With an eye on the food allergy community as a unique group of consumers since 2008, we're on a quest to find and share ways to continue enjoying the good things in life.


10 February 2009

Ray's Bagels Made in Nut-Free, Dairy-Free Facility

After discovering that Thomas' english muffins were no longer on our "safe" list for peanut-free, tree nut-free foods, I thought I'd better verify that the bagels we buy are okay. Every once in a while, I realize there is a food that we eat regularly, that we've had no trouble with, and contains no peanuts or nuts, but I have not yet inquired about the facility. Ray's New York Bagels was one of those. I must add, however, that my peanut allergic five year old is going through a non-bagel phase, but I figure "better safe than sorry." I mean, eventually he's going to want to eat a bagel. Doesn't everyone?!

I could not find allergen information on the Ray's Bagels website so I telephoned their office. They informed me that the facility where Ray's Bagels are made does not process any milk, peanuts or tree nuts. The bagels are Kosher. I did not ask if they "certify" that their ingredients are from suppliers who do not process peanuts, tree nuts or dairy, as that's a question I reserve for products and companies making an "allergen-free" claim on their packaging or website.  In addition, it seems we are fortunate enough to be able to safely eat foods containing non-peanut/nut ingredients from "un-certified" suppliers. If your level of allergic sensitivity requires it, you may wish to inquire about Ray's suppliers.   Their corporate telephone number is 866.400.1234 and the website is www.raysnewyorkbagels.com.

4 comments:

Jenny said...

Thank you for checking this. As companies continue to update their labels, we're bound to see more of this type of thing.

The lesson is to always read the label--even if you've used it before.

Anonymous said...

That is very cool, thanks for looking into this!

Vivian Mahoney said...

We love Ray's New York bagels! They're pretty good for being frozen.

We have a local place we love going to, but my middle one gets reactions every once in awhile, mostly from cross-contamination from the cream cheese and butter. Thankfully I found Ray's.

Anonymous said...

I went out and bought Ray's today and I'm in carb heaven! Thanks for the info!