Another Reason to Shop Trader Joe's

I've written how much I love to shop at Trader Joe's.  I've also written that I'm frustrated that there are so many products that are not safe for Abigail to eat because they are manufactured on shared equipment or in the same facility with other peanut/tree nut products.  That being said, I do have to commend them for their voluntary labeling policy.  On Trader Joe's website, they discuss their allergen labeling policy which includes a statement about their supplier's Good Manufacturing Practices.  At our house, we're zero tolerance on labeling, so regardless, we don't purchase these products.

I recently contacted Trader Joe's about their use of genetically modified ingredients.  They just gave me a really good reason to continue to make my monthly trips across town.  As if I needed another one! Here's their response:

Our customers can be assured that all products in Trader Joe's private  label are sourced from non-genetically modified ingredients. Our efforts began in 2001, when we determined that, given a choice, our customers would prefer to eat foods and beverages made without the use of  genetically engineered ingredients. Our process has been to identify any product containing ingredients that could potentially be derived from genetically engineered crops and work with our suppliers to replace offending ingredients with acceptable alternatives.

Please know that because this is a standard for Trader Joe's products we do not highlight or place a Non GMO statement on our products.

How awesome is that!  I can purchase Non-GMO, Organic, rBST-free and other Natural products for prices less than a lot of processed foods.

Trader Joe's hasn't endorsed this review.  I write this because I'm a huge advocate for eating healthy and want to share any tips I have to make it easier to do so.  But...I wouldn't be opposed if they would advertise on my site or do a give-away.  I might just have to ask them!

Food Allergen Labeling, Part 2

In my last post, I wrote about how, not too long ago and much to my chagrin, I was surprised to learn that the "May Contains" statement on a food package is voluntary.  As long as the Top 8 Allergens are listed in consumer-friendly terms somewhere in the ingredient list, then food manufacturers are following the laws as outlined in the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act.  When a food manufacturer does include information, they do so in good faith but without any type of industry standardization.

So, while us consumers who purchase food for ourselves or for someone with an allergy are very appreciative of this labeling, we are also very, very confused!  In Part 1, I discussed a recent study that found over 24 different advisory terms with the major ones being some form of "May Contains", "Manufactured/Processed in a Facility/Plant", or "Made on the Same/Shared Equipment". I posed a question to you readers. Which allergen advisory labels prevent you from purchasing a food?

A study was published in 2007 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology regarding that very question.  At both a 2003 and a 2006 FAAN conference, participants (625 and 645, respectively) from all over the US were asked whether they heeded advisory labels, and if so, which ones.  This graph was included in a report by Dr. Scott Sicherer and presented to the FDA regarding the Use of Advisory Labeling of Allergens in Foods.

 

In 2006, consumers were less likely to heed precautionary warnings (75%) than in 2003 (85%).  From the graph, you can see that they are more likely to not purchase products with a "May Contain" statement than products manufactured or packaged in the same facility as products containing the allergen.  There is also caution exercised with products made on the same equipment.

As part of this study, the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of Nebraska tested various foods containing advisory allergen labels for traces of peanuts using Veratox, a peanut allergen test.  Accordingly, peanut protein was detected in 10% (20/200) of the foods they sampled, foods such as cereal bars, snack items, frozen foods, desserts, instant meals, bakery goods and baking ingredients. They found clinically significant levels of peanut (>1 mg of peanut or >0.25 mg of peanut protein) in 13 of those 200 products.  Their conclusion was because food products with advisory allergen labeling do contain detectable levels of peanuts, a risk exists to consumers choosing to eat such foods. This is important. They found that the type of labeling statement did not influence the likelihood of finding detectable peanut (except for products listing peanuts as an ingredient).  However, as we can see from the chart above, the wording of those advisory allergen statements did influence the types of foods that consumers purchased.

In looking at another graph from that presentation to the FDA in 2008, it appears that of those 13 products that had clinically significant levels of peanut protein, 2 had a "May Contain" statement, 3 were labeled  "Manufactured using Shared Equipment" and an astounding 7 had labels stating "Manufactured in a Shared Facility."  That's huge...that's the label that many consumers think is probably okay and not so much a risk!

I know it was just one study with 200 items, and I know that everyone has to make up their own mind and follow their own gut instinct as to what they feel comfortable eating.  We've never given Abigail anything that has the word peanut on it's label unless it ends with "free" as in peanut-free facility.  This isn't a game-changer for us.  But, if I was purchasing foods that had advisory warnings and thinking some were less risky than others...than I might consider the possibility that there's a bigger risk than I original thought!

Food Allergen Labeling, Part 1

When a family member has a food allergy, especially a life-threatening one, reading food labels becomes an obsession.  I don't think I purchase a single thing anymore without first reading the label.  Even if it's a product that I know to be safe, I still take a quick glance to make sure that the label hasn't changed to now include a cross-contamination warning.

I thought I'd spend some time discussing food allergen labeling. Even though, I've read labels faithfully now for almost 6 years, I recently learned something about the allergen labeling law that surprised me.

In January of 2006, the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) went into effect.  Here's what it addreses:

• Food manufacturers must disclose "major food allergens" to include milk, egg, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and Crustacean shellfish.

• The allergen must be identified by name, i.e., cashews, tuna, shrimp, etc.

• A scientific ingredient like casein may be listed, but a more consumer friendly term, like milk, has to also be included.

What it doesn't address:

• Allergens not considered major, for example, sesame seeds or cinnamon do not have to be listed and can be included in the terms "spices" or "natural flavors".

• Non-crustacean shellfish like clam and squid are not included.

• The "May Contain" advisory statement is voluntary.

That last one was the shocker for me.  For whatever reason, I've been under the impression for the last 6 years that labels had to include the "May Contain" statement and that a statement like "Manufactured in a Facility that also Processes Peanuts" was the voluntary one.

I didn't realize this until I recently contacted Pepperidge Farms about their products.  I was looking at one of their variety cookie products and was shocked to see that pecans was included in a very long list of ingredients, but there was no "May Contains" statement.  I e-mailed them questioning this, and they advised me that they were in complete compliance (I'll post their response at a later date).  Doubting them lead me to further research.

I can't believe all this time I thought a "May Contain" statement was a requirement.  In fact, as published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, an audit done in 2009 of 20,241 products showed that only 17% included an advisory statement.  Chocolate candy, cookies and baking mixes had the highest frequency.  Here's a chart (found in a report given to the FDA on the Use of Advisory Labeling of Allergens in Foods) indicating the products with the highest usage of an advisory statement.

A subset of this audit also indicated that there were over 25 different advisory terminologies, i.e., "May Contains", "Manufactured in a Facility", "Manufactured using the Same Equipment", etc.  No wonder we spend so much time reading labels at the grocery store.  And for me, contacting companies for clarification of their labels.  Wouldn't it be nice if there were some regulated standardizations!!

There is another study indicating consumers perceptions of risk associated with the various advisory terminologies which I will review in my next post.  In the meantime, I have a question for other parents of children with life-threatening food allergies.  What is your comfort level with food packaging labels?  Are you okay with products made on the same line?  What about in the same facility? And, if a manufacturer tells you it's safe, do you take their word for it without understanding their manufacturing process?  I've included a poll at the top of the blog for your answers.

Monthly Meal Planning Update

As mentioned in my last post, I decided to tackle the very arduous task of planning a monthly meal calendar.  Actually, I'm starting small and did just 2 weeks.  The actual decision as to what to fix for dinner was the easy part.  I took stock of what was in my freezer and pantry and then found recipes utilizing those items.  What's been difficult, and majorly time-consuming is going through each recipe, making a master grocery list, checking off what I already have and then dividing the remaining ingredients into individual grocery store lists based on which store carries what.  Sounds easy enough right?

Well, I made my monthly trip to Trader Joe's this morning with my list in hand.  Per list, I bought the can of organic kidney beans for the Crock Pot Barbecue Baked Beans that I am making as a side for our Saturday night hot dog dinner.  I forgot to write down the 3 cans I needed for tonight's Red Beans and Rice meal.  So....2nd official night into my monthly meal planning, and I'm already short a key ingredient!  How frustrating!!  Thank goodness I was able to raid my best friend and neighbor's pantry for my missing ingredients.

Tomorrow, I'm doing my Harris Teeter and Super Target shopping, hopefully for the only time this week and next week.  What are the odds that I'll get everything I need??

Grocery Shopping Woes

Grocery Shopping is no longer easy.  Not that it's always been a walk in the park...especially those trips where both kids are with me.  But, now that I'm reading labels not only for peanut allergens, but also for GMO's, rBST, artificial colors, sweeteners, etc., it's become a major, time-consuming effort.  I've gotten pretty good about knowing what products meet our family guidelines.  It's just that I can't purchase them all at one store.  In fact, I now shop at seven different stores.

Our Sunday School class is doing the Crown Financial Study.  My husband and I have started to take a close look at our day to day expenses.  I was pleased to see that eating healthy hasn't increased our food expenditures by a huge amount.  What was shocking was to see that I had made over 21 trips to a grocery store in a one month period.  Quite frankly, I've got better things to do with my time!

Here's what's happening.  I love Trader Joe's.  The prices are very reasonable and their foods meet our healthy eating requirements.  However, because of Abigail's peanut allergy, I can't purchase any of their breads, the majority of their boxed products (cereal, snack bars, etc.), a good many of their baking items, a lot of their frozen items or any of their cookies or other sweet treats.  So, at Trader Joe's, I stock up on what I can, but that leaves a ton of items that I have to purchased elsewhere. They also have the best price on organic produce, but it's a 30 minute drive to the closest store so I only make the trip once a month.  That leaves me looking for everything else we need at the other 6 stores that I shop.

I should explain that the reason we haven't seen a huge increase in our food budget even though we are purchasing organic, natural and peanut free is because I shop at so many different stores.  For instance, I stop into Food Lion to purchase our Jone's Colas.  They're just $2.99 versus $4.99 at Harris Teeter.  Wal-Mart carries a few organic products and have the best prices on those items, but the selection is very limited.  I go to BJ's for diapers and paper products.  While Harris Teeter tends to be the most expensive on basics, they have the best selection and a few products that I can't find anywhere else.  Fresh Market has the best price on certain organic produce items, and Target has rGBH-free dairy items that I purchase when I can't get to Trader Joe's.  And, if a store does a special event with triple or double up to $1.99 coupons, I'm probably shopping there too.  Don't laugh (my husband does), but I've had to create a spreadsheet to keep track of all of this.

So, what to do?  This is going to be a stretch, but I'm going to try to plan a monthly menu.  I've started this weekend working on just a 2 week menu and will work my way up to doing a month at a time.  Considering that there are many evenings that I don't start figuring out what's for dinner until dinnertime, this is a big deal.  Hopefully, the payoff will be big.  My goal is to simplify my afternoons and decrease our food budget by purchasing in bulk.  Mostly though, I want to gain lots of time by eliminating the 3 to 4 trips I make each week to grocery stores.

There are a lot of resources on the internet.  Last night I found someone that put their meal calendars and shopping list templates online for upload.  It's a good starting place.  I also purchased a 5 ingredient crock pot cookbook.  My kind of cooking!  Now, I just need to take my menu and translate it into 6 different shopping lists!  Wish me luck!

The Allergy March

It's amazing the information you can find on the internet.  In doing some research, I found a clinical research trial that is currently being conducted at the Evelina Children's Hospital in London. It's called The LEAP Study, short for Learning Early About Peanut Allergy and is funded and sponsored by two US organizations, the Immune Tolerance Network and The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Health officials in the US, UK and Canada advise parents not to introduce peanut butter to their childrens' diet until around age 2 as a way to decrease the chances of developing a sensitivity/allergy to peanuts.  Because our younger son is considered at risk for a peanut allergy based on family history, i.e., Abigail, we were told to wait even longer until he is 3. However, there are many countries where children eat peanut products from infancy on that do not show the high levels of peanut allergies as seen in Western countries. This study (which is now full) looks at these two schools of thought.  Here's an excerpt from their site:

The majority of children have their first allergic reaction to peanut between 14 and 24 months of age. Children suffering from eczema or who are allergic to egg are at highest risk - these children have a 20% chance of going on to develop a peanut allergy.

The LEAP Study involves 640 such high-risk children who were enrolled in the study when aged 4-10 months. Each child was randomly assigned to follow one of the two approaches – avoidance or consumption. Children in the avoidance group avoid eating peanut-containing foods until they reach the age of three. In the consumption group, parents are asked to feed their child an age-appropriate peanut snack three times per week (equivalent to about 6 grams of peanut protein per week). All participants receive allergy testing, dietary counseling, physical examinations and will be asked to provide occasional blood samples that will be used to examine differences in immune system development in each of the study groups.

The proportion of each group that develops peanut allergy by 5 years of age will be used to determine which approach - avoidance or consumption - works best for preventing peanut allergy. We anticipate that the study will reach completion in 2013, at which time the results will be analyzed and published.

There is some great informative on their site, and if you are dealing with a peanut allergy, it's very much worth checking out.  There is one topic that I wanted to point out.  The site discusses the "Allergy March", which is a term they use to explain how allergic diseases progress throughout a person's life.  According to the site, the Allergy March begins with eczema which is usually diagnosed within the first few months of life.  In 1/3 to 1/2 of children, eczema is linked to an underlying food allergy.  They go on to explain that food allergies appear in the first 3 years of life and that the development pattern of allergic diseases, the type

 

and age they occur, is the same in a large number of children. They do say that just because a child has eczema as an infant doesn't mean that they will go on to have a food allergy, but it does mean that they will have a higher risk of following this Allergic March.  In fact, 20% of children with eczema do develop a peanut allergy.

I find this very interesting.  Both my children had eczema as infants.  I put a tiny amount of peanut butter on Abigail's lips at around 18 months of age.  Less than 15 minutes later, her nose was pouring and she had hives.  At around 2 to 3, she had numerous trips to the doctors for wheezing and ended up on Albuterol and Pulmicort.  We were just one diagnosis away from Asthma when she appeared to out-grow it.  We had our younger son tested at 18 months for food allergies.  His blood test showed negative to everything.  We allow him to eat foods that are manufactured in the same plant with peanut products, but at 2 1/2, he's still not had anything with peanuts as an ingredient.  As an infant, he was very prone to ear infections and ended up with tubes.  He now constantly has either a runny nose or is clearing his throat because of drainage.  My gut tells me it's food related, but I can't prove it without doing an elimination diet.

I will be following this study closely.  The results will come too late to benefit my family, but it will still be interesting to know if all along we've been doing the wrong thing by avoiding all peanut products in the infancy stage.

Valentine's Day

We don't go all out for Valentine's Day.  I have a few decorations I put up, my wonderful husband always gives me roses, usually pink, we exchange cards and the kids get a small treat.  This year we also made Valentine cookies. 

I found this incredible sugar cookie recipe (peanut safe of course) on the internet last fall and use it every holiday to make cookies for the kids to decorate.  I found it on someone's blog, but I didn't bookmark it so unfortunately I can't give her credit.  I'm guessing though that her name is Rhonda because they're called Rhonda's Sugar Cookies. Here's the recipe (I use all organic ingredients):

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Add the butter and mix it like you would a pie crust.  In another bowl, beat eggs.  Add the sugar and vanilla and beat well.  Pour this mixture in the bowl with the dry ingredients and blend.  The dough will be a little crumbly, but I usually just knead it a little with my hands.

This recipe doesn't require you to refrigerate the dough, so it's ready to either roll out and cut with cookie cutters or shape into balls and flatten with a fork or glass dipped in sugar.  The recipe calls for you to cook on an ungreased cookie sheet; however, I've recently discovered parchment paper and swear by it!  Bake cookies at 350 degrees for approximately 9 minutes.  Remove from pan and place on wire rack to cool.  After they cookies have cooled, store them in an air-tight container.  They also freeze well.

Happy Valentines Day!  We've got some cookies to eat!