School Allergy Scare Leaves Mom Upset

I'm so thankful my daughter is extremely diligent about checking everything she eats to make sure it doesn't have peanut butter. She tells me the cafeteria makes mistakes all the time.

I volunteer in the school cafeteria and have witnessed the mistakes myself. But this is scary if your child is still too young to check every food item served to them.

School Allergy Scare Leaves Mom Upset

Is there a test to predict serious peanut allergies?

The only sure way to know if your child is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts is to have a blood test.  It will also reveal how severe the allergy is.

Is there a test to predict serious peanut allergies?

Families Today: Food-processing contact can harm allergic kids | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

As a mom of a daughter who is anaphylactic to peanuts, this is always a concern of mine.

Families Today: Food-processing contact can harm allergic kids | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

Title: Soul Surfer Review: Soul Surfer

This is a really great movie. I highly recommend it!

Title: Soul Surfer Review: Soul Surfer

Tributes paid to Liverpool region teen killed by nut allergy National News News | Click Liverpool

This is my absolute worst nightmare! My heart goes out to his family. This is so tragic because he did what I do with my 11 year old daughter who is also anaphylactic to peanuts, we eat at the same places and eat the same thing. But there is always a chance of cross contamination or worse - that the restaurant changes their ingredients unbeknownst to the person who is severely allergic to peanuts. Even doing something like changing from Canola oil to Peanut oil when frying foods can put a PA person at risk.

This is just so scary to me and what I live with every day.

Please see story below:

Tributes paid to Liverpool region teen killed by nut allergy National News News | Click Liverpool

Food allergy risk poorly grasped in restaurants - Health - CBC News

I totally agree with this article that restaurant workers are not educated when it comes to food allergies. I had my own experience with this not too long ago at Red Robin. My daughter who is allergic to peanuts inquired about the cheesecake bites and the waitress did not know whether they contained peanuts or not. She went to ask the kitchen. They told her no. Went sent her back a second time because she had forgotten to ask about tree nuts. She came back and said no, again. Apparently the manager was alerted and came to our table with the label from the packaging in which they were shipped. Right there on the label was the warning, "may contain peanuts or tree nuts". She can't take that risk.

As a safety precaution, we rarely venture outside of the restaurants we know as "safe". Otherwise we just eat at home.

Please see article below:

Food allergy risk poorly grasped in restaurants - Health - CBC News

Elizabeth Davies: Food allergies tricky for mom

Elizabeth Davies: Food allergies tricky for mom

Girl in coma after eating peanut cereal

Girl in coma after eating peanut cereal

Cheesecake bites are Red Robin are not safe for a peanut allergic child

We went to Red Robin after church on Sunday and ordered the cheesecake bites after asking the waitress to check with the kitchen to see if they use peanut oil or peanut products.  She came back and told us no.  Then the manager came up and gave us the label from the packaging.  Apparently the cheesecake bites are not made at Red Robin.  They are shipped in.  The label revealed that this dessert is made on equipment that also processes peanuts and tree nuts, so we turned the dessert down to be on the safe side.

I have noticed through the years that some parents let their peanut allergic child eat foods that say "made on equipment that processes peanuts.  I don't take that chance.  It's not worth it.  My daughter's life is too precious to me.

Families Today: Rise in peanut allergies tough nut for scientists | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

Families Today: Rise in peanut allergies tough nut for scientists | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram