Talking Allergies

The only dried fruit I've found without a peanut/tree nut warning was Golden Boy sold at Costco and Superstore no-name brand. Well I just called Golden Boy in Burnaby, B.C. and it turns out they package both products. Get this, the response when I asked if these product were safe was "...we are mainly a peanut butter facility"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I said an warning would be appreciated on the product, the customer service rep. said it works the opposite. Without the 'may contain' warning it is saying it is NOT safe, it has to say peanut free facility to mean safe. I HATE this 'may contain' crap. Last week was flax seed and sesame with the same issue. I trust companies more that do label, then I know they didn't forget to put something on the package.

BTW....Oliviera Pasta (another company I called last week) always will label any top allergen not just if it is an ingredient but if there is any chance at all of contamination or being processed in the same facility/on the same line. Thumbs up to them!

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DD 12 yrs -no allergies
4 yr old DS - asthma/eczema Anaphylactic to Peanuts, all tree nuts, sesame , all pea/lentil legumes, gelatin.
Allergic to trees, grass,ragweed, feathers, dander, mold and dust.
Outgrew eggs, fish, shellfish

Yikes! It's true though...currently there is no legislation to force companies to use precautionary labelling. There is also no way to tell if a company is using it or not (or using it correctly).

The only thing we can do is call companies, find out what their policy is regarding precautionary labelling and remember this each time we shop. (Not on easy task)

Make your voice heard the deadline is February 10, 2010.
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/consultati ... p#workbook

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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

Even my girlfriend who has no allergies in her family gets it. She had the best metaphor tonight to explain it which cracked me right up. She told me it would be like processing sewage on a line, then saying that you promise you cleaned it really well before then making sandwiches on the same line. Feed these sandwiches to people. After they have eaten the sandwiches emphasize to them that there was only a very slim chance that there would have been poop on their ham and cheese. If they ask why you didn't warn them of that first before eating it just respond that poop wasn't an actual ingredient so you weren't required to indulge them with such a detail!!!

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DD 12 yrs -no allergies
4 yr old DS - asthma/eczema Anaphylactic to Peanuts, all tree nuts, sesame , all pea/lentil legumes, gelatin.
Allergic to trees, grass,ragweed, feathers, dander, mold and dust.
Outgrew eggs, fish, shellfish

Good one!

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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

Do companies think we have nothing better to do than have to sleuth about to discover what is safe and what is not. The exact company I called, same building, same office, emailed back today. I had orig. emailed then decided to call the number directly. Well I get an email today saying yes they are a nut/peanut free facility! UM???????????

So I call back and basically said I was a little confused about this one. The lady I talked to today said there was only a possibility of 3 people I could have talked to, and yes it was that exact office I had called. She narrowed down who I'd talked to as I knew the time/date I'd called last week. I told this rep. everything I'd been told by her co-worker regarding nuts/peanuts and packaging. She said non of what was told to me was correct and she had no idea why the receptionist I'd called hadn't patched me through to herself and had instead answered questions as if she knew the answers - all totally incorrectly to boot. (this is just too weird) . The orig.lady I talked to didn't even mention there were different buildings. She even told me that if 'SHE' was dealing with allergies she would never ever eat those dried apricots. ???????? The lady I talked to today said the plants are 7km apart, that no one can even enter the dried fruit building from the nut building without all precautions including changing a hairnet in case of nut transfer.

So....Golden Boy dried fruit....also Superstore no-name dried fruit are all packaged by Golden Boy and are from a nut/peanut free facililty. (for today) ????? ODD!

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DD 12 yrs -no allergies
4 yr old DS - asthma/eczema Anaphylactic to Peanuts, all tree nuts, sesame , all pea/lentil legumes, gelatin.
Allergic to trees, grass,ragweed, feathers, dander, mold and dust.
Outgrew eggs, fish, shellfish

Ack! I hope they reprimand her! Actually, both employees where unprofessional and gave out way more information than necessary to answer your questions.

So...now they're safe?

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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

oh my! how to know what is safe?!? I didn't even think about dried fruits... this is really going to take some time to decipher everything DD can eat!

That's crazy that you are getting mixed info!

jacqui

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DD: 11/19/08 allergy to eggs and peanuts

I love dried fruit, as do my husband and kids. I tell you, finding some with proper labelling has been a no-go.

My solution: I bought a food dehydrator. Now I make my own dehydrated foods like apples, pears, bananas, blueberries, etc.

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CracklinRosi

Allergic to peanuts, peas, cats, dust, ragweed, trees & grass (pollen season)
Toxic reaction to crustaceans.

CracklinRosi, Which dehydrator did you purchase? After this dried fruit confusion we are looking at purchasing one now also.

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DD 12 yrs -no allergies
4 yr old DS - asthma/eczema Anaphylactic to Peanuts, all tree nuts, sesame , all pea/lentil legumes, gelatin.
Allergic to trees, grass,ragweed, feathers, dander, mold and dust.
Outgrew eggs, fish, shellfish

Nesco American Harvest food dehydrator. I picked it up at Wal-Mart, but they're available at places like Canadian Tire and Home Hardware, too. It fits on your countertop. It does increase the humidity in your house and I don't recommend using it on a hot summer day, but there's nothing like fresh-dried (an oxymoron, I know) fruit to snack on.

You can also make your own beef jerky with it as well. They have their own brand name of jerky seasoning, but you can make your own as well. A good place to get recipes for jerky seasoning is Bradley Smoker's website. We also have a smoker where we smoke our meat.

Hope this helps!

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CracklinRosi

Allergic to peanuts, peas, cats, dust, ragweed, trees & grass (pollen season)
Toxic reaction to crustaceans.

Most of the Golden Boy dried fruit I've seen DOES have a peanut/tree nut warning. I called about that block of pitted dates because it didn't have a warning and I wanted to be sure, since all of the raisins and dried fruit I'd seen by them has the warning, that it was safe. I was told that it was safe, and that they would label.

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Me- No allergies. No eczema. No asthma.
Husband- No allergies. No eczema. No asthma.
DD- Allergic to peanuts and pecans (avoiding all tree nuts)

I must say my faith in this company is totally gone. If what they told me (the second time) about a totally different building for the dried fruit, located km's away from the nut building then I don't see why they would need nut/peanut warnings.....unless this person was incorrect also. I think the bottom line is they have no idea what they are talking about!!
How hard is it to get a clear answer!!! I would be curious if a few more people called to see what story they are told.
Did you ask why they need a nut/peanut warning on some dried fruit products if they are 'safe'?

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DD 12 yrs -no allergies
4 yr old DS - asthma/eczema Anaphylactic to Peanuts, all tree nuts, sesame , all pea/lentil legumes, gelatin.
Allergic to trees, grass,ragweed, feathers, dander, mold and dust.
Outgrew eggs, fish, shellfish

To CracklinRosi :
please tell me about your meat smoker, that is something my husbund wants to get for yeras...I was always against it...so if you don't mind, tell me how is it working, where do you keep it?
Thanks a lot

Was shopping to day and found a product that I have never seen before. Fat Cats Golden Plantain. It has a peanut/Nut free logo on it. Just wondering if anyone has tried this product.
www.fatcatsfruits.com I need to look into the coconut issue.

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Me-Allergic to Peanut, Tree Nut, Coconut, Shellfish, ASA and Asthma
My Husband and Children No Allergies