We Love that Candy Corn!

When my son first was diagnosed with his peanut and nut allergies, I could not find any candy corn that I felt was safe. We have clear instructions from the allergist--no food made in a facility where they use peanuts or tree nuts, and I do not stray from that. I found a lot of candy corn that was clearly unsafe and some that left me with questions. I think this makes 3 years that Joe and Amy of A&J Bakery in Cranston, Rhode Island have been offering peanut free, tree nut free and gluten-free candy corn. Recently, I also discovered they are baking peanut-free, tree nut free and gluten-free whoopie pies too! Yum! How cool is that?! I've been seeing whoopie pies with increasing frequency in the grocery store bakery section, but there is always a "may contains" warning. Every time I check in with A & J Bakery, however, they always have something new and safe for us to try. Any of you with food allergies or food allergic loved ones can appreciate how exciting it is to find a new, safe treat! 

So, as you begin to collect your food allergy friendly Halloween goodies, be sure to give A & J a call at (866) 426-9075 and snag some of that candy corn--and you have to get some biscotti too--before they sell out! (My personal favorite is white chocolate raspberry.)

You can tell, my two sons and I love A&J bakery--Amy and Joe are food allergy bakery pioneers!

Have You Read the September Newsletter from the National Eczema Association?

I'm on the mailing list for the National Eczema Association and recently received their September newsletter. Like so many of our food allergic buddies, my son has the asthma, allergies and eczema trio.

Here is the link for this month's newsletter. Eczema's a less noticeable problem than asthma, unless you're suffering from a flare-up. Then, the itching is so unbearable, you can't really hide the scratching, and the scratches and skin irritation that comes with it.

Free and Reduced Lunch at School - Food Allergy Friendly?

I have two children in elementary school--one of whom has life threatening allergies to peanuts and nuts--and they do not buy school lunches. The school does not prepare food containing peanuts or peanut butter anymore, but the cafeteria sells Smuckers Uncrustables peanut butter and jelly.  Sometimes as a "treat", my older son--who has no food allergies--may buy lunch at school, but the younger, food allergic child never does. Bringing a bag lunch with food that we routinely use and know to be safe is just such a simple way to avoid cross-contamination and other risks.

Families and individuals with food allergies know there is an extra cost to purchasing food allergy friendly or "safe" foods. We're limited to certain brands, sometimes made by specialty companies or in allergen-free facilities, and the prices of those foods are simply higher than other foods. Families who receive Food Stamps/SNAP, however, are eligible to buy free and reduced lunch, which can amount to significant savings for a family food budget. I am curious to know how much of the food at our school really would be suitable and "safe" for my peanut and nut-allergic son. Have you investigated the school lunch options at your school? How food allergy friendly are the lunches at your child's school? If your food allergic child were eligible for free or reduced lunches at school, would he or she be able to eat it, from a food allergy standpoint? Or do free and reduced lunches not really work for food allergic kids?

What do you think?