Food Allergy News

KFA is a growing community of parents, health care professionals and businesses joining together to help families create better lives today for children with food allergies. Our volunteer board of directors, medical advisors, community leaders and hosts work tirelessly and with much dedication to make KFA a safe place to help you in the day-to-day challenges as you raise your family. We welcome you twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week to ensure that wherever you are, you will always have a World of Support, right here at KFA. But don’t just think of Kids with Food Allergies as a Web site. Think of KFA as a home – a place to visit, learn, create, and share with people who really understand our food allergy lifestyle. You are part of our KFA family. As family, it's important for you to be aware of, and take advantage of, everything KFA has to offer. Thousands of visitors take advantage of our resources every month, and our KFA family has more than tripled in the past three years. In fact, KFA is looking to expand its "walls" to accommodate our growing family! If you are not yet an Associate or Family Member of KFA, visit our Web site to find out more about how KFA can help you find solutions for day-to-day challenges as well as a way to connect with others raising children with food allergies who really understand. Also find out more about KFA membership benefits, and sponsorships for members in need of a family membership but unable to afford the cost.

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Announcements 8 Tips to Avoid Cross Contamination in Your Home Many parents of severely food-allergic children, especially those whose kids are only allergic to peanuts and/or tree nuts, choose to completely eliminate all allergenic foods from their homes. Others, especially those whose children have multiple food allergies, do not make this choice. If you choose to allow allergenic foods in your house, you run the risk that the allergenic foods will "contaminate" your home and your non-allergenic foods. There are a number of precautions you should take to avoid potential problems. We've compiled 8 tips you can use to reduce the chances of having reactions due to cross contamination. Support Net® Your KFA Family Membership includes a subscription to KFA Support Net®. In the past we have only offered this in pdf format, however we are now offering a print subscription option. If you are a KFA Family Member and would like to start receiving Support Net® by postal mail, please fill out this form so we will have your postal address on file to send you issues in the future. Support Net is a member benefit for our Family Membership subscribers. Become a Family Member ($25 per year) today - it provides our nonprofit organization with vital funding and offers you additional membership benefits to help you create better lives for your children - today. October 4th Fundraiser in Tampa, FL to Benefit Kids With Food Allergies Amazinflates of Tampa, FL owner Ronnie Rivera, parent of a young son with food allergies, is organizing a fun, child-oriented fund raiser on October 4 in Tampa, FL with all proceeds benefiting KFA. The "Inflatable Fair" day will feature multiple inflatable play structures, face painting, balloon twisting, vendor displays and a DJ. Kids young and old can enjoy snow cones, cotton candy, clowns, door prizes, characters, games and more. Allergy-friendly businesses will also be there including Label it or Lose It, Liberty Bakery, Peanut Free Planet and lots more. If you live in the Tampa area be sure to mark this one on your calendar! It will be a great day for everyone. More Info Act Now! Take a Food Allergen Labeling Survey by October 31st AAFA has asked KFA to spread the word about a survey they are running right now that will be used to help provide insight into how consumers view allergen advisory labeling, an issue of concern to the FDA: The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America is asking people with food allergies and their caretakers to take an online survey! The purpose of the survey is to find out how people use the labels on foods that list ingredients and the warnings that a product may be contaminated by a known allergen. AAFA wants to become better informed about the impact of these labels. Currently, federal law requires food manufacturers to include any of eight major allergens in the ingredients list on the label if the allergens are present in a food product. Advisory labels, saying that a product may contain an allergen, are not required, although many manufacturers use them. However, the wording of these advisories varies. If you would like to participate in this short, online survey, please click the link below and make sure to complete the survey before October 31, 2008! http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=LT6Y49lRmdLyNqqV_2bFLvuw_3d_3d Thank you for completing the survey and providing AAFA with this important information!”

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News

Baby in Care, Parents Jailed

The Ontario, Canada Star reports on a story about a 9-month-old baby who suffers from hypersensitivity and an allergy to breast milk, solid food and formula. The baby is being treated for malnutrition at the Hospital for Sick Children, nearly a week after police began searching for the child and his parents who initially refused treatment due to their religious beliefs.


Approach to Milk Protein Allergy in Infants

The September issue of Canadian Family Physician includes includes a clinical review of the current evidence for the diagnosis and management of milk protein allergy.

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"Must Read" Discussions on Our Online Support Forums

Sign up for a free Associate Membership to read the messages posted in our "Main" online support group forum.


Does it bother you when people make food allergy jokes?

"Does it upset you (even when people say it's all just in good fun) people make fun of PB being compared to loaded guns, joke about bringing PB around someone allergic and not washing hands etc.? I know they are just joking around and having fun, but I'm getting a bit tired of food allergies being made fun of. I don't find any of it funny at all."

An interesting thread where parents of food allergic children share their opinions on making jokes about food allergies.

How to tell the guests about our situation?

"We have had a few family gatherings, but I'd really like to finally have a bigger party! Having guests remove their shoes is not an option, I won't serve anything with dairy of course, but I'm still a bit nervous about their kids not washing their hands and touching my son's toys or bringing baby bottles and snacks for their younger kids. Any thoughts how can I bring it up with them?"

Parents discuss how they tackle this common sticky situation to keep children safe from exposures to allergens when house guests are visiting.

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A Message from Our Sponsor

Click on the banner to visit the Enjoy Life Foods Web site

Finally, a delicious chocolately bar almost everyone can enjoy any time. Dairy, nut and soy FREE boom CHOCO boom™ bars have arrived on store shelves in three choco-licous varieties: dairy-free rice milk, dairy-free rice milk with crispy rice and dark chocolate. So go ahead and give in today! Available at Whole Foods Market. Also available online at, www.glutenfreemall.com and www.allergygrocer.com.

At Enjoy Life, our whole business is making smile-good foods that keep your insides happy too. Gluten-free and free of the eight most common allergens, our cookies, snack bars, granolas, trail mixes, bagels, new chocolatey bars and more are tempt-sational! With Enjoy Life, everyone can eat freely and smile inside out!

Our products contain NO: wheat/gluten, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish or shellfish. They're made with care in a dedicated nut- and gluten-free bakery for added assurance and ingredients are additionally tested to ensure strict allergen control standards are met. Enjoy Life is all natural, trans-fat free and certified Kosher too!

Enjoy Life is available at natural food and select grocery stores nationwide. Also available online.

Join our community today to get recipes, special offers and more! Visit www.enjoylifefoods.com.

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Safe Eats™ Recipes

The Safe Eats Recipe Database is one of a number of benefits for our Family Membership Subscribers. The following is a sample recipe from Safe Eats™ for you to enjoy. Savory snacks for a tailgate party Football season is here again, and what better way to enjoy a football game than with a tailgate party prior to the game. This recipe can be enjoyed by parents and kids alike as a tailgate snack or as a savory appetizer on a cool fall evening. For more recipes to make your cooking easier, from breakfast through dessert, visit our Safe Eats Recipe Database. Reminder: Safe Eats are recipes donated by members and have not been tested in a test kitchen. Be sure to verify the safety of all ingredients. Baked Party Chicken Bites This recipe can be made without milk, peanut, egg, wheat, tree nut, fish, shellfish, sesame. Recipe Information Category: Appetizers Recipe Created By: Heather Hetler Ingredients 6 cups Rice Crunch 'Ems or other rice cereal 2 Tbsp sorghum flour 2 Tbsp tapioca flour 1 Tbsp dried oregano 1 Tbsp dried thyme 1 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper 1 tsp salt 4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1/2 to 1 cup olive oil Instructions Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a food processor, combine rice cereal, flours, and spices, and blend until small crumbs are well-blended. Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. Pour 1/2 of crumb mixture into a shallow dish, such as a round cake pan, and pour 1/2 cup of oil into a second pan. Dip chicken bites into olive oil, covering the entire piece with oil, then into the crumb mixture, turning to coat. As the crumb mixture gets "wet" from the olive oil, it will become necessary to pat the crumbs on to each piece. Replenish the pans with fresh crumb mixture and oil as necessary. Any extra crumb mixture can be saved in the refrigerator in a sealed container. Place the chicken bites onto a wire cooling rack (a grid will keep them from falling through) until they are all covered. Then place bites onto baking sheets, lightly greased or lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until cooked through. While they are baking, clean the wire cooling rack. Immediately after baking, place the bites on the rack. This will keep them from getting soggy. These bites freeze very well. To reheat, bake at 400 degrees until warmed through, again cooling on a wire rack. Serve with Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce, honey, or other sauces. Comments Our family loves sports of all kinds, including football. We also love hosting parties and watching games in big groups. One important factor for family football parties is food that is safe for everyone. Since other children wander around with food, and drop it everywhere, I want the food at my house to be safe. I know I'll be involved in watching the game, and not in monitoring every bite of food, so making everything safe is the best bet. These chicken bites make everyone happy--they are allergy friendly, common party food, and kids love them! Substitutions Use dairy, egg, wheat and/or gluten free ingredients as needed. Rice Crunch Ems contain corn. The Vit E is potentially from soy or corn. Family Membership subscribers can check out the new recipes added this month by entering the Recipe Database and clicking on "new recipes" in the left navigation menu.

New! Please click on the banner to visit the Kitchen Basics Web site



Click on the banner to visit the Maggietales Web site

Waiting Time is Storytime™
When doctor visits take longer than you expect, turn to Maggie Tales™, Instant Storytime™ for Kids. Your kids can enjoy picture books on your iPod, phone or other mobile device. Currently free at iTunes or www.maggietales.com.


Awareness Badges
Medicine bags with "Action Plan", luggage & lunchbox tags, vinyl stickers. In a moment of crisis make sure that others know what to do if your child has an allergic reaction. Visit www.awarenessbadges.com and enter promotional code back2school for savings.
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Candles With Meaning
ATTENTION CANDLE LOVERS! Candles With Meaning offers wickless, flameless candles. Unique, soot-free candles that are safe for homes with children. Experience “The Hottest New Thing In Candles”! CWM is thrilled to be donating a portion of its revenue to KFA!


Cookies...For Me?
Our cookies are delicious!!! We specialize in oversized gourmet cookies that are gluten free, egg free, nut free and NOW DAIRY FREE. Now selling at fine stores in Bucks County, PA and shipping fresh orders nationwide. You won't believe these cookies are for you....they're scrumptious! www.cookiesforme.com


Cherrybrook Kitchen
All-natural mixes contain no peanuts, dairy, eggs or nuts. Cherrybrook Kitchen also offers mixes that in addition to being free of peanuts, dairy, eggs or nuts, are also wheat and gluten free www.cherrybrookkitchen.com for retailers.

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Food Allergy Recalls

The following foods were recently recalled. Check our Web site for complete details:

U.S. allergy recalls

• Derringer Foodservices: Albacore Tuna Salad Hoagie (undeclared egg)
  
• K-FAT INC.: MUT GUNG SWEETENED GINGER (undeclared sulfites)
• Bimbo Bakeries USA today announced a voluntary recall of Oroweat 100% Whole Wheat bread (undeclared tree nuts)
• Ralston Foods: Western Family Variety Pack Instant Oatmeal cereal (undeclared milk)
• El Matador Enterprises: Margaritaville Island Lime Tortilla Chips (undeclared milk)

Canadian allergy recalls

• Cuisine Malimousse Inc.: Oceania Duo Mousse Lobster with Tomatoes & Basil / Smoked Salmon & Pesto (undeclared milk)
• Baltic Bread: Babka European Style Coffee Cake, The Best Apple Pie and Danish Pastries (undecleared eggs, milk and soy)

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KFA Logo Clothing and Gifts

KFA clothing has been designed with colorful allergy awareness messages ("Please Do Not Feed Me, I Have Food Allergies") and our logo ("Kids With Food Allergies, A World of Support"). Different colors are available. Logo items such as coffee mugs, totes, mousepads and buttons are also available.

Infant & Toddler Clothing "Please do not feed me, I have food allergies" bibs, t-shirts and onesies

Children's Apparel "Please do not feed me" and KFA logo shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies for kids

Adult Apparel KFA logo T-shirts, sweatshirts, golf shirts, aprons

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KFA relies on friends like you for support

Your tax-deductible donation, small or large, make a huge difference! Kids With Food Allergies does not raise money to find a cure. Instead, Kids With Food Allergies, a nonprofit charity, uses all donations to create better lives for children today by providing education and a caring support community for their families and caregivers.

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Kids With Food Allergies is Now on MySpace and Facebook!

Disclaimer

This newsletter is provided to you as a member and subscriber benefit and your use of it is in accordance with our Web site's terms of service.

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Kids With Food Allergies Inc. makes no representation, whatsoever, for the contents that may be contained in any of the sponsors or advertisers in this newsletter or the quality of any products, information, or other materials displayed, purchased, or obtained by you as a result of an offer in connection with any ad.

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This newsletter is sent to all newsletter subscribers and registered members of Kids With Food Allergies.

Copyright (c) 2008, Kids With Food Allergies, Inc., all rights reserved.
ISSN 1939-8166

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Project Manager: Lynda Mitchell
Editor: Melanie Carver
Proofreaders: Amy Hugon and Becca Godleski


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