UPDATE: Tainted Peanut Plant

A few weeks ago, I posted an entry on the recent peanut product contamination scare from a Peanut Corporation of America plant in Blakely, Georgia. Since then, the news has been filled with articles on this topic. I’ve gathered a few of these articles to give you an update on the situation.

Check them out below:

- The makers of peanut products not affected by the salmonella outbreak are spreading the word that their brands are safe. To see a few safe brands and to read the entire article from CNN.com, click here. (Insert: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/10/peanut.butter.makers/index.html?iref=newssearch)

- The Peanut Corporation of America plant located in Plainview, Texas is closed and all products manufactured from this plant are recalled. To read this article from USA Today, click here. (Insert: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-02-12-salmonella-recall_N.htm)

- Even parents that don’t have allergy prone little ones are now wondering what to pack their kids for lunch. An article in the Washington Post discusses America’s confusion and frustration with the outbreak. To read the entire article, click here. (Insert: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/13/AR2009021301946.html)

- Hundreds of items have been recalled by the U.S. Drug and Food Administration. Click here (Insert: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall/index.cfm) to view the entire list of recalled products. You can also search for specific products by typing in the brand or product name in the search box.

- The government is working hard to prevent any future outbreaks, including routinely collecting samples for bacterial testing whenever they go into a manufacturing facility. For all of the steps the government is taking to prevent future outbreaks, click here (Insert: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29158355/) to read the entire article from MSNBC.com.

As an allergy parent, you already know the stress that goes along with protecting your child from what seems to be a safe food. The rest of America is unfortunately now experiencing the same thing.

What are your thoughts on the current peanut scare? I’d love to know.

- Christine

Another Product Recall…

The Georgia Agriculture Commissioner, Tommy Irvin, alerted consumers today of the following product recall because it contains a milk ingredient not listed on the product label:

Arrowhead Mills® Organic Stone Ground Whole Wheat Flour. The UPC code is #74333-47242 and the lot code is 06OCT09.

The product was distributed nationwide to natural food stores. Those with a severe milk protein allergy or sensitivity should not consume the product.

If you bought this product, you can return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

And for questions or concerns, call the manufacturing company, Arrowhead Mills, at 1- 800-749-0730.

- Nita

Product Recall!

Broughton Foods of Marietta, Ohio is voluntarily recalling several products because they may contain undeclared milk protein. Anyone who has a milk protein allergy or a severe sensitivity to milk protein should not consume these items.

The recall involves the following products:
- Pints of Broughton Orange Juice with a date of January 14, 2009 or earlier and a UPC code of 70880 02070;
- Pints of Broughton Citrus Punch with a date of September 17, 2008 or earlier and a UPC code of 70880 02130;
- Pints of Broughton Fruit Punch with a date of September 16, 2008 or earlier and a UPC code of 70880 02234; and
- Pints of Broughton Brewed Iced Tea With Sugar Added with a date of December 20, 2008 or earlier and a UPC code of 70880 02063.
*You can find the dates on the neck of the container. The UPC code is on the label under the ingredients.

For more information, you can call 1-800-871-6761 for recorded information or 1-800-283-2479 ext. 849 between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. EST to speak with a company representative.

The company issued an apology to all customers.

And remember, if your little one has a milk protein allergy, it's important to make sure products are manufactured in a 100 percent dairy free environment.

- Christine

Can my child have an allergic reaction from a medicine or vaccine?

Unfortunately, the answer might be yes. Recently, Kids with Food Allergies dedicated part of their monthly e-newsletter to articles and resources on potential food allergens in medication and vaccines. The information was very informative and is something I encourage all allergy parents to read and be aware of.

Prescription and over-the-counter medications, as well as vaccines, can contain food allergens as inactive ingredients. While a generic form of a drug must be chemically equivalent to its brand name counterpart — and therefore have the same active ingredients — it does not have to contain the same inactive ingredients as its brand name equivalent. Some of these inactive ingredients may be derived from potential food allergens.

All the more reason to read all food labels and packaging inserts carefully. And speak with your child’s allergist regarding the safety of vaccines and medications to ensure your child doesn’t have a surprise reaction.

To read the entire e-newsletter, click here.

And to see a list of e-newsletter topics from Kids with Food Allergies, click here.

I encourage you to check them out!

- Nita

Allergy-Free Valentine’s Day!

Happy early Valentine’s Day to all the allergy parents out there. As we’ve discussed before holiday that revolves around food can be tough for children with food allergies. However, you can show your allergy prone little one just how much you love them even without the chocolate hearts and other edible treats.

Here are a few suggestions to have a fun and relaxing Valentine’s Day:
- Create homemade valentines out of paper. Children love arts and crafts. Use this special day as an excuse to create fun notes for classmates, friends and family members.

- Take a family outing to the park or museum. It’s a great way to celebrate the day without focusing on food.

- Cook your own allergy-free treats for your little one. Visit Recipe Zaar for some ideas. This Web site has hundreds of allergy friendly recipes and you can search by typing what food you would like to avoid.

For 10 other ways to have a food allergy safe Valentine’s Day, click here.

How are you having an allergy-free Valentine’s weekend?

- Christine

An Increase in Misdiagnosed Food Allergies?

Last week, I read an interesting article in the New York Times on food allergies. Specifically, the article, titled “Telling Food Allergies From False Alarms,” was about misdiagnosed food allergies and how because of this many people are avoiding foods they think they are allergic to. Everyone knows that food allergies are on the rise, however, did you know that the misdiagnoses of many allergies are on the rise too?

Even though this is very surprising, it shouldn’t mitigate the seriousness of a food allergy. According to the article, the misdiagnoses culprit is the “widespread use of simple blood tests for antibodies that could signal a reaction to food.” Parents have chosen this type of test over the uncomfortable and often time-consuming skin tests and food challenge tests. Unfortunately, while blood tests can help doctors identify foods that are potentially harmful to a child, they aren’t always reliable.

The article also said that if a child avoids too many foods, it might put them at risk for malnutrition in extreme cases. This is something that, with the proper supplements or formulas, can be avoided. For instance, a child with a milk allergy can consume EO28 Splash, a nutritionally complete, hypoallergenic drink, to ensure that he gets the needed nutrients.

For the entire article, click here.

If your child has tested positive for severe allergies, get advice from an experienced allergist who can perform medically supervised food challenge testing and confirm the allergy. And have your child re-tested every once in awhile — it can’t hurt, and who knows, you might be surprised with the results!

- Nita

Tainted Peanut Plant

Over the last few weeks, the news has been filled with articles on the tainted peanut plant in Blakely, Georgia.

Click here for a CNN.com article on the topic.

The FDA is now saying that the Peanut Corporation of America knew one of its facilities had tested positive for bacteria. How scary!

As a food allergy parent, this story highlights the importance of food allergy safety! Reading food labels carefully, checking expiration dates and looking into manufacturing facilities are a great way to ensure your child stays away from those pesky allergens.

It's important to know where and how your child's foods and formulas are being manufactured. To be on the safe side, only purchase foods make in a 100 percent allergy-free environment (and if you're not sure look on the manufacturers Web site or give them a call). For example, Neocate, an amino acid-based formula made for children with milk protein allergies, is manufactured in a 100 percent dairy-free environment.

Health officials are recommending that consumers throw away all products that were recalled and avoid consuming any products not verified as safe.

The tainted plant makes peanut butter as well as peanut paste. The peanut butter is sold to institutions, such as cafeterias and the peanut paste is used in items such as cookies and ice cream. To see a list of safe companies compiled by the American Peanut Council, click here.

- Christine

Would you like to share your allergy story?

ABC News is planning a television segment on food allergy labeling and advisory labeling laws and would like to speak with allergy families. Specifically, the network would like to interview families who have a child who has had an allergic reaction from mis-labeled or non-labeled packaged food items since 2006.

The segment will air in March, in conjunction with the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.

If you are interested, please send a brief description of your family’s experience and your contact information (email, phone number, address) to Barbara Rosenstein, director of communications for the Food Allergy Initiative (FAI) at media@faiusa.org or 212-207-1998 by tomorrow, February 3rd.

- Nita