Wednesday, February 6, 2008

"Our Intimate Relationship with Food - and 10 Things You Can Do to Protect Your Family"

THIS ARTICLE IS FROM ALLERGYKIDS.COM



A famous French political thinker once said that the public would rather believe a simple lie than a complex truth.

The truth behind genetic engineering is extremely complex. It has been used for decades, but it is only in the last ten years that neurotoxins have been engineered into our food supply.

No one has studied the long term health implications of children consuming foods containing neurotoxins, novel proteins and allergens.

Though to look back over the last ten years, you quickly remember that ten years ago, we didn¹t have to worry about sending a peanut butter and jelly sandwich into school with our children; we didn¹t have to medicate our eight year olds to get them through the school day; and the movie, Rain Man, was all we knew of autism.

Today, at least 1 out of every 17 children under the age of three has a food allergy with at least 5 million American children suffering from this condition (though these statistics underestimate the problem since they are from 2002, over five years old).

Autism, diabetes and obesity are often referred to as American epidemics.

So what has changed?

In 1996, the United States adopted widespread use of genetically modified crops due to growing public concern over the health risks associated with the industrial spraying of insecticidal and pesiticidal toxins.

In an effort to reduce the spraying of these toxins, scientists began using biotechnology to engineer these pesticides and insecticides into the plants themselves.

As these ingredients were introduced around the world ten years ago, government agencies in Europe, Asia, Australia, Japan, Russia and 45 developed countries required them to be listed on food labels, so that consumers could make informed choices when it came to feeding their families.

In the United States, our regulatory agencies do not require these genetically engineered ingredients to be labeled.

So, unlike other developed countries, we have not been informed that almost 70% of our corn, 90% of our soy and 75% of our processed food now contain neurotoxins, novel proteins and allergens.

Today one out of every three children suffers from allergies, asthma, autism or ADHD. It appears that we have unknowingly and without informed consent engaged our children in one of the largest human trials in history.

Ten years into this human trial, our children are trying to tell us something.

Shouldn't we listen?


10 Steps You Can Take to Protect Your Family:
1) Reduce your family's exposure to processed foods
2) Eat food with ingredients that your grandmother would have used
3) Purchase organic eggs, as they are not from chickens fed corn engineered to produce its own insecticides
4) Cook with olive oil instead of butter, margarine or vegetable oil
5) Avoid conventional soy and corn products (vegetable oil, high fructose corn syrup) since most are genetically engineered
6) Look for meat and poultry that not injected with antibiotics and additional hormones
7) As recommended by the British Dietetic Association, avoid exposing infants under the age of 12 months to conventional soy
8) Consume organic foods for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy in order to reduce your exposure to pesticides (recently linked to autism and gestational diabetes)
9) Look for "rBGH-free" milk. rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone) is a genetically engineered, synthetic chemical hormone that is not allowed in milk in most developed countries given its link to breast and prostate cancers
10) When discussing vaccines with your child's pediatrician, especially vaccines grown in eggs, request the informational leaflets that accompany the vaccines as they discuss autoimmune conditions like food allergies in detail

THIS ARTICLE IS FROM ALLERGYKIDS.COM

VIEW A VIDEO!!! Click here

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Allergy Alert

CANADA BABY GOURMET PRODUCTS RECALL / USA Whole Foods Market expanding a recall
ALLERGY ALERT
UNDECLARED PEANUT PROTEIN OR SULPHITES IN CERTAIN BABY GOURMET PRODUCTS
OTTAWA, December 31, 2007 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Baby Gourmet are warning people with allergies to peanut protein or sensitivities to sulphites not to consume the Baby Gourmet products described below. The affected products may contain peanut protein or sulphites which are not declared on the label.

All codes of the following Baby Gourmet products are affected by this alert:

Organic Moroccan Lamb with Couscous, sold frozen in a double poly lined bag containing 10 x 25 ml cubes. This product may contain undeclared peanut protein.
Seasonal Fruit Compote, sold frozen in a double poly lined bag containing 12 x 25 ml cubes. This product contains undeclared sulphites.
These products have been distributed in Calgary.

There has been one reported illness associated with the consumption of these products.

Consumption of these products may cause a serious or life-threatening reaction in persons with allergies to peanut protein or sensitivities to sulphites.

The manufacturer, Baby Gourmet, Calgary, Alberta, is voluntarily recalling the affected products from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.

For more information, consumers and industry can call one of the following numbers:

Jennifer Broe, Baby Gourmet at 403-614-9821;

> >
Whole Foods Market Expands Allergy Alert on 365 Organic Everyday Value Swiss Chocolate Bars to All Varieties and Lots
Contact:
Ashley Hawkins
512-542-0381

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE --Austin, TX -- December 21, 2007 --- Whole Foods Market® is expanding the recall of the 365 Organic Everyday Value™ Swiss Milk Chocolate Bars with Rice Crisps with a Best If Used By date of 11/21/07, to include all varieties and all lots of chocolate bars with a Best If Used By date prior to 11/08/09. The products may contain undeclared milk and tree nuts. People, who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to tree nuts or milk, run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.

Products affected by the recall are all lots with Best If Used by date prior to 11/08/09 as follows:

365 Organic Everyday Value Swiss Milk Chocolate with Rice Crisps UPC: 9948241730
365 Organic Everyday Value Swiss Dark Chocolate with Coconut Flakes UPC: 9948241731
365 Organic Everyday Value Swiss Dark Chocolate with Mint Crisps UPC: 9948241729
365 Organic Everyday Value Swiss Milk Chocolate UPC: 9948240805
365 Organic Everyday Value Milk Chocolate with Hazelnuts UPC: 9948240806
365 Organic Everyday Value Milk Chocolate with Almonds UPC: 9948240807
365 Organic Everyday Value Dark Chocolate UPC: 9948240808
365 Organic Everyday Value Dark Chocolate with Almonds UPC: 9948240809

The product was distributed to and sold at Whole Foods Market stores nationwide. 365 Organic Everyday Value™ Swiss Chocolate Bars are sold in 3 ounce sizes are in blue and white or maroon and white wrappers with a picture of chocolate pieces and the Swiss countryside on the front. The recalled chocolate bars have a Best If Used By date prior to 11/08/09, which is found on the back of the wrapper in a white box.

Consumers who have 365 Organic Everyday Value™ Swiss Chocolate Bars can return them to Whole Foods Market for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at (512) 542-0656 or PrivateLabel.CustomerService@WholeFoods.com.

The recall was expanded after subsequent testing of additional products indicated that the presence of undeclared allergens may be possible in additional lots.

"We have an extensive quality assurance process that works to insure the safety of our products. When we do find an issue, our course of action is to always put customer safety first," said Bruce Silverman, Global Vice President of Private Label for Whole Foods Market. "Hence our decision last week to immediately remove potentially affected chocolate bar skus from the shelves until this further investigation was complete."



Photos: Product labels click here

Saturday, December 8, 2007

FA Writing Contest EXTENDED!!!

The FoodAllergyTalk.com writing contest has been extended!!!
The deadline is now DECEMBER 16th!

Find more information about the contest here.

Submit to foodallergytalk@gmail.com

Good Luck!

-Andrea G.
FoodAllergytalk.com

Sunday, November 18, 2007

FA Writing Competition 2007



Food Allergy Talk.com First annual writing competition!

Children create an original story that having to do with food allergies. It can by any kind of story, as long as it's about food allergies. This story must be written only by the child in their specific age group! Winners receive Kyle Dine's original CD!

More info here: http://www.foodallergytalk.com/writingcontest.htm

Friday, October 19, 2007

***LUPINE ALERT***

AN UNKNOWN INGREDIENT


-Lupine-



It's possible that last meal you ate contained something called lupine. If you're like most people you've probably never heard of this ingredient. It's a type of flour made from a plant in the pea family. It's also related to peanuts and that's why allergy specialists want more people to be on the lookout. Fifteen-year-old Jared Cohen doesn't take his after school snacks lightly, or any food for that matter, after two meals at different restaurants may have caused him to have dangerous allergic reactions.

"I just got these hives and everything and temperature started to rise, and I just got sweaty," he said.

Jared now knows he's allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. But it may have been fettucini alfredo that made him severely ill. The mystery is that that both restaurants say the dishes never came in contact with peanuts.

"We were scratching our heads; we had absolutely no clue," said Jared' mother, Sari Marsh.

Allergist Therese Fitzsimons was also puzzled as to why Jared got so ill. And then she saw a recent article in the journal of Allergy And Clinical Immunology. It talks about something called lupine flour.

Lupine belongs to the legume family, which includes chickpeas, lentils, white beans and peanuts.

Most people will have no problem with this ingredient, but lupine and the peanut are closely related, and it's been estimated that about 50-percent of people with peanut allergies can react to lupine. It's also possible to be allergic to lupine without being allergic to peanuts.

"Many, many people, including physicians, are not aware of lupine," said Fitzsimons.

And that's a big concern. It could be avoided if allergy patients knew to look for it or ask about it. Fitzsimons suspects lupine is showing up in imported products but may not be listed on the labels.

More commonly used in European countries, lupine can be found in foods such as pasta, cookies, pancake flour and snacks.
-Provided by NBC7 news

Click here for VIDEO AND FULL STORY

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Awareness Items



Purchase food allergy awareness pins, magnets, and clothes at
CafePress.com/Food_Allergies

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Immunization causes allergies

I am going to share a story with you regarding food allergies and the harm caused by immunization shots.

The daughter of one of my mother's friends has owned a cat for a couple months. The cat lives in their house, and the daughter loves to play with her through-out the day. The daughter has never had any allergic reactions to the cat.

Their family went on a vacation to Puerto Rico for about two weeks. When they return, the daughter broke out in welts and rashes all over her body and face after touching their cat. After figuring out that the cat was causing this reaction, the mother could not figure out why this was happening since she has never reacted any time before.

After some consideration, finally my mother figured out what caused this reaction. Before the trip to P.R. the daughter had received immunization shots!

The only conclusion we can come to is that the immunizations are harmful to the body and the shots severely weaken the immune system, causing it to become susceptible.

Saturday, September 1, 2007

Soybean in Sofas!

Soybean foam crops up in sofas
By: Stacy Downs
McClatchy Newspapers
Aug. 25, 2007 12:00 AM

""The hottest trend in furniture is hidden in the seat cushions.

Soybean-based foam is cropping up in sofas and chairs. The new product reduces the amount of petroleum used in polyurethane foam, the core material in cushions. The innovation comes at a time of rising concern over petroleum prices and the availability of raw materials...""

""The new type of foam was born after Cargill, the agricultural products giant in Minnesota, and the Kansas Polymer Research Center developed the product BiOH, a soybean oil.

For every 1 million pounds of BiOH polyols that replace petroleum polyols in flexible foams, 2,200 barrels of crude oil are saved.

Manufacturing soy-based polyol requires 61 percent less non-renewable energy, and soy polyol produces 36 percent less emissions...

The first generation of Preserve foam uses 10 to 20 percent soy product, about 1 to 2 pounds of soy in a standard-size sofa. Foam made with larger amounts of soy emitted an odor, said Bobby Bush, Hickory Springs' vice president of foam and environmental technology.

'It smelled like burnt popcorn,' Bush said. 'Some people thought it smelled like burnt motor oil.'""

Read the entire article:
http://www.azcentral.com/home/design/articles/0825foam0825.html

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Food Allergic Child

This is a great video because it proves how dangerous food allergies can be. Everyone should see this video-share w/friends and family.



See more videos.
Send in your food allergy video to share with others!

Thursday, July 26, 2007

FDA panel: Food, drugs don't need nano Labels


WASHINGTON (AP) -- Food, drugs, medical devices and cosmetics that contain minuscule engineered particles don't necessarily need special labeling to alert consumers, a federal task force recommends.

The Food and Drug Administration should consider each product using nanotechnology on a case-by-case basis, an agency task force said in a report being issued Wednesday. An outside expert called the recommendation a good first step.

The FDA is considering how it should regulate these products, which are made with tiny particles measured by the nanometer, or billionth of a meter. By comparison, a human hair is about 80,000 nanometers across.

Submicroscopic nanoparticles increasingly crop up in FDA-regulated products like sunscreens, glare-reducing eyeglass coatings and antimicrobial wound dressings.

The task force recommended that FDA boost its understanding of the science and improve its now-limited ability to detect nanoparticles in both the body and the products it regulates.
It doesn't call for -- and the agency says it doesn't need -- additional regulatory authority. Nor does the agency believe products incorporating the technology are inherently riskier in a way that would require across-the-board labeling.

''At this point, we lack an ability to say that nanoscale alone raises safety concerns worthy of putting on the label,'' said Randall Lutter, the agency's deputy commissioner for policy.
A nanotechnology expert said the report essential defers the labeling issue.
''The agency has got to grapple with that issue,'' said Andrew Maynard, chief science adviser to the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, funded by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Maynard said it's not enough to say an ingredient is in a product. Producers should disclose whether it's at a nano scale if its size causes it to act in a new or different way, he said.
In general, the FDA has sufficient regulatory authority over food additives and drugs to address any special concerns the use of nanotechnology might raise, the task force found.
But FDA authority over other cosmetics, dietary supplements and food ingredients is less comprehensive. For those products, the agency should request safety data from companies that are using nanoscale materials in those products and issue safety guidelines for those companies, the report said.

FDA commissioner Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach said he endorsed the report and its recommendations.
------
On the Net:
FDA regulation of nanotechnology: http://www.fda.gov/nanotechnology/

Source: http://www.technologyreview.com/Wire/19100/

Monday, July 23, 2007

New Store!

I have added a new "Food Allergy Talk Store"!

There are a lot of great products to purchase to help you on your allergy journey :)

If you would like to suggest a product to be added, please do so. (Just leave a comment)

Store link: http://astore.amazon.com/foodallergyta-20

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

TOO MUCH Food Labeling?

As I was reading an article out of the Arizona Republic, an interesting conclusion occurred...

The article explained how food labels contain "warnings" that the product may "accidentally contain ingredients" that people may be allergic to. This is great-don't get me wrong. People need to know when there are contaminations etc. Recent laws have required this.

Many are arguing that people are beginning to ignore the warnings, because it seems they are on everything. "The Labels may be losing credibility".

Personally, I think industries are printing the possible warnings simply because they are scared about becoming a victim of the "suing spree". If their food is the cause of a person's death, they know they will be sued and even tormented by the media. So why not just post possible contaminations just to be safe, even if they know they do not exist?

Seems like the domino affect is beginning to heart innocent people. Gratefully, it seems like more are beginning to take action. The Food and Drug admin. is trying to decide weather to intervene, and manufacturers are "preparing to update its own guidelines about when foods should carry the warnings".

For now, read and follow the warnings. You never know when one may be telling the truth.