Sure Foods Living – gluten-free and allergen-free living

Researchers were able to turn off peanut allergy in mice by tricking their immune systems into thinking the nut proteins were not a threat to the body. The researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine attached peanut proteins onto white blood cells and then put them back into the mice. These mice, who were supposed to have an anaphylactic response if they ate peanut, did not have a life-threatening allergic reaction to peanut extract. Essentially, the researchers created tolerance to peanut in the mice. The immune system, which previously treated the peanut protein as a threat, now didn’t. The researchers were able to achieve the same tolerance in other mice using egg protein.

This is exciting new research targeting food allergies specifically and the hope is that these methods could someday be applied to humans. If we could train the immune system not to overreact to food substances, wouldn’t that be wonderful??

The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health and Food Allergy Initiative.

Read full article: Peanut Allergy May Be Turned Off By Tricking Immune System

I am so lucky — I got to talk about celiac disease and food allergies on TV! It makes me happy that over the past 9 years I have been able to share my story in so many ways — through my blog, in newspaper and magazine, in person, in groups and now on television. Cheryl Jennings of ABC 7 in San Francisco was as nice as can be, as was everyone I met at the studio. I also enjoyed meeting and listening to the others interviewed for this segment. I have already received some emails from those who saw it, so I know it has reached some people out there!

I hope you will watch the whole show, but if you are short on time, my interview starts at 18:18 (I’m the last 4 minutes of the show).

I’m in tears as I watch an interview with the amazingly composed father of Jharell Dillard, a teenage boy who died last week from anaphylactic shock after eating a chocolate chip cookie that he didn’t know contained nuts. The cookie was given to him by his aunt by mistake. I feel such pain for this family and fear of losing my own daughter like this. It can happen so fast, and so easily, which is why it is so important to always – always – carry an Epi-Pen. Unfortunately, this boy didn’t have one with him because he was always so careful. As careful as one is, accidents can happen.

As if one death isn’t enough of a reminder, there are two more in recent news.

A 20 year old college student, also in Georgia, died after eating at the dining hall. The full story is here.

A young Bay Area man died just last month after eating a salad that contained nuts. He made the news because he was a key witness in a crime, but hopefully his legacy will be to raise money for food allergy awareness and research, as his friends and family are walking in his honor at the 2011 Food Allergy Walk in San Jose, CA.

I don’t mean to be morbid, but I am still haunted by the horrible story of a 7th grader who died at school in Chicago last December, and the tragedy of BJ Hom, an 18 year old who lost his life while vacationing with his family in Mexico. There is a memorial fundraising run in his honor.

These are reminders to be vigilant about food and to carry medicine at all times, no matter how mild past reactions have been.

Here are some important facts most people probably don’t know about food allergies, according to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN):

• The severity of a person’s allergic reactions to food cannot be predicted from previous reactions. Someone whose reactions have been mild in the past might react more severely during a next episode. A FAAN review of food allergy fatalities found that most of the people had never had a severe allergic reaction until the one that caused their death. Thus, all food allergies must be taken seriously.
• The incidence of peanut and tree nut allergy among children appears to have tripled between 1997 and 2008.
• Even trace amounts of a food allergen can cause a reaction.
• Most people who’ve had an allergic reaction to something they ate thought that it was safe.
• Early administration of epinephrine (adrenaline) is crucial to successfully treating anaphylactic reactions. Epinephrine is available by prescription in a self-injectable device (EpiPen® or Twinject®).
• A study of fatal reactions in children and adolescents found that most occurred at school, and were associated with significant delays in treating with epinephrine.
• There are no significant risks to giving epinephrine even if someone isn’t having an allergic reaction, unless one has a serious heart condition.

Awareness and education of those around us is the key to keeping our children safe!

If your child has food allergies, it is a good idea to let the other parents in your class know. In my case, I wrote a letter to all the parents in my daughter’s grade because they all eat lunch together and last year we had an incident due to another child and her parents not knowing about my daughter’s peanut allergy.

I thought I would share the letter here in case anyone out there needs a little help. Feel free to copy and paste it to make your own letter. I have already had one parent let me know that after reading my letter she bought Sunbutter for her son’s lunches (even though I didn’t ask her to).

This letter is to let you know that I have a child in the 2nd grade with severe food allergies. Her name is ____________ in Ms. ______’s class. Even if your child is not in class with my daughter, they share lunch tables. Therefore, I want to make sure that all the parents and kids in the 2nd grade are aware of her severe allergies.

________ is severely allergic to peanuts, nuts, eggs and avocado. If she comes into contact with or eats these foods, she can become very ill, with hives, rash, itchy eyes, stomach ache, vomiting, breathing problems, and swelling throat. The allergic reaction could be life-threatening (anaphylaxis) if not stopped in time with proper medication and emergency care.

The best way for my child to be safe is for her to avoid the foods to which she is allergic. I am aware and sympathetic to your needs as parents when packing food for your children to eat at school. Peanut butter and other nut butters are of the highest concern with children as they are sticky and the oils are easily transferred to shared surfaces. If you do pack peanuts or nuts for your child, please talk about it with your child and encourage him/her to be careful about spilling or spreading it around, to keep the food away from _________, and to wash his/her hands after eating. Kids are usually very thoughtful about it and don’t want their friends to get sick.

I know from the last two years that you are a wonderful and supportive group of parents and I thank you for looking out for my child! Please do not hesitate to ask me any questions.

Alison St. Sure

Walking into a bakery and choosing anything from the case is no big deal for most people, but for the first time ever in my soon-to-be 7 year old daughter’s life, she was able to do just that last Saturday. Sensitive Sweets, located in Orange County, California, is a dedicated gluten-free and nut-free bakery that specializes in baked goods and custom cakes for people with food sensitivities or dietary restrictions.

While there are gluten-free bakeries popping up here and there, most gluten-free baked goods contain dairy, nuts, eggs, soy or any combination of these most common allergens. Sensitive Sweets, which had its grand opening July 13, offers cookies, muffins, cupcakes, breads and cakes that are free of gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, and nuts.

You should see the cakes! Because we were there on a Saturday, we got to see a few of them being picked up. Those lucky kids! To get a fancy, bakery-made allergen-free cake is really a treat for kids that have never had one!

We treated ourselves to sugar cookies (my daughter’s favorite), chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, cinnamon bread (great, soft texture), and a lemon blackberry cupcake (my favorite). I asked my daughter what she liked about the bakery, and she said, “that it was gluten-free, and e-free and n-free and d-free.”

I would like to thank Melanie, the owner and head baker, who started the bakery because of her own experience with her two sons. The bakery is located in Fountain Valley, which is nowhere near where I live, but luckily close to relatives who we visit!

For more information about Sensitive Sweets, go their website or Facebook page.

The Attune Foods theme this month, “Your a-ha moment,” inspired me to write about when I realized my daughter’s food allergies were real and how I became an allergy mom.

I didn’t know how serious food allergies could be until my daughter’s lips swelled after contact with someone who had been eating cashews. She was two and a half at the time and I didn’t know anyone with food allergies. Looking back, I feel lucky that the worst didn’t happen since we were in Mexico without proper medication. It was after that incident that I began to take food allergies seriously. It was an ‘a-ha’ moment: food allergies are real. And scary.

To read the rest of this article, please visit me over at Attune Foods. Don’t forget to leave me a comment!

Children with low vitamin D levels were found to be 2.4 times more likely to be allergic to peanuts than children with adequate vitamin D levels, researchers discovered, according to a new study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. This was just one of 17 allergens tested in kids with vitamin D deficiency. These children were also more likely to be allergic to 11 of the 17 allergens tested, which included both environmental (such as oak and ragweed) and food (such as shrimp) allergens.

What does this mean? Researchers aren’t quite sure what the link means, but there has been a lot of emerging research about vitamin D deficiency and also about the role of vitamin D in protecting against various health conditions. Food allergies, like many other immune conditions, are on the rise, as is vitamin D deficiency.

In 2010 the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for Vitamin D were raised to 400 IU/day for infants, 600 IU/day for people age 1-70, and 800 IU/day for those over 70 years old. In addition, the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL), meaning the dose at which there are no known adverse effects, was set at 4,000 IU/day for people age 9 or older, with gradually lower amounts for lower ages. See the National Institutes of Health Vitamin D fact sheet for more information.

These new RDA levels for vitamin D, though higher than before, are thought to be still too low, according to many researchers, doctors and health practitioners. I personally supplement with vitamin D (my levels tested low) and give my kids vitamin D supplements on the advice of a nutritionist and based on my own research. My experience is not meant to be taken as medical advice. I suggest that you see a health professional for his/her recommendations on vitamin D supplementation, especially if you suffer from any chronic health condition.

If you have undiagnosed celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, you may be at greater risk for vitamin D deficiency. Dr. Vikki Petersen explains the correlation very well in this video:

Research continues, and there’s a lot more to learn about vitamin D and its crucial role in our health.

I recently encouraged my daughter’s elementary school to put a food allergy program in place after the peanut butter incident. The principal liked my proposed ideas and I was able to address the entire school in an assembly on food allergies. It was well-received. In fact, my daughter told me today that whenever her classmates are eating something she is allergic to, they warn her: “Be careful, I’ve got peanut butter today.” These are first graders — it warms my heart! I have definitely sensed a heightened awareness since the assembly. I am working on the rest of the program which will be put to use at the beginning of the next school year. It is inspired by the ideas put out by The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), but with my own twist and with a more age-appropriate message for elementary school kids.

Any program that raises awareness at school is greatly needed. I have not advocated for a peanut or nut free school, CONTINUE READING »

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS FROM 2010. THE 2011 HALLOWEEN LIST IS HERE: Halloween Candy List Gluten-Free Allergen-Free 2011

Here’s the list you’ve been looking for… but first, you get to see the giant spider I made in my yard last year for Halloween! The Home Depot guys cutting the black pipe to my specifications thought I was crazy! The spider is coming out again this year with some modifications (furry perhaps?)

Now on to the candy…

Each candy shows if its ingredients contains wheat/gluten, milk (dairy), soy, egg, nuts, or peanuts (6 of the top 8 allergens — fish and shellfish are not included since I have not found this to be a concern with candy). I do not include coconut as a tree nut and have not listed coconut as an allergen. I called many of the manufacturers and/or checked their websites for gluten and allergen information,which I have noted at the end of each manufacturer’s section. To print this list, click on the Print icon above the title. If you don’t see the print icon, click on the title of the article first.

Note: Please, as always, double check ingredients and also check with the child’s parents before giving them any candy or allowing them to eat anything! I will not be held liable for any accident occurring due to the use of this list. It is meant as a guide only.

In a hurry? Check out these:
Gluten-Free Halloween Candy Quick List 2010
Allergen-Free Halloween Candy Quick List 2010

NOTE for bloggers: If you are going to post or share this list, would you be so kind as to give me credit and link to me? This took many hours of my life and I even got kicked out of Walgreen’s for taking notes in the candy aisle, so please be considerate of my hard work!

Mainstream candy listed by brand, in alphabetical order:

ADAMS & BROOKS

• Scooby Doo! Fun Pops (lollipops with picture of Scooby Doo)
  • Ingredients free of: peanuts, nuts, egg, milk, wheat/gluten, soy
  • Ingredients contain: no top 8 allergens
  • Package statement: “Packaged in a plant that processes peanuts and tree nuts.”

AIRHEADS

• Airheads Bars and Airheads Bars Sour
  • Ingredients free of: peanuts, nuts, egg, milk, wheat/gluten
  • Ingredients contain: soybean oil
  • Package statement: “Manufactured in a facility that processes wheat flour”
• Airheads Xtremes Rolls
  • Ingredients free of: peanuts, nuts, egg, milk
  • Ingredients contain: wheat flour, soybean oil
• Airheads Xtremes Belts
  • Ingredients free of: peanuts, nuts, egg, milk, soy
  • Ingredients contain: wheat flour, wheat starch
• Airheads Pops and Whistle Pops
  • Ingredients free of: peanuts, nuts, egg, milk, soy, wheat/gluten
  • Ingredients contain: none of the top 8 allergens

AMERICAN LICORICE CO.

• Sour Punch Twists
  • Ingredients free of: peanuts, nuts, egg, milk, soy
  • Ingredients contain: wheat/gluten

ANNABELLE’S

• Big Hunk
  • Ingredients free of: wheat/gluten, milk, tree nuts (see company Gluten-Free info below)
  • Ingredients contain: peanuts, eggs, soy lecithin
  • Package statement: “made in a facility that uses milk, egg, treenuts, wheat and peanuts”
• Rocky Road
  • Ingredients free of: none of top 8!
  • Ingredients contain: milk, tree nuts (cashews), wheat/gluten (barley malt and wheat flour), soybean oil
  • Package statement: “may contain peanuts, eggs, and flour”
• Abba Zabba
  • Ingredients free of: tree nuts, eggs, milk, wheat/gluten (see company Gluten-Free info below)
  • Ingredients contain: peanuts, soybean oil and soy lecithin
  • Package statement: “Made in a facility that uses milk, egg, treenuts, wheat and peanuts”
• Look
  • Ingredients free of: tree nuts, wheat/gluten (see company Gluten-Free info below)
  • Ingredients contain: milk, peanuts, soy lecithin, eggs
  • Package statement: “Made in a facility that uses milk, egg, treenuts, wheat and peanuts”
• U-No
  • Ingredients free of: peanuts, eggs, wheat/gluten (see company Gluten-Free info below)
  • Ingredients contain: milk, almonds, soy lecithin
  • Package statement: “Made in a facility that uses milk, egg, treenuts, wheat and peanuts”

Gluten-Free info (via phone Sept 2010): The only guaranteed gluten-free candy is the 2 oz. (regular size) Big Hunk. For all other candies, including the mini Big Hunks, there is the possibility of contamination from flour that is used on the belts. While there is no flour used specifically for the Big Hunk minis, there is flour used on the belts for the manufacture of the Look bars.

CONTINUE READING »

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS FROM 2010. THE 2011 HALLOWEEN LIST IS HERE: Allergen-Free Halloween Candy Quick List 2011

This is a 2010 quick list of Halloween candy with ingredients that are gluten-free and free of the top 8 allergens. I have included a package statement if it mentions allergens. For a more complete listing, along with company allergy statements, please read the Halloween Candy List – Gluten-Free Allergen-Free – 2010. For a gluten-free listing only, please read the Gluten-Free Halloween Candy Quick List 2010. To print this list, click on the Print icon above the title. If you don’t see the print icon, click on the title of the article first.

NOTE for bloggers: If you are going to post or share this list, would you be so kind as to give me credit and link to me? This took many hours of my life and I even got kicked out of Walgreen’s for taking notes in the candy aisle, so please be considerate of my hard work!

Mainstream candies:

ADAMS & BROOKS

• Scooby Doo! Fun Pops (lollipops with picture of Scooby Doo)
  • Package statement: “Packaged in a plant that processes peanuts and tree nuts.”

AIRHEADS

• Airheads Pops and Whistle Pops

CADBURY ADAMS (now part of Kraft Foods)

• Swedish Fish
• Sour Patch Kids and Sour Patch Extreme
• Sour Patch Xploderz
  • Package statement: “Manufactured in a facility that handles peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, soy and wheat.”

CE DE CANDY

• Smarties (only USA, not Canada), Smarties in a Pouch, Tropical Smarties, Bubble Gum Smarties, X-TREME Sour Smarties, Smarties Parties, Easter Smarties, Smarties Double Lollies, Smarties Mega Lollies, Smarties Pops
• Candy Money
• Love Hearts
  

FARLEY’S AND SATHERS

• Super Bubble and Super Bubble Blast
  • Package statement: “Manufactured in a facility that manufactures products containing traces of eggs.”
    
• Trolli Gummi Bears, Trolli Sour Brite (Frite) Crawlers
  • Package statement: “Made in allergen-free facility but packaged on equipment that packages products containing traces of milk, wheat, egg, peanuts, tree nuts and/or soy protein.”
• Jujyfruits, Jujubes
  • Package statement: “Made in allergen-free facility but packaged on equipment that packages products containing traces of milk, wheat, egg, peanuts, tree nuts and/or soy protein.”
• Brach’s Candy Corn and Gummi Candy Corn (not flavored candy corns — see below)
  • Package statement: “Packaged on equipment that also packages products containing traces of milk, egg, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts and/or soy protein.”
• Brach’s Mellowcreme Pumpkins
  • Package statement: “Packaged on equipment that also packages products containing traces of milk, egg, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, and/or soy protein”
    
• Heide candies — Jujyfruits, Jujubes, Cool Grape, Red Raspberry Dollars, Wild Cherry
  

FERRARA PAN

• Lemonhead, Red Hots, Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Tropical Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Applehead, Grapehead, Cherryhead
  • Package statement on some: “This product was manufactured in a facility where peanuts, almonds, milk, cashews, macadamias, pistachios, soy and egg are used in the production of other products.”

FRANKFORD CANDY & CHOCOLATE COMPANY

• SpongeBob Gummy Krabby Patties
  • Package statement on some: “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, almonds, and wheat.”
• Gummy Body Parts
  • Package statement on some: “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, milk and soy.”
    

HERSHEY

• Jolly Rancher Hard Candy and Hard Candy Sticks

IMPACT CONFECTIONS

• Warheads Sour Chewy Cubes

JELLY BELLY

• Jelly Belly Jelly Beans

JUST BORN

• Mike & Ike
• Hot Tamales
• Peeps Pumpkins and Ghosts

NECCO

• Necco Wafers
  

RIVIERA

• Spooky Candy Rings (eyeballs, Frankenstein heads and other shapes on rings)

SPANGLER (may contain traces of soy oil)

• Dum Dums
• Chewy Pops
• Saf-T-Pops
• Circus Peanuts
• Candy Canes
• Chewy Canes

TOOTSIE

• Dots

WRIGLEY

• Starburst
• Skittles, Skittle Sour and Skittle Crazy Cores
• Lifesavers Hard Candy and Lifesavers Pops
  • Ingredients free of: wheat/gluten, peanuts, nuts, egg, milk, soy (except some flavors, like Butter Rum)
    
  • Ingredients contain: soy lecithin (some flavors)
    
• Lifesavers Gummies, Big Ring Gummies regular and Sweet and Sour

WONKA

• Bottlecaps, Everlasting Gobstopper, Runts, Fun Dip and Fun Dip Sour, Pixy Stix, Sweetarts (regular), Tart N Tinys, Nerds, Spree
  • Package statement: “Made in a facility that also processes wheat and egg.” (Sweetarts)
• Giant Chewy Nerds
  • Package statement: “Made on equipment that also processes peanuts, nuts, milk, wheat and soy.”

Natural/specialty candies:

AMANDA’S OWN CONFECTIONS (www.amandasown.com)

• Chocolate shapes and chocolate lollipops

ANNIE’S

• Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks (Flavors: Tropical Treat, Berry Patch, Sunny Citrus, Summer Strawberry)

ENJOY LIFE (www.enjoylifefoods.com)

• Boom CHOCO Boom Dark Chocolate Bar, Crispy Rice Bar, Milk Bar

INDIE CANDY (www.indiecandy.com)

• Halloween Chocolate Lollipops, Halloween Crystal Lollipops, Halloween Gummies

PURE FUN (www.organiccandy.com)

• Halloween Pure Pops
  • Ingredient statement: “Manufactured in a segregated area of a facility that may product products containing nuts.”

SURF SWEETS (www.surfsweets.com)

• Gummy Worms, Gummy Swirls, Gummy Bears, Fruity Bears, Jelly Beans, Sour Worms, Sour Berry Bears

YUMMY EARTH (www.yummyearth.com)

• Lollipops, Candy Drop, Gummy Bears, Gummy Worms

Looking for non-candy ideas for Halloween? Read How to have an allergy-free Halloween.