Peanut Butter Cheerios

by Kelley Lindberg


The makers of Cheerios have announced a new flavor -- peanut butter -- and it's created quite an uproar in the allergic community. Read the Chicago Tribune article about it here.

I'm a little bit amazed at the sudden furor over this. Yes, there will now be a peanut butter flavor of Cheerios, which means toddlers might be carrying around a peanut butter snack. But the manufacturer has indicated that there will be no cross-contamination with regular Cheerios, and they indicate that they use stringent manufacturing processes that will prevent cross-contamination.

And yet there are apparently a lot of people screaming foul over this.

I'm not sure that's the right response. Here's why:

1. There have been several flavors of Cheerios for years now that have almond ingredients (Honey Nut Cheerios, anyone?), yet those of us with nut allergies in our families have still enjoyed regular Cheerios without fear of contamination. We have learned to eye any Cheerio with suspicion until we see the box it came from, of course, but if we're careful, we're safe. Nothing is changing, except that perhaps people who aren't allergic to almonds, but are allergic to peanuts, have just realized that they have to read labels closely, which they are probably doing anyway. People with milk and wheat allergies have been having to avoid all Cheerios all along.

2. Regular Cheerios aren't changing. If they were suddenly going to eliminate Cheerios as a "safe" food for those with peanut or nut allergies, then there would be room for disappointment, and I'd be the first to be on the phone with the company pointing out that they would be losing a non-trivial percentage of their customers by contaminating all their flavors. But that's not the case. Regular Cheerios will still be safe.

3.  Protesting a new nut flavor in a product line that already contains nut flavors doesn't make much sense, and takes energy away from making real changes where they can do more good.

4. A concern is that kids won't be able to tell the difference between safe Cheerios and non-safe Cheerios in places like preschool. Yes, that's true. But it's been true for years with Honey Nut Cheerios. It's been true for cookies, cakes, crackers, and every other type of snack that kids carry with them. Allergic kids shouldn't ever share food with other kids anyway, and this gives us a teaching moment to revisit that lesson and make sure it's still clear in their sweet little heads.

Yes, this change requires that families with peanut allergies should increase their vigilance when it comes to random Cheerios on the floor. But I really don't think a hysterical reaction will accomplish anything except alienating the allergic community from the non-allergic community, and that is the exact opposite reaction we want. We need for the outside community to support us, not throw up their hands in annoyance when we over-react.

Several years ago, the makers of Pop-Tarts announced they would include milk in all their products. Now that was a change I felt strongly about protesting. While they might not be the healthiest of breakfast products, they were still a milk-free, nut-free, egg-free breakfast and snack option for allergic families, and suddenly they were taking all that away. After much protest (including my own emails and phone calls), they backed down and kept their facilities and recipes milk-free for some flavors. That was a great accomplishment and victory.

This Cheerios debate, however, seems less vital to me, because they are still retaining their nut-free versions. So I'm accepting the fact that some people like peanut flavor (gasp!) and their preference will not adversely affect me in this particular case, because I can still buy my regular flavor with confidence.

So what am I taking away from all this? First, I need to teach my son that there's a new flavor of Cheerios to watch out for, in addition to the other 3 flavors that already had nuts in them. Second, I need to save my indignant and strong response for cases where a manufacturer suddenly contaminates a whole safe line of foods with a new unsafe product. And third, I have to manage my reactions so that I accomplish the most good with the least amount of alienation. Remember that old adage about "honey catches more flies than vinegar"? I've found that a positive approach to correcting problems accomplishes so much more than a negative response. Like I always tell my son, no one will go out of their way to help a whiner, but they just might go out of their way to help a friendly person with a problem.

That's just my two cents' worth. I'm sure there are plenty of other opinions ranging all up and down the spectrum of outrage, but this just doesn't seem like a battle I can afford to fight when there are so many other battles that are.

On we bravely fight...

Girl Scout Cookies and Food Allergies

by Kelley Lindberg


If you are related to a Girl Scout, know a Girl Scout, work with someone who has a Girl Scout, or find yourself anywhere within a half-mile radius of a Girl Scout, chances are good you know what time of year it is – Girl Scout Cookie time.

Everyone loves Girl Scout cookies. Or maybe we just love those cute little pig-tailed Warren Buffets trying every trick in the book to convert their mountain of colorful boxes into cold, hard cash. Buying Girl Scout cookies used to be a no-brainer. I’d buy a box or two from every Scout I knew, eat them, and then breathe a sigh of relief that I was safe from big eyes and big calories for another year.

Now, however, it’s not quite as easy, because I have to deal with food allergies. Fortunately, the mother of one of my pint-sized calorie pushers tracks down allergy information for me every year to let me know which cookies I can have in my house. This year, as usual, there are only two types that are safe from nut and peanut contamination: Thin Mints and Samoas. (Note that the Samoas do contain coconut, so if you’re allergic to coconut, avoid them.) Samoas -- yummy cookies topped with caramel and coconut, then drizzled with chocolate -- have always been my favorites, so that’s lucky for me.

Fortunately, the manufacturers the Girl Scouts use comply with federal law to label allergens. Here’s a link to this year’s Girl Scout Cookies ingredients and allergen warnings.

Sadly, all the cookies contain milk, wheat, and soy. None contain egg, though, so if that’s your only allergy, it looks like you can go wild!

It seems like the Girl Scouts add another type of cookie periodically. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if next year, they came up with an allergy-friendly cookie? Especially since this is an organization of, by, and for kids, who have anywhere from 3% to 8% chance of having food allergies themselves, it seems to me that incorporating a food-allergy-friendly cookie would be a big step towards continuing the Girl Scouts’ goal of inclusion.

I’m not the only one thinking along these lines this year. I ran across the High Tech Dad’s blog, where he is also advocating that the Girl Scouts champion allergy-aware cookies in their food drive. Their organization is so big, and their reach is so extensive, they could reach a lot of people and raise a lot of awareness. They might even find that they increase sales by uncovering an entirely new market for their fund-raising efforts. More importantly, they would include those girls in their troops who are allergic and who aren’t comfortable handling all those boxes of cookies they’re supposed to sell. Right now, I imagine a lot of girls have to sit out the cookie sale and miss out on the contests and camaraderie of selling cookies with their friends.

Until that day, however, check the ingredients labels so that you know whether you can order any cookies this year. If you aren’t accosted by a Girl Scout this year but you want to order some, let me know and I’ll hook you up with my cookie connection (who will ship orders of five boxes or more with free shipping!).

I’ve already placed my orders. I can’t wait!

Way to Go, Wonka!

Four weeks ago, I wrote about calling the Wonka candy manufacturing company to ask about their labeling (see “Reading Halloween Candy Labels for Fun and Profit”) because I found bags of the same Halloween-sized candy at different stores that were labeled differently – one bag had cross-contamination warnings, and the other didn’t. When I called, the man who answered was really helpful. He read me information about the Wonka allergen protocols and asked if he could send me a letter explaining it in more detail, along with some coupons. I said sure.

Many times, when I call a food manufacturer to ask about food allergies, the person who answers is truly stumped. Other times, the person simply reads the ingredients label and says, “Well, it doesn’t look like it has peanuts.” (Thanks, I can read labels myself.) It’s rare that a company actually goes to the effort to 1) have a stringent food allergy protocol, and 2) inform their customer support about that protocol.

So mucho props to Wonka (a division of Nestlé) for understanding the seriousness of food allergies, for having a protocol that they document and follow, and for making a real effort to inform their customers about it. I’m sure they won’t mind me posting their letter, since they send it out to customers who ask. I’m just helping spread their news. Thanks, Wonka! (And all other food manufacturers, take note.)

**************
Dear Ms. Lindberg,

Thank you for contacting us. Your comments regarding Wonka® Mix-Ups are very important to us.

In regards to your inquiry, there are eight major food allergens, including milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (such as walnuts and almonds), soy, wheat, fish and shellfish. Labeling regulation requires that all ingredients added to products be listed in the ingredient statement. For those eight major allergens, Nestlé ensures that they are labeled, regardless of the amount or whether a supplier may have added it to their ingredient. It is the responsibility of Nestlé to ensure that these ingredients are properly labeled by their common or usual name in the ingredient statement.

We want to help our consumers avoid inadvertent ingestion of their specific allergens of concern by accurately informing them about the product ingredients and by following Good Manufacturing Practices in our factories. All factories using a critical allergen as an ingredient must take all reasonable precautions to avoid cross-contact of products that do not normally contain these allergens and products that do not carry a specific mention in the ingredient statement. These precautionary measures include efficient cleaning of production lines and equipment and strict separation of materials that may contain critical allergens. If an allergen does not appear on the ingredient statement, then it has not been added to the product and the likelihood of cross-contamination contact is so extremely low that the risk is insignificant.

We appreciate the opportunity to be of service to you and hope your inquiry was handled to your satisfaction.

Sincerely,
____________
Consumer Response Representative

Being Allergic to Aluminum Stinks

I’ve spent the last week looking for my deodorant in all my usual stores. It’s not there. I’m afraid it’s gone for good.

I’m frustrated. I’m irritated. And in a few weeks when my last stick runs out, I’ll be smelly, too.

It stinks when you find a product you depend on, and suddenly either the stores stop selling it or the manufacturer stops making it.

I’m allergic to some metals, including aluminum. That makes it impossible for me to use antiperspirants, because they use an aluminum salt to work. I can wear deodorants that don’t include an antiperspirant, but all they seem to do is apply a little chemical-smelling perfume in an effort to out-smell the B.O. I’ve tried a bunch of them – including the infamous crystal – and none of them worked at all. It’s a sticky problem.

Then one sweet, happy day, I found an Adidas deodorant that uses something they call “Cotton-Tech.” Finally, something that works with my body chemistry! I love it. I depend on it. I can’t live without it. And now, I can’t find it. I can’t even locate a phone number to call to see if they still make it. Something’s rotten in the state of deodorants, I tell you.

This morning, I hunted online and found two online stores that appear to carry it. I guess I’ll have to pay a small fortune to have a dozen or so shipped to me, and I’ll keep my fingers crossed that the product arrives as advertised. If not, I’ll end up with a dozen sticks of something I can’t use. I worry that the shippers will substitute something they think looks similar. Do I smell a conspiracy? And I’ve learned that sometimes these stores are just getting rid of the remaining stock of a discontinued product, so this might be the end of my deodorant story. That’s the pits.

I wish stores had the flexibility to be more responsive to smaller groups of customers. There are a growing number of people who are trying to avoid aluminum now because of the suspected link to Alzheimer’s disease, and I’m sure I’m not the only person allergic to aluminum. I know that’s why Adidas gave this aluminum-free deodorant a chance. But I guess we still aren’t big enough of a group to convince the marketing arm of Adidas that they should continue to support this product.

I realize that retail economies force stores to carry only products that fit the largest number of customers, and large manufacturers will only continue to produce products that sell to a giant target base. If they don’t catch a whiff of success on the first try, they are quick to pull the plug.

Food allergic people are, unfortunately, becoming a larger target audience every day, so slowly but surely we’re sniffing out a few new products and resources every year that cater to us. But those of us with metal allergies are still pretty small in number, so I guess I’ll just have to be patient and bide my time until stores cater to me again.

In the meantime, I plan to support those online retailers and hope I get what I order. And if I don’t, you might want to stand upwind.