branded varieties as a precaution:
- Kraft Handi-Snacks Oreo Cookie Sticks ’n Creme Dip
- Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs – Oreo Thin Crisps
We strongly urge you to discard your current copy of the Guide and download the latest revision:
Once again, world attention is focused on the story of a 15 year old boy from the UK who died of peanut cross-contact. Rather than focus solely on the incident itself, we’ll highlight common sense strategies to help avoid tragedies like this in the first place.
Background
William Luckett had had his first food allergy reaction at four years old and was diagnosed with a nut allergy at age six. At that time he was given a prescription for epinephrine auto-injectors which he never needed to use. Over time, with the absence of reactions, the family stopped filling the prescriptions.
In December 2012, William was visiting his father on the Isle of Wight and was having ribs for dinner, takeout from a local Chinese restaurant. He began experiencing classic symptoms of anaphylaxis: difficulty breathing and swelling of the lips. Despite his father’s efforts, William lost consciousness and was pronounced dead upon arrival at a local hospital.
We’ve made additions to the Safe Snack Guide just in time for end of school year classroom celebrations and to help with nut-free snack selections for camp.
SnackSafely.com Welcomes Utz Quality Foods to its Manufacturer Partnership
Products to be Showcased in the Safe Snack Guide and
Upcoming App
New York, NY (PRWEB) June 11, 2014
The publisher of the Safe Snack Guide, a resource relied upon by thousands of schools, camps, youth sports leagues and scouting groups nationwide to implement nut-free policies, is pleased to announce the newest member to join its Manufacturer Partnership.
As many of our readers are well aware, peanuts are the leading cause of severe food-related allergic reactions in the US. Though Oral Immunotherapy (OIT) and related treatments that expose the subject to flour containing small, but increasing amounts of peanut protein are showing promise, there is a danger of anaphylactic reaction throughout the therapy.
Researchers at North Carolina State University’s Plants for Human Health Institute are experimenting with new therapy media that combine the traditional peanut flour used in OIT with plant polyphenols found in many fruits and vegetables. When the peanut protein in the flour is bound to polyphenols derived from plants like blackcurrant, cinnamon, cranberry and green tea, they appear to become much less allergenic in lab tests. Tests in mice with a cranberry derivative/peanut flour combination appeared to trigger the desired desensitization without the dangerous reactions that can occur.
We often receive questions about dining out with food allergies. It’s a difficult problem; one that is only now beginning to receive the proper attention it deserves.
An important issue in assuring the safety of diners with food allergies is the proper training of the restaurant management and personnel responsible for procuring and preparing the ingredients that end up in your dish. Our friends at Dine Aware™ provide such training to the benefit of the industry at large.
On June 9, a limited edition Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Oreo is scheduled to hit the shelves of a store near you. Many of you contacted us with concerns about how (and where) these cookies are made, especially as they relate to the varieties of Oreos that are listed in the Safe Snack Guide.
As Mondelēz is not (yet) a member of our Manufacturer Partnership Program, we went through their traditional consumer channel and were greeted with the standard “Check the label – we label for possible peanut/tree nut cross contamination.” Once we explained that SnackSafely.com represents tens of thousands of consumers with food allergies, our request for more information was escalated through internal channels.
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