Food Allergy Research

Professor Yoshinori Mine of the University of Guelph (Ontario Canada) has promising results from his study to provide a safer approach to dealing with allergies in children. In his clinical research using mice, Professor Mine found that mice ingesting only the peptide portion of egg protein, rather than the entire protein, were able to tolerate increasing amounts of egg. The body, over time, learned to accept the protein, rather than react against it.

looking ahead, the plan is to begin to introduce this technique in human clinical trials and develop a way the peptide can be administered orally.

“I would like to find a way to incorporate the peptide into foods such as cookies so it will be appealing to young children.” said Professor Mine.

I continue to feel confident that this path toward desensitizing our children to their food allergens will lead us to more answers and better solutions. The current medical advice of "avoid the offending food in all forms" isn't good enough. I am encouraged by Professor Mine and others who are trying to come up with better solutions for us.

Check out the full article for more information.

Food Allergy Research and Resource Program

...or otherwise known as FAARP...has been around since 1995. Based out of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, FAARP has two missions:

To develop and provide the food industry with credible information, expert opinions, tools, and services relating to allergenic foods.

To develop and provide the agricultural biotechnology industry with credible information, expert opinions, tools, and services relating to novel foods and food ingredients including genetically modified products.

FAARP collaborates with others to share their experience and knowledge to improve the safety of food products for consumers with food allergies and sensitivities.

They also have a website full of great info ranging from general food allergy info to training programs for food manufacturing companies.

Check out FAARP

I love knowing that FAARP was created to ensure safety when it comes to allergenic food. They've got our back in a quiet unassuming way.

Children's Hospital in Boston

I recently posted videos from Children's Hospital in Boston where they are conducting a milk desensitization study. The latest installment is a grocery shopping trip with the mother of 11 year old Brett who is participating in the study. Brett has 15 different food allergies, his brother has 16- Yikes! People often say to me, "How do make food without dairy, nuts and eggs?". I've gotten to the point where it's pretty easy to avoid those foods, but when I hear about people needing to avoiding beef, chicken, turkey, nuts, eggs, soy, and so on...well, wow! Where do you begin to find good protein sources with all those restrictions?

The shopping trip shown in the video takes place at a Whole Foods Market. Take a look, you may learn a few things. I learned that Rice Dream®, a non-dairy alternative to cow's milk, contains barley which would be unsafe for celiacs and others. Who knew?