Baby Health Blog

We've Moved!

2009-11-25T15:57:00.000-05:00

To better reflect the focus of our blog, we have a new name (and a new home) – Food Allergy Living at www.foodallergyliving.net. At the new address, you'll still be able to find blog entries from your favorite nutrition specialists twice a week. But you’ll also find some new goodies that will be updated once a month and distributed to subscribers as a newsletter. You’ll be able to count on a new recipe every month, submit your own questions to the nutrition specialists and see some beautiful smiles in our Neocate Faces section.

Be sure to check it all out at www.FoodAllergyLiving.net and let us know what you think. Also, don't forget to update your bookmarks and RSS feeds. See you all there!

Pediatric Food Allergies Are on the Rise

2009-11-17T08:59:00.000-05:00

We've Moved! To better reflect the focus of our blog, we have a new name (and a new home) – Food Allergy Living at www.foodallergyliving.net. At the new address, you'll still be able to find blog entries from your favorite nutrition specialists twice a week. But you’ll also find some new goodies that will be updated once a month and distributed to subscribers as a newsletter. You’ll be able to count on a new recipe every month, submit your own questions to the nutrition specialists and see some beautiful smiles in our Neocate Faces section.

Be sure to check it all out at www.FoodAllergyLiving.net and let us know what you think. Also, don't forget to update your bookmarks and RSS feeds. See you all there!

Did you know that since 1993 childhood food allergies have increased by 18%? While some have questioned whether the increase is real, or just due to an increase in the number of cases actually reported, new research from the Centers for Disease Control suggests that the spike is real.

So what is causing more children to suffer from food allergies? An article I read yesterday from ABC News suggests that the increase could be caused by the introduction of foods to babies too early or super clean environments.

Dr. Clifford Bassett, the medical director of Allergy and Asthma Care of New York who is quoted in the article, says that one theory is that certain foods might be introduced too early to children. Even if you aren’t feeding your baby things like nuts, they might be in the creams or lotions you use on them in the form of oil.

The “hygiene hypothesis” explains another possible cause of increased allergies - super clean environments that are commonly associated with today’s medical and hygiene practices. The article cites Dr. Bill Parker of Duke University Medical Center:, "the immune system essentially lacks a normal workload... however, [it] does what it is built to do, and finds something to attack, often directing its attention toward such harmless things as pollen grains ... even healthy food."

Who knew that being so clean was a bad thing!

Hopefully these new findings will help highlight the seriousness of food allergies and the need for food allergy treatments. Would love to hear your thoughts on the study – make sure to let us know what you’re thinking in the comments section.

-Nita

Why I'm Thankful - Part 2

2009-11-12T11:51:00.001-05:00

We've Moved! To better reflect the focus of our blog, we have a new name (and a new home) – Food Allergy Living at www.foodallergyliving.net. At the new address, you'll still be able to find blog entries from your favorite nutrition specialists twice a week. But you’ll also find some new goodies that will be updated once a month and distributed to subscribers as a newsletter. You’ll be able to count on a new recipe every month, submit your own questions to the nutrition specialists and see some beautiful smiles in our Neocate Faces section.

Be sure to check it all out at www.FoodAllergyLiving.net and let us know what you think. Also, don't forget to update your bookmarks and RSS feeds. See you all there!

You may have read Sarah’s “Why I’m Thankful” post last week. If you missed it, we are doing a series this month where we each share what we are thankful for in our own lives. This week is my turn!

I’m thankful to be living in a time with such advanced medical care. Every day I work with families of children whose lives depend on a special food or a special way of receiving nutrients. It scares me to wonder what happened to these children before we had such technology. Some of our Neocate users are allergic to just about everything. Before there were amino acid-based formulas, how could these children thrive or in some severe cases, even survive?

This issue also touches me on a personal level. My little sister, Caroline, has special needs and has depended on various products of technology throughout her life. When she was little, it was a struggle to get enough calories into her and she grew very weak, falling further and further off the growth charts. Her doctor prescribed Duocal, which allowed her to get enough calories to maintain weight and stay healthy. She now has a feeding tube due to dysphagia (swallowing problems) and she is doing great with it! The development of enteral nutrition has allowed children who can’t physically ingest food to get all the nutrients they need to survive and thrive – another great example of an obstacle that medical advancements have allowed us to overcome!

How have medical advancements/technology been a blessing to your family?

- Mallory

Tips for Talking to Your Doctor

2009-11-10T15:36:00.001-05:00

Keep a diary of your little ones symptoms: what they are, when they started, how frequent and if certain foods or medicines make them worse.
Make sure they know what different formulas and medicines you have already tried and what affect they had (i.e. did they make some symptoms better and others worse?).
If there is a particular type of treatment (formula, medication) that you are interested in, bring information about it in case the doctor hasn’t heard of it. There are so many different options out there, and your doc may or may not be familiar with all of them.
Make sure that you completely understand your doctor’s explanations and instructions for new treatments. I get so many questions from parents who don’t understand their doctor’s instructions about mixing formula or transitioning onto Neocate.
Call ahead to see if there are any tests scheduled and how you need to prepare. For example, a lot of GI docs like to test stool samples so bringing one in with you can save some time in the waiting room!

Is there anything else that you have found helpful before visiting your doc? I know of some moms who have even taken videos and pictures so that their docs can get a better sense of their children’s symptoms. What worked for you?

-Nita

Why I'm Thankful

2009-11-05T14:52:00.001-05:00

We've Moved!To better reflect the focus of our blog, we have a new name (and a new home) – Food Allergy Living at www.foodallergyliving.net. At the new address, you'll still be able to find blog entries from your favorite nutrition specialists twice a week. But you’ll also find some new goodies that will be updated once a month and distributed to subscribers as a newsletter. You’ll be able to count on a new recipe every month, submit your own questions to the nutrition specialists and see some beautiful smiles in our Neocate Faces section.

Be sure to check it all out at www.FoodAllergyLiving.net and let us know what you think. Also, don't forget to update your bookmarks and RSS feeds. See you all there!

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, Nita, Christine, Mallory and I thought it would be fun to do a series of blog entries on what we are thankful for in our own lives. I’m going to kick it off today, but be sure to check in each Thursday in November for a new “Why I’m Thankful” post.

I am thankful for the knowledge and experience that I have gained by working at Nutricia. I not only have the privilege to help families find relief for their babies, but I was also able to put my knowledge to use with my own child, Reagan. After 7 weeks of allergy-related reflux and colic, Reagan was also able to find relief with Neocate and my husband and I were able to find a little more assurance in ourselves as new parents…….and also a tad more rest!

After hearing from parents every day about what a long journey it is for them to finally find relief (usually 3-4 months), I was grateful that Reagan found comfort in just 7 weeks (which felt like an eternity at the time). I returned from maternity leave feeling even more empowered to help other mothers because I now understand first hand how desperate and exhausting these situations can be. It brought my job to a whole new level and I am thrilled to be able to have an opportunity to share my knowledge and become a resource to other families in these situations.

I was also able to help my niece, Maya who was diagnosed with a milk allergy and ended up on Neocate shortly after Reagan. Reagan and Maya are now 16 and 14 months old and have both grown out of their allergy and reflux issues. They are happy and healthy babies which I could not be more grateful for!

What are you thankful for this year? I would love to hear about your families!

-Sarah

Food Allergy News Roundup

2009-11-03T18:15:00.000-05:00

We've Moved!

To better reflect the focus of our blog, we have a new name (and a new home) – Food Allergy Living at www.foodallergyliving.net. At the new address, you'll still be able to find blog entries from your favorite nutrition specialists twice a week. But you’ll also find some new goodies that will be updated once a month and distributed to subscribers as a newsletter. You’ll be able to count on a new recipe every month, submit your own questions to the nutrition specialists and see some beautiful smiles in our Neocate Faces section.

Be sure to check it all out at www.FoodAllergyLiving.net and let us know what you think. Also, don't forget to update your bookmarks and RSS feeds. See you all there!

While I’m always paying attention to stories about food allergies, I’ve noticed lately there have been even more articles than usual in the media, which is great. More stories helps to increase awareness and educate the public about how serious food allergies can be as well as some of the signs/symptoms people should look for if they suspect an allergy. Below are just a few of some of the articles and posts about food allergies from the past few weeks that have caught my attention.

How – and How Not – To Diagnose A Food Allergy
Have you been thinking about having your child tested for food allergies? Before heading to the allergist check out this entry from The Washington Post’s “Checkup” blog. It talks about the benefits of formal allergy testing and gives some helpful information about the different types of diagnostic tests from the Food Allergy Initiative.

A Family That Takes It’s Food Allergies Seriously
I always think it is amazing when kids are out in the community raising awareness about their food allergies. The Boston Globe reported last week on Spencer and Zoe Cohen. Between the two, they are allergic to nuts, fish, soy, mangoes, bananas, carrots, broccoli, and lettuce! The siblings traveled to the FAAN Kids Congress last month where they met with lawmakers to lobby for the FAAMA Act which could help fund more food allergy research.

A Next-Generation Epi-Pen is unveiled
Dey Pharma, the makers of Epi-Pen, released a new more user-friendly Epi-Pen. If your little one needs one, don’t forget to read our tips for Epi-Pen safety. Hopefully you will never need to use one, but it is always best to be prepared for an emergency situation!

Trained Dog Warns Child with Allergy to Peanuts
We blogged about a new furry trend in food allergy safety - food allergy dogs - a few weeks ago. Now USA Today is telling the story of the Rine family whose adorable Portuguese water dog Nicco helps their son Ethan avoid peanuts. Right now these dogs are expensive because of the high cost of their extensive training, but they are helping keep kids safe. Perhaps as they become more common, the cost will go down and they will be more affordable.

Have you read any interesting news or tips recently? If so, share them with us in the comments!

-Christine

Neocate and Corn Allergies

2009-10-29T15:49:00.003-04:00

What to Expect from Baby Poop?

2009-10-27T16:26:00.000-04:00

Breastfeeding: If you are breastfeeding your baby, a mustard yellow color is common and it may be seedy and runny. You can also expect to be changing a lot of diapers, because babies usually poop a lot before they reach the one month mark!
Formula feeding: Formula fed babies usually have firmer poops, with a peanut butter-like consistency. Normal colors range from brown to green to yellow.

It might be an allergic/GI condition if you see:

Mucous – This looks like what comes out of your nose and is sticky when you open the diaper. A little bit can be normal, but if you see a lot and for an extended period of time, it can be a sign of a food allergy.
Diarrhea – If your baby is having runnier than normal poops 2-4 times per day for more than 5 days, this is a sign that something is wrong.
Blood – Red or black poops can both be a sign of blood in the digestive tract and are often signs of an allergy or uncontrolled reflux.

Note: Remember that some babies’ milk protein allergy exhibits itself in other ways, like eczema, extreme fussiness or reflux. A baby with a milk protein allergy might have just one of these symptoms or any combination of them. If you see any of the symptoms, talk with your child’s pediatrician.

What to expect from an elemental formula (like Neocate):

When babies first start on an elemental diet such as Neocate, it may take up to 2-3 weeks for their systems to adjust and have consistent stools. If they seem to be constipated, massaging your baby’s belly or moving their legs around can help get things moving.
Also, Neocate babies often have poops that can change in consistency and color when they first start on the formula. This is because Neocate is a low residue formula. Low residue formulas lower the number of bacteria in the gut leading to reduced breakdown of bile. More bile is present in the poop making it darker in color.

Any other questions? Give us a shout!

-Sarah

Allergy Resources – Facebook?!

2009-10-22T13:58:00.000-04:00

We've Moved!

Be sure to check it all out at www.FoodAllergyLiving.net and let us know what you think. Also, don't forget to update your bookmarks and RSS feeds. See you all there!

Facebook might not be the first place you think to look when it comes to searching for info about your child with food allergies or other GI conditions. In fact, I was a little hesitant when someone suggested we start up a Neocate Facebook fan page. But as I’ve become more familiar with the tool, I’ve discovered that there are many great fan pages and groups on Facebook devoted to the topic of food allergies. And it really is a helpful tool for connecting to other parents that might be going through similar situations and share stories, news and advice.

Some of my Facebook favorites include:

American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders
Best Allergy Sites
Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network
Go Dairy Free
Kids With Food Allergies

You can also join the discussion on the Neocate fan page. We sometimes offer coupons to Fans and parents have found that it’s a good place to share their stories with other parents, get answers to their Neocate and allergy-related questions, and keep up to date on allergy related news and more!

Do you have a favorite Facebook fan page or group? Let us know in the comments!

-Nita

Cooking With Neocate

2009-10-20T10:47:00.000-04:00

Lately, I’ve been getting a number of calls from parents about ideas for solid foods for their kids, even when the child’s diet is still severely restricted because of a milk allergy, EE or allergic GERD. Did you know that you can actually use an amino acid based formula, like Neocate, as a recipe ingredient?

Here are some guidelines for cooking with Neocate Junior:

Reconstituted Neocate One+ or Neocate Junior may be heated gently but not boiled.
Preferably add Neocate One+ or Neocate Junior as a dry powder to each portion of cooked food just prior to consuming. Let food cool to eating temperature before adding the powder.
The amount of Neocate One+ or Neocate Junior that could be added to a child-sizeportion will vary depending on the age, the type of food and the size of the portion. However, too large a dose of Neocate One+ or Neocate Junior in a small portion of food would present a high osmotic load and affect palatability. We recommend starting at 15 - 25 g of powder (see household measurements) per portion and increase gradually as tolerated to a maximum of approximately 50 g of powder per portion, depending on age and portion size.
Water or other fluids must always be given with or after foods containing Neocate One+ or Neocate Junior.
If the foods containing Neocate One+ or Neocate Junior are refused or left, the equivalent amount of Neocate One+ or Neocate Junior should be given as a drink.
Neocate One+ or Neocate Junior could be added to rice pudding, soups, casseroles, mashed potatoes, broths, etc.

Remember, only use recipes that have ingredients that are easily tolerated by your baby or child.

Do you have a favorite recipe that you use? We encourage you to share it with us.

- Christine

Safe and Spooky Halloween Tips

2009-10-13T16:36:00.002-04:00

With Halloween just a few weeks away, your little ones are probably getting excited about their costumes, class parties and trick-or-treating. And while these can be fun experiences for children, they can be potentially dangerous for those with food allergies.

Fortunately, with a little advance planning, you and your little ones can have a safe and spooky Halloween without the risk of an allergic reaction. Here are some tips and safe treats to help you prepare:

Halloween Parties

For Halloween parties (especially at school), it always helps to be involved in the planning process and to attend. You can also volunteer to bring your child’s favorite sweet treat for everyone to try. Some safe options include this recipe for Dairy Free Caramel Apples or these delicious dairy and gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Trick-or-Treating

Most important when trick-or-treating is to examine your children’s candy before they eat any of it. Depending on the severity of their allergy, you may want to have them avoid putting their hands into candy bowls (since candy wrappers could be contaminated with allergens like nuts or dairy). Have neighbors drop the candies into their bags directly, or incorporate gloves into their costume design.

Consider creating a “swap-out” bag of allergy-safe treats, DVDs or books that they can enjoy at home. Divvies Chocolate Ghosts are delicious dairy, nut and egg-free treats. If there are other children in your neighborhood with food allergies, you can set an example by handing out non-food goodies like stickers.

For even more tips and ideas for an allergy-safe Halloween, check out the Kids with Food Allergies Halloween Guide. What tips do you follow for a safe Halloween?

-Mallory

Deciphering Allergy Advisory Labels

2009-10-09T15:19:00.001-04:00

Grocery shopping can be a daunting task for parent of kids with food allergies, and inconsistent labeling terms doesn’t make it any easier. There are currently more than 30 different labeling types! While the FDA mandates that foods containing the top 8 allergens are labeled, there is no law mandating “accidental-allergy warnings” in case a food in cross contaminated during production. And it’s not always clear exactly what the terms/statements on labels really means for your child.

Here are some of the most common terms on food labels, and what each of them means. If there are any more you’re curious about, let us know.

Dairy Free: Food that is labeled as “Dairy Free” may still contain casein, whey or other milk products. It is important to check the ingredient lists of these products for hidden dairy. GoDairyFree.org has a great list of hidden dairy in a variety of products.

Gluten-Free: According to CNN, “The FDA has recently issued standards for foods to be labeled "gluten free." Currently, the "gluten free" label is voluntary — that is, it's up to the manufacturer whether to include it. Many foods are naturally gluten-free and may or may not be labeled as such.” Products with this designation shouldn’t contain gluten, which is a main component of wheat, however some studies have shown low levels. A great resource is csaceliacs.org, which has a list of safe foods.

Manufactured on the Same Line As/Made in Same Factory As: This means that while the food may not contain the allergen directly, it was manufactured on machinery used to make other products containing potential allergens like peanuts.

May Contain: Even though there are no allergens in the product, they could be cross-contaminated (for example if they share a production facility that manufactures a product containing allergens). Proceed with caution!

Do you have any other tips for navigating the aisles of your grocery store?

-Christine

Is the H1N1 Vaccine Safe For Your Allergic Child?

2009-10-07T08:55:00.000-04:00

The long awaited H1N1 vaccine is being rolled out this week in Indiana and Tennessee. One of the first priorities for vaccination is young children, and many schools are planning to implement vaccination programs in the coming weeks. However, as with any vaccine or medicine, parents of food allergic children need to be cautious.

Since the serum for the vaccine is incubated in eggs, Dr. Calman Prussin, an asthma specialist at the National Institutes of Health who's also an expert in vaccine side effects.recommends that children with egg allergies not get the flu vaccine in either the nasal mist or injection form. If your child has a less severe egg allergy, you may be able to consult with an allergist to determine if the vaccine dose can be divided into safe increments.

If you have a child that is not able to be vaccinated, it is important to take basic preventative measures such as hand washing, covering your mouth and staying home when sick to keep them healthy.

Are you planning on having your children vaccinated for H1N1?

-Nita

FAAN Kids’ Congress on Capitol Hill

2009-10-02T13:57:00.001-04:00

This week 80 kids with food allergies from around the country are gathered in Washington, D.C. to help raise awareness about food allergy at the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) Kids’ Congress on Capitol Hill. The “Junior Ambassadors” will visit with legislators to share their experiences about living with food allergies and to urge them to pass the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act (FAAMA) and fund food allergy research and education.

The FAAMA bill has been reintroduced to Congress after it was passed by the House in 2008, but was not taken up by the Senate before Congress adjourned last summer.

To find out more about the Kids’ Congress and how you can support the FAAMA bill, visit the FAAN Web site.

-Mallory

Introducing Neocate Flavor Straws

2009-09-30T11:00:00.001-04:00

Great News – Neocate just launched new dairy-free Flavor Straws! Available in Strawberry, Banana and Cookies and Cream the straws are kid-friendly and designed to introduce new flavors to children on Neocate Junior and Neocate One+.

Interested in trying out the straws? Visit www.Nutricia-NA.com/flavorstraws. Nutricia is offering 20 Flavor Straws free for every case of Neocate Junior or Neocate One+ that you purchase.

Also, check with your healthcare provider for samples.

Do you think your children will enjoy Flavor Straws? Let us know what you think and which flavors are their favorites!

- Sarah

Halloween Food Allergy Twitter Party

2009-09-24T17:59:00.002-04:00

Halloween is a little over a month away, and we know that all those treats can be tricky when you have little ones with food allergies. To help you plan for a fun and safe celebration, Ruth Smith of www.bestallergysites.com and Jennifer Buteau of www.foodallergybuzz.com are hosting a Halloween Food Allergy Twitter Party! If you participated in their past Twitter Parties about Back to School and Food Allergy Awareness Week you know this is a great way to connect with other parents in the food allergy community to share tips and ideas.

The party will take place on Friday, October 2nd from 9:30 PM to 10:20 PM (EST) at summize.com or tweetgrid.com. The hashtag for the party is #foodallergy.

The discussion will cover safe Halloween treats, parties, trick-or-treating and more. There will also be a chance to win some great door prizes. For more information, and to RSVP, be sure to check out the event invitation here.

Hope to see you all there!

-Christine

Allergy Dogs Are Saving Children’s Lives

2009-09-22T10:08:00.001-04:00

As many food allergy parents know, sending your little ones off to school or daycare can be a nerve-wracking experience. Without a carefully controlled environment, children could accidentally come into contact with allergenic foods and experience an anaphylactic reaction. And while many schools are making the change to “peanut-free” zones, there are few that prohibit other food allergens such as milk.

Enter Angel Service Dogs. These furry friends are specially trained to sniff out trace amounts of allergens and then alert their handler to these potential threats. These service dogs can shadow young children at school or daycare when parents aren’t around to watch their child’s every move. For example, the dog can enter the cafeteria ahead of the child and sniff out and signal the presence of allergens.

Unfortunately, these life-saving dogs come with a steep price tag - $15,000. But for families like the Slobodians in Lindenhurst, Illinois, the cost is worth it for an extra layer of protection for their daughter Kate. They are working hard to raise the money by hosting special fundraisers in their town.

Hopefully more dogs will be trained to detect allergens and will help make life a bit easier for children with severe food allergies.

- Nita

After School Special: Milk-Free Shakes

2009-09-17T10:12:00.001-04:00

With the school year back in full swing, we wanted to share with you a tasty, healthy and safe after-school snack. This “Milk-Free Shake” is made with Neocate Nutra, a hypoallergenic, amino acid-based semi-solid medical food that is a good source of calcium and Vitamin D. You can also vary the recipe by substituting other tolerated fruits for the banana in this shake. Enjoy!

Milk-Free Banana Shake

• 8 scoops (37 g) Neocate Nutra powder
• 2 fl oz water
• ½ cup banana, sliced
• 2 ice cubes

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Pour into container and enjoy.

Yields 1 serving.

Calories 240
Protein 4 g
Carbohydrate 42 g
Fat 7 g
Calcium 254 mg
Vitamin D 2mcg

For other snack ideas, check out the Neocate Nutra Recipe Guide.

-Mallory

Faster Food-Safety Alerts

2009-09-15T10:03:00.002-04:00

We have written about the dangers of food contamination for allergic children before, and last week the FDA implemented a new system to help identify potential problems much faster.

Companies will now be required to use an electronic food registry to alert the FDA within 24 hours of finding good contamination that could cause people to become severely ill or die. This is a huge improvement over the past, when the FDA was only notified of contamination when people became ill. If a company fails to report potential food-borne outbreaks within 24 hours they will face an injunction, fines or other punishment.

Luckily for parents, the makers of infant formula are already required to report contamination problems to the FDA through a separate electronic system. However, it is nice to know that now ALL of our food will be subject to more intense scrutiny.

-Christine

Hope For a Milk Allergy Cure at Children’s Hospital Boston

2009-09-10T13:08:00.000-04:00

A new Milk Allergy Desensitization study is being conducted at Children’s Hospital Boston. Cameras followed the first patient to participate in the study, Brett Nasuti, along the way. Brett is 11 years old and was born with allergies to 15 different foods, including a severe milk allergy.

The first video in this three part series features Brett and his mother Robin talking about the challenges the family faces living with his milk allergy. In the second video Dr. Lynda Schneider, MD, the Allergy Program Director, discusses the details of her groundbreaking study and how the clinical trial works. Finally, in the third video we get to watch as Brett takes his first “sips” of milk to test his tolerance.

You’ll have to watch the videos to see the outcome of Brett’s first experience with milk, but this little guy has a great attitude throughout the process. Hopefully this study will bring new hope and a cure for food allergies!

-Nita

When Cookie Dough Becomes Dangerous

2009-09-03T15:27:00.000-04:00

I came across this article the other day in The Washington Post about a woman in Las Vegas who has been fighting for her life since eating a tube of cookie dough contaminated with E. coli bacteria. The article highlights the real dangers of food contamination. While this is always a concern for those with food allergies who could have severe reactions to food that is contaminated with unknown allergens, the general public now also runs the risk of bacterial contamination in the food supply.

Fortunately, as the article reports, Congress is taking action:

“In July, the House approved legislation that would give the Food and Drug Administration broad new powers and place new responsibilities on food producers. The bill would speed up the ability of health officials to track down the source of an outbreak and give the government the power to mandate a recall, rather than rely on food producers to voluntarily pull tainted products from the shelves.”

This bill also gives the FDA the power to act quickly in response to food that contains undeclared allergens, which is great news for those living with food allergies. Hopefully this important legislation will be passed by Congress and help prevent tragedies like this one.

-Mallory

How an iPhone Can Help Manage Your Food Allergies

2009-09-01T14:16:00.002-04:00

As anyone dealing with food allergies knows, grocery shopping and eating out can be daunting tasks. Fortunately, new technology is making managing food allergies a little easier. By making use of some handy iPhone apps you can get help identifying safe food options in the grocery store and when you are traveling or away from home.

Allergy Companion NoPeanut features a list of foods to avoid at popular chain restaurants in the United States and Canada, emergency and allergy restaurant cards in multiple languages, and links to information about allergens. Cost: $2.99.

Eat Safe! is designed for travelers with food allergies who don’t speak the language of the country they are visiting. It uses graphics to show what items people are allergic to, including Milk, Eggs, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Fish, Shellfish, Soy and Wheat. Cost: $2.99.

iCanEat OnTheGo Gluten & Allergen Free(TM) helps you search for allergen free items from 15 fast food chains in the United States. The application allows users to select from one or any combination of the 9 most common allergens including eggs, fish, gluten, milk, peanuts, shellfish, soy, tree nuts and wheat. The app hides items that contain the selected allergen and lists only the safe options from a database of over 1,500 menu items at Arby's, Boston Market, Burger King, Chick-fil-A, Dairy Queen, Domino's, Dunkin' Donuts, KFC, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Qdoba, Sonic, Subway, Taco Bell & Wendy's. Cost: $4.99.

Pepper Stuff Gluten-Free Restaurant Cards From Celiac Travel provides allergy cards in multiple languages that individuals with celiac disease can show at restaurants when they are traveling abroad. Cost: FREE.

WebArtisan Food Additives provides information about what several hundred common food additives are derived from and notes which ones are gluten-free. Cost: $3.99.

All of these apps are available for download in the iTunes store. Have you used any of these Food Allergy Apps or do you know of any others? Let us know in the comments section!

-Christine

Moving Toward a Cure: FAAN Walk for Food Allergy

2009-08-28T11:19:00.000-04:00

This fall, Neocate will be attending the FAAN Walk for Food Allergy in several different cities around the country. These walks are organized by the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network to raise public awareness, to provide advocacy and education, and to advance research on behalf of all those affected by food allergies and anaphylaxis.

Here is a list of the walks Neocate will be participating in:

Houston, TX – September 12
Long Branch, NJ – September 12
San Francisco, CA – September 12
Chicago, IL – September 26
Fairfax, VA – September 26
Boston, MA – October 4
Baltimore, MD – October 10
Long Island, NY – October 11
Ridgewood, NJ – October 18
Philadelphia – October 31
Dallas, TX – November 14

For a complete list of cities and to register for a walk in your area, visit the FAAN Web site. Are you and your children planning on attending a walk or organizing a team? If so, we would love to hear how you are participating! And if you are going to be attending any of the walks mentioned above, make sure you stop by the Neocate booth and say hi!

-Nita

Product Recall Alert – Kroger Super Kids Enriched White Sandwich Bread

2009-08-25T09:47:00.005-04:00

If you are making sandwiches for your children’s first week of school, watch out! National grocery store chain Kroger has issued a recall of Kroger brand Super Kids Enriched White Sandwich Bread because it may contain milk, which is not listed as an ingredient on the label.

The bread is sold in 20-ounce packages with the UPC number 1111000831, and lists various “Best If Used By” dates. Kroger stores in Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia are recalling the bread.

Customers should return the product to stores for a refund or replacement. If you have questions about the recall, you can contact Kroger toll-free at (800) 632-6900. For more information, please visit http://bit.ly/29LBjx.

P.S. Always read labels carefully. Though it doesn’t apply in this case (the Kroger bread didn’t list milk on the label at all) sometimes milk shows up on packaged good/formula labels as other names like “casein” or “whey.”

-Mallory

A Summer Treat: Dairy Free Ice Cream

2009-08-20T18:56:00.002-04:00

With the heat and humidity reaching their peaks this month, we wanted to share with you a recipe for dairy-free ice cream that is both nutritious and delicious for your little ones.

Nutra Apple Milk-Free Ice Cream

Ingredients:

8 scoops (37 g) Neocate Nutra powder
3 Tbsp applesauce, unsweetened
2 fl oz water
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp sugar (optional)

Blend ingredients. Place in a container and freeze for approximately 3 hours. Serve and enjoy.

Yields one serving.

Nutritional Information:

Calories - 200
Protein - 3 g
Carbohydrate - 32 g
Fat - 7 g
Calcium - 257 mg
Vitamin D - 2 mcg

For some other ideas, including a recipe for mashed potatoes and applesauce oatmeal, check out Neocate’s Nutra Recipe Guide.

Remember, only use recipes that have ingredients that are easily tolerated by your baby or child.

Do you have a favorite recipe that you use? We encourage you to share it with us. And let us know what you think of the Nutra Apple Milk-Free Ice Cream recipe above.

-Christine