Food Allergy and Flu Treatment

The flu has arrived in our house. According to our doctor, the treatment of choice this season is Relenza®, an inhaled medication that must be started within 48 hours of flu symptoms. It can also be used as a prophylaxis- protecting against the flu. I wondered if this would be helpful for those with an egg allergy who are unable to ge the flu shot. According to the medication's website, it is recommended for those individuals. However, be warned, that this medication contains milk protein, so it should not be used by those with a dairy allergy.

For more information about food allergy, check out the Food Allergy Assistant.

A Food Allergy Generation

An expert in Australia warns that we are looking at a food allergy generation. How many times have we heard people say, "There were no food allergies when I was a kid. Nobody had a peanut allergy when I was growing up."? The phrase "a food allergy generation" encapsulates this issue. This is new and it's big and if we don't figure out why or how to cure it, food allergies are going to be even more prevalent.

Check out the full article. Read over the comments and add your own if you're so inclined.

See the Food Allergy Assistant's website for more information.

Monday Review- Nature's Path

This week's Monday Review is brought to you by Nature's Path, makers of organic cereals, bars, snack foods, waffles, breads and baking mixes. They offer a line of gluten-free products for those with a wheat allergy or celiac disease.

I sampled the cereals and found them to be very tasty. Their new Crispy Rice bars are quite good too. Please note, that both varieties "may contain peanuts, tree nuts or dairy ingredients".

I sent a note to the company about "may contain" statements on their products. I received this response:

Nature’s Path is committed to producing exceptional products and holds the health of their customers along with quality and food safety as their top priorities. The gluten free products are made on shared lines that are thoroughly cleaned between runs, though there are not currently specific dedicated days for gluten free production. We have several tests in place to ensure food safety:

· All raw ingredients that might be used in gluten free products are tested for gluten prior to production.

· All equipment and tools must also pass an ATP and gluten test (production is not allowed to run until the equipment passes both tests.)

· The product undergoes a gluten test at the beginning and is retested once every four hours.

· After the products have been packaged, samples are sent to a third party lab for gluten testing.

Nature's Path will be updating their website in the coming months. I suggested the addition of a "food allergy" section (along with their current celiac/gluten-free section) to help food allergic customers make healthy choices when choosing Nature's Path products. I'll keep you posted on food allergy specific updates from them.

The Nature's Path website is packed with information about their products, as well as definitions of organic farming and the company's dedication to sustainability in terms of resources.Their EnviroKidz™ EnviroFund has raised nearly $300,000 for endangered species and environments since 2000- love that!

For more information about food allergies, visit the Food Allergy Assistant.

Breastfeeding and Food Allergies

There is much controversy about the role of breastfeeding and food allergies. Most experts still agree that brestfeeding is best. Dr. Sears goes so far as to say that you should breastfeed as long as possible as "breastmilk acts as a protective paint, coating the intestines and keeping food allergens out of the bloodstream".

AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) revised its recommendations last year. For eight years, AAP suggested nursing moms of infants at high risk for developing allergy, should avoid cow's milk, egg, fish, peanuts and tree nuts. In 2008, AAP cited "a lack of evidence that avoidance of allergy-causing foods during breastfeeding prevents atopic disease, with the possible exception of eczema, but more data is needed on this". Read the full report.

Whew! No more guilt for those of us who blissfully ate whatever we wanted during nursing and pregnancy.

Angela White at Breastfeeding 123 is conducting a poll about nursing and food allergies. Go here to weigh in and see what moms are saying.

Check out the Food Allergy Assistant's website for more information.

Have we Cured Food Allergies in Mice?

New York City's Mount Sinai School of Medicine is involved in human trials after use of a Chinese herbal remedy was found to protect mice from allergic reactions from peanuts. In fact, the research team has shown the formula protects mice against other food allergies including tree nut, fish and shellfish. An herbal remedy to treat asthma is also being tested in the human trials.

Read the whole exciting account in the Feb. 13, 2009 issue of U.S. News and World Report.

Let's keep our fingers crossed that this herb is just as effective for humans. This could be BIG!

Monday Review- Thai Kitchen

This Monday Review is brought to you by Thai Kitchen, a company dedicated to bringing Thai food to American kitchens. My daughter commented, "This tastes just like the rice we get at the Chinese restaurant", after trying her first forkful of Thai Kitchen's Jasmine Rice. I think this is what Seth Jacobson was after when he decided to bring the exotic smells and flavors of Thai food home to the U.S. in 1989.

Now, Thai Kitchen has over 60 products and is sold in 50 states, and Canada. Their products can be found on the shelves of gourmet food shops, natural food stores, green grocers, ethnic markets and grocery stores.

Check out their website for an education into Thai cuisine, as well as many recipes and cooking tips. There is an "Allergy Info" link along the left navigation bar. From this link, each product can be checked for major allergens. Many of the products are gluten-free, but read carefully as many contain peanuts, tree nuts, dairy and other top allergens. Do some research, and then go ahead, try a little Thai for dinner this week.

Check out Thai Kitchen's site for more information.

See the Food Allergy Assistant's site for more food allergy information.

Happy Valentine's Day From the Food Allergy Assistant

Aahhh...the holiday of love and chocolate. And I do love chocolate. No need to despair if a special someone has food allergies. This plateful of goodies is free of dairy, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts. The chocolate presents are melted dairy free chocolate chips poured into a candy mold. The chocolate covered pretzels are your favorite pretzels dipped in melted dairy-free chocolate chips and rolled in safe sprinkles. For the chocolate chocolate chip cookies, grab a mixing bowl and click over to my website for an easy delicious recipe.

Happy Valentine's Day!