Creating Community - #Favorite8AllergenFreeProducts

If you find it challenging to obtain products free of the eight common allergens (wheat/gluten, eggs, milk/dairy, soy, tree nuts, peanut, fish, and shellfish,) you’ve come to the right place!

There is now a campaign on Twitter (@AllergyFreeYUM) asking the community of multiple-food-allergy sufferers to share their favorite products which are free of the eight common allergens. As they are posted, I will share them here, giving credit to those who participate. You can also leave the name your favorite product(s) in the comments below to join in without Twitter.

Some products may be manufactured in a facility or on the same equipment as one of the eight common allergens, so be sure to carefully read the labels. Formulations change as well. If the ingredients in anything listed below change to include an allergen, please let me know and I’ll update the page.

I hope you find some new things that you like!

Eat well and be well,

Krista

Tiger Tiger’s poppadoms are super yummy! At first I was disenchanted when I opened this because I found out I had to fry them myself. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to eat at an Indian restaurant due to the use of soybean oil in every restaurant I’ve contacted. I was impressed by the crispness and tastiness of this treat, as well as the ease and quickness of making. 
 (Added September 14, 2012)

 Nature's All Food offers freeze-dried fruits. They are raw, vegan, kosher, and fair trade certified. They are labeled GMO-free, peanut-free, tree nut-free, and gluten-free. And did I mention that they're delicious? The only thing that could make these better is if they were dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with gold! (Added August 9, 2012)

Andean Dream pasta is free from the eight common allergens and corn. Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is a grain that is high in amino acids. This characteristic helps it lend a pleasant, chewy texture to the pasta. It is my new personal favorite! (Added August 8, 2012)

People can’t just say enough good things about Home Free Cookies! 
Melissa McDonald shared, "My daughter is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, so it's hard to find baked goods that are safe...and delicious. She and her brother, who is not allergic, love to snack on Home Free cookies . They rarely last more than a day or so in our house because we all love them so much.” Ruth Lovett Smith shared that she “...was able to tour their beautiful and dedicated nut-free facility…The owners not only make a great product but genuinely care about getting allergy safe/free right."Ben Gentry of Home Free Treats happily joined the conversation stating, "We are proud to have won “Favorite Allergy Friendly Sweets” on the About.com National Readers’ Poll 2012…"All comments shared via LinkedIn (Added August 8, 2012)

Sweet Freedom is a sweetener available made in the UK that is derived from apples, grapes, and carob. It was recommended by Jill Peer via LinkedIn who refers to it as “tasty.”  (Added August 8, 2012)

Tinkyada Organic Brown Rice pasta is the best of the product line when cooked al dente. Add a little salt, pepper, olive oil, tomatoes, and avocado and you’ll have a meal in minutes!
(Added May 10, 2012)

Sunbutter Organic Unsweetened is made only with organic sunflower seeds.

This comment was submitted by Terrye Mastin via LinkedIn: "Sunbutter. It's made from roasted sunflower seeds and tastes just like peanut butter." 
(Added May 9, 2012)

Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Oats are available as quick cooking and whole grain rolled oats. This product was suggested by Eleanor Creasey via LinkedIn.

It is one of the ingredients used in Apple Maple Oatmeal.

(Added May 8, 2012)

I came upon the Kids with Food Allergies Foundation Facebook page the other day and was glad to find they also have a community page on their website which lists products free of the 8 common allergens. This Qrunch Burger is their latest product listing. (Added May 8, 2012)

Orgran Falafel Mix suggested by Josef Rosenfeld via LinkedIn (Added May 6, 2012) 

This company makes many great gluten-free products that are free of many other allergens. Crispibread with Quinoa is a favorite in my family.

Theo chocolate is a foodie’s dream! They create fair trade, organic chocolate bars with 70% dark flavors such as mint as well as spicy chile to stimulate the taste buds. Single origin bars are also available.

Choosing to use ground vanilla bean instead of extract, Theo fashions treats which are also alcohol-free.

Their Fantasy Flavor line, 3400 Phinney, offers an amazing Coffee Dark Chocolate for when you need that extra boost. (Added May 6, 2012)

Finding allergen-free supplements can be a challenge. Bluebonnet Nutrition does a great job and many products in their catalog are free of the eight common food allergens as well as yeast.

These Milk-Free Chewable Acidophilus wafers are a great way to maintain digestive health and can be used by all family members when given in the proper dose. (Added May 4, 2012)

Spicy Seed Mix by Go Raw Foods has amazing flavor that will wake up your taste buds! It’s great to eat by the handful or tossed on a salad. The pumpkin and sunflower seeds are sprouted, then dehydrated to maintain maximum nutrient value. Pumpkin seeds are packed with minerals, including zinc, a key nutrient for male reproductive health and a strong immune system.

Go Raw Foods has many other delicious and nutritious foods including a sprouted buckwheat granola, sweetened with dates and raisins, as well as an intense chocolate truffle. (Added May 3, 2012)

Oskri Sesame Quino Bars are crunchy and sweet. Better yet, they are organic, kosher, and halal for those with even more dietary restrictions. Find them at Oskri.com. (Added May 2, 2012)

Enjoy Life is a great company who is dedicated to making products free of the eight common food allergens. These chocolate chips are great for baking but also great for snacking when you need a chocolate fix not complicated by soy lecithin! They also come in a mini size and usually fly off the shelves at my local Whole Foods Market. (Added May 2, 2012)

Oil Slick

Olive oil has many health benefits. It is a good source of healthy fats (monounsaturated fatty acids) and contains antioxidants. For people suffering from allergies, it has the extra bonus of being made from a fruit rather than a nut.

A 2010 report at the UC Davis Olive Center found that approximately 69% of olive oil imported into California, is adulterated. Even more shocking, according to Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive OIl by Tom Meuller, soy bean oil is often mixed with a small amount of olive oil, beta carotene, and chlorophyll and then labeled extra virgin olive oil. This oil may end up on your grocery shelf but more often, it is sold commercially to restaurants. (Listen to the entire interview on Fresh Air, aired December 12, 2011.) 

Take action to protect your food sources. Contact your congressional officials to encourage their support of the fair labeling of oilive oil and adequate funding of the USDA for enforcement to prevent counterfeiting.

Eat well and be well,

Krista

Taste the Rainbow

Food colorings have been used as early as 1901 to enhance the marketability of oleomargarine, which would otherwise be grayish in color. Before the 1950s, food colorings were generally derived from other foods. Red would come from beets or cabbage, green was from chlorophyl, and yellow may have come from a variety of spices, such as turmeric or saffron.


But in the post-war economy, chemical companies were looking for ways to maintain business. They set about attracting the food industry by promising consistent color, lower prices, and longer shelf life. At this time, there was little government oversight. "Safety was determined primarily on the amount of a chemical that was needed to kill 50% of the…” test subject “…animals. The data was then extrapolated to humans for assessing risk.”(1)


Several of the original colors have been “delisted” or removed from commercial use. For example, FD&C Red No. 1 was delisted in 1961 since it was found to cause liver cancer. In 1959, FD&C Yellow No. 3 and 4 were shown to cause both liver and bladder cancers in animal experimentation. (2) Thankfully these and other toxic food colorings are off of the market. 


In 1965, Dr. Ben F. Feingold, a pioneer in the fields of allergies and immunology made a ground breaking discovery.  By removing certain food preservatives and colorings from the diet of an adult patient, not only were her hives cured, but it also affected a vast improvement in her personality disorder.  Currently, the European Union is planning a ban on Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Orange B, and Red 3. They are among the food colors associated with hyperactivity. (3)

Recently, I picked up a bag of Pepperidge Farm’s Goldfish Colors and was expecting to read a list of Red this and Yellow that. I was pleasantly surprised to find the colors were derived from natural sources like beet juice and turmeric. A good start to change. There is dye-free ibuprofen in the pain relief aisle of the drug store.  And in the baking aisle of the health food store, you may find vegetable-based food coloring, such as those from India Tree. 

I used only two drops of the red in approximately 2 cups of liquid to achieve the color in this Rose Sorbet.

For the Rose Water Sorbet recipe click here.

Finding a happy medium between prepackaged convenience foods and making everything from scratch is possible. Understanding the source and long-term impact of what goes into your body is important to your health and the health of those around you. This link to a list of food additives found at Wikipedia will help you get started. Just remember the computer programer’s acronym “GIGO” - Garbage In, Garbage Out.

Eat well and be well,

Krista

(1) http://www.chem-tox.com/pregnancy/artificial.htm
(2) Deshpande,S.S. The Handbook of Toxicology. New York, Marcel Dekker, 2002, p231
(3) http://www.divinecaroline.com/22177/94738-seven-food-products-banned-europe/2#ixzz1PLHn1HnI

Hold the Mayo!

Bring out the best hidden source of allergens! For summer-time picnic fare, it seems difficult to steer clear of mayonnaise. It’s glorified as the miraculous ingredient that holds it all together. A basic mayonnaise recipe calls for eggs, egg yolks, olive oil, lemon juice, water, mustard, and salt. So it seems that the only obvious common allergen ingredients are the eggs and egg yolks.

Yet the label on a mayonnaise jar may read more like this:

or this:

The above images are screen captures (sorry for the quality) of label information from two manufacturers websites: one, a popular brand and the other, an organic artisan brand. Both are marketed as containing olive oil; which is not incorrect. At best, it is misleading as they also contains soybean oil. And since ingredients are listed from most to least abundant, there is more soybean than the olive oil. Unfortunately,  as a subsidized crop, soybean oil is very inexpensive so it helps keep costs low and profits high. Always carefully read labels to avoid hidden sources of food allergens or sensitivities.

For those sensitive to corn, not only is modified corn starch a listed ingredient, more than likely, both vinegar and xanthan gum are corn derivatives. And like soybeans, the majority of corn crops are genetically modified. If a product is not labeled as containing no GMO ingredients, you should assume that it does.

Natural flavors can also be a source of hidden allergens. These additives, by law (FDA:21CFR101.22), can contain substances that are fermented and will contain trace amounts of alcohol. They may include substances derived from any of the 8 common food allergens or food sensitivities, as well as be derived from animal matter. So vegans and vegetarians, be diligent. Since the FDA does not require labeling to be more specific than “natural flavor,” call the manufacture if in doubt. Typically they are willing to share this information.

Now, that being said, it is still possible to make a tasty potato salad while holding the mayo.

A mix of olive oil, lemon and mustard are a great substitute for egg-laden (and who knows what else) mayonnaise. Enjoy your picnic!

Find the Potato Salad recipe here. 

Eat well and be well,

Krista

Source of the Problem

Today I was going to on a web fast, but something important came up.

GMOs, or Genetically Modified Organisms, are on the rise. And it’s not pretty. All the great promises of higher crop yield and less resources needed for production are proving to be, well, not so great. Now, I’m not at my most eloquent when talking about this subject. I think it just gets me so riled up that the flood of angry neuro-chemicals coursing through my brain will only allow expletives to come out of my mouth.

So, I’m taking a deep breath, and asking you to take a few minutes out of your day to look at some scientific information posted on Food Democracy Now. In summation, GMOs are causing many health problems in the animal population, such as infertility. And that can only mean one thing for the future: GROWING MEAT IN A LAB! Wha-wha-what?! Yep, this isn’t science fiction. Go check it out for yourself. Here are the google search results for “scientists grow meat.” I’ll wait.

I used to drone on to everyone I met about what goes on in the food industry. Now, I try to be moderate about these things. Being an alarmist is not for me. Being informed is. Buying organics when possible is. Supporting local agriculture is. Growing my own, well, not quite there yet.

Want to be informed? Watch a movie! Food, Inc. has a lot of good information about the food industry in general, and King Corn is about the corn industry specifically.

That’s it. Short and sweet. No droning about the link between GMOs and food allergeries. I’m going back to my web fasting for the day.

Be well,

Krista