Talking Allergies

I agree with your advice....I've done that in many instances. However, in the case of these margarine products...the problem remains that they are no longer being manufactured. The manufacturers will tell you that the grocery chains have not had the demand for these products; therefore, they've discontinued making them.

That's why I wished the grocery stores would be a bit more proactive when bringing in something exclusive like this, or a specialty product....if more people knew that these products were available, and exactly where to get them, there would be more of a demand! I know I've told many people about things I've found, and often times word of mouth is the only way to discover them. Much effort is made to warn people about products that may contain allergens (which is a good thing!), but not much effort is put into advocating for those products that are safer choices for the masses! (I really do applaud the companies that have taken this extra step with the chocolate bars, granola bars, etc.)

I've run into this same problem with many different items. It seems as though many of us are spending our time search things out, and many of us are looking for the same things...in most cases we just don't know where to start. I would certainly value a company that would go the extra mile and advertise products, in the same fashion that many promote products suitable for diabetics, people with cholesterol issues, etc.

I looked up Becel RSF

It has Lactic acid in it just thought i would inform.

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Karen in Ohio mom of 7
Allergic to tons and tons of food as well as perfumes, scented air sprays and cleaners. Hubby to Fish, ds #2 Shellfish, youngest to Eggplant, potato, Caesin, Raw Tomato & spinach.

We generally use PC celeb lactos free margarine with no problem but I've also used vegan margarines from our local Health Food store.

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luvmikids

daughter allergic to dairy,eggs,peanuts, soy, intolerance for potatoes, whole wheat

LJK-
I would check on this as we still buy Fleischmann's lactose-free in the twin pack (salted version).
When I was in Alberta last summer, we purchased Fleischmann's lactose-free in the larger tub size.

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: allergies to some tree that flowers in May
Cat: allergic to beef, pork and lamb

Lactic acid is one of those tricky terms that needs to be checked out...from what I've been told, it usually does not need to be restricted by those with milk allergies (check with your doctor or specialist for more specifics). See this site as a reference:

http://www.foodallergy.org/allergens/milk.html

The product info on the website claims that this product is "dairy free". It's worth looking into to see if it's truly milk-free...as it's now readily available in most grocery stores. Here's a link to their site:

[url]http://www.becel.ca/product.asp?pid={480B35F4-6029-44C3-9851-61E938ABB3EB[/url]

Is this a new product from Becel? I looked it up on the website also and it does say that it is dairy and lactose free. I sent an email to the company for more information. It would be awesome to have another alternative available.

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11 year old daughter -- lives with life-threatening allergies to milk, eggs and peanuts; seasonal allergies (birch, maple, ragweed); pet allergies; asthma; and eczema
9 year old son - no allergies

I looked at a local grocery store here today and there was a lot of Fleschman's. What is up with this product?

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11 year old daughter -- lives with life-threatening allergies to milk, eggs and peanuts; seasonal allergies (birch, maple, ragweed); pet allergies; asthma; and eczema
9 year old son - no allergies

http://www.foodallergy.org/allergens/milk.html


We are pretty cautious. I don't like to use anything with lactic acid unless I've checked this out. Some products will specify vegan lactic acid.

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: allergies to some tree that flowers in May
Cat: allergic to beef, pork and lamb

Yes, the trick is to read the terms closely (I always avoid anything that says "lactic acid starter culture".) But if it indicates only lactic acid ---- it's best to check with the manufacturer for clarification.

There still are Fleishmanns products on the shelves. The only thing I know that's been recently discontinued are the twin tub, salt-free variety (which were milk-free). The other Fleishmanns products (eg. large tubs) are not guaranteed to be milk-free, as far as I'm aware.

I think this particular Becel product is relatively new. Please let us know what you find out from the manufacturer!

I did see many of the twin tub packs of milk free Fleishman's this weekend - but maybe the store is just clearing out its stock. I don't use it all of the time but it is very helpful and comforting to know that there is always a back up brand that is/was widely available. I hate to see a milk free product discontinued. Did the company put out any official word as to why they are discontinuing it?

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11 year old daughter -- lives with life-threatening allergies to milk, eggs and peanuts; seasonal allergies (birch, maple, ragweed); pet allergies; asthma; and eczema
9 year old son - no allergies

Here is the response from Becel:

Hi Kate,

Thank you for writing,

Becel RSF is both dairy free and lactose free. Dairy Free means that the product has absolutely no milk or dairy products in it. This means that there is no milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, cream, whey or lactose. True "dairy free" products are safe for people who have a dairy allergy or who have lactose intolerance.

We do not operate Allergen Free manufacturing facilities, but after the production of any product containing a common allergen (such as peanuts), the facility does what is referred to as a 'special cleansing process' that is over and above a normal cleansing process. This process is performed with the intent to remove as much particulate from the line as possible. If a product could possibly come in contact with other products containing nuts (that are processed in the same plant), then the ingredient list would bear the statement "May contain traces of peanuts and/or tree nuts".

We hope this information is helpful.

Your friends at Becel
NW

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Saturday, February 02, 2008 10:48 PM
To: Canada, Becel
Subject: Contact Us Request Form Submission

web comment

I recently found out that one of your margarine products is dairy and lactose free. Is this product suitable for someone with a life threatening milk allergy? My six year old daughter has life threatening allergies to milk, eggs and peanuts. As you can imagine finding safe food for her is difficult. I would like to know if this margarine contains any traces of my daughter's allergens and if it is produced on a dedicated dairy free line.
Thank you,
Kate


What does everyone think?

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11 year old daughter -- lives with life-threatening allergies to milk, eggs and peanuts; seasonal allergies (birch, maple, ragweed); pet allergies; asthma; and eczema
9 year old son - no allergies

I was at NO Frills today and I found the Becel margarine. It is made by Unilever - the same company that makes Fleischman's. I wondered if there was a connection. Anyways there is no indication on the label that it is a dairy or milk free margarine but the ingredients are fine as listed. It is marketed as a low fat margarine rather than milk free. I wonder why though the company wouldn't mention this somewhere. There were still many packages of the lactose/milk free Fleischman's also.

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11 year old daughter -- lives with life-threatening allergies to milk, eggs and peanuts; seasonal allergies (birch, maple, ragweed); pet allergies; asthma; and eczema
9 year old son - no allergies

Thanks very much for sharing the feedback you got from the company with us! Sounds good!!

The Fleishmann milk-free twin tubs are being cleared out of stores. You may still find some in certain areas....but I tried to order a case lot from the manufacuturer through my local Safeway - and it turns out that they are no longer making it.

If Becel belongs to the same parent company....then that would make sense. They've changed their marketing strategy somewhat. I agree though - they should advertise that it is milk-free. Think I will email the company with that suggestion - it doesn't hurt to give them feedback!

Just thought I'd add my 2 cents about Becel RSF. I learned about it from a dietician in August '06, and have used it successfully for DS ever since. It has VERY high water content, so isn't great for everything, but at least it's something!

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*Son, 5 years old: Asperger's, allergic to eggs, peanuts, and mustard seed (outgrew dairy and soy)
*Son, 23 months old
*Hubby: allergic to cats and trees (non-specified types)
*Self: allergic to penicillin

My daughter anaphylaxed last night , and we're still in 'detective' mode trying to figure what could've caused it since it happened at home... We've narrowed it down to a couple possibilites, one of them being Nuvel Margarine, which she had for the first time. (Everything else, she had before, but we're still looking at some remote cross-contamination possibilities.) Anyways, I called the Nuvel Rep today, and they told me that Nuvel Lactose Free was processed on the same line as products that contain dairy, but they have a 'thorough cleaning process'... FYI! I guess I'll stick to cooking with oil and using Tenderflake for baking!

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Me - Kim - No allergies
DH Ben - 31 - Allergic to nuts and peanuts, lots of environmental allergies.
DD Anne - 4 - Asthma. Allergic to dairy, eggs, mustard, kiwi, peanuts, wheat and barley... for now...
DS Francois - 1 - No allergies so far...