Released Today: The CDC Guide to Managing Food Allergies in Schools

Today,October 30, 2013, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) published “Voluntary Guidelines for Managing Food Allergies in Schools and Early Care and Education Programs." It is the first national comprehensive guidelines to help schools manage food allergies in their facilities and with their students.

This guide was created for schools, but I think every parent should download it and read it. It will help parents with food allergic kids understand what you can expect from schools, and also help parents of kids who have no food allergies understand why these regulations are in place. It might even help a parent save a kids life.

A Quick Snapshot of the Guide

The guide was created with the help of a team of experts, including federal agencies with the expertise in food allergies, consumer organizations who give advice on the clinical management of food allergies (like FARE and The American Academy of Pediatrics), organizations who represnt professional groups who work in schools, like school nurses.  They also worked with one school district, one state education agency, and two parents of food allergic kids.

The guide also takes into account the emotional needs & symptoms of food allergic kids, as well as guidelines on how to deal with bullying. Emotional needs are important, as well, since "the peanut table" can be a very lonely experience, as can be being forced to eat in the nurse's or principle's office.

The guide describes the symptoms of a classic allergic reaction, and how to recognize it as such from a clinical perspective, including mental and emotional symptoms. A child, for instance might have a sudden mood change or have a "sense of impending doom." I've certainly experienced this as part of a food allergy reaction, and I'm super glad that they included emotional symptoms in the guide.

The guide also gives examples of how a kid might describe a classic allergic reaction (one that might result in anaphylaxis). Here are a few examples:

• It feels like something is poking my tongue.
• There’s a frog in my throat; there’s something
• stuck in my throat.
• My tongue feels full (or heavy).
• My lips feel tight.
• It feels like there are bugs in there
• (to describe itchy ears).

A very important component of the guide is the strategic planning and framework section. It helps the schools set up a system for the school so they can properly and quickly respond to an emergency, and document any emergency, so they can learn from any incident that might occur. This includes guidelines on professional development and training for any staff who has frequent contact with food allergic kids.

It also sets up a system for each child to help prevent and reduce the risk of any emergency, including child/parent education. How many times have we heard that a parent didn't realize that their food allergy posed such a risk for their child? The parent didn't learn from the doctor who diagnosed the child, but learned from an emergency room visit?

There are several sections that describe how to put these guidelines into practice, including checklists and recommended practices from the cafeteria to the bus, to field trips, to outside groups who use the school. 

Finally, the guide gives a clear description on the Laws that govern food allergies:

• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504)
• the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)h
• Governing Statutes and Regulation for U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Child Nutrition Programs (CNPs)
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
• Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974

...and a very comprehensive list of federal resourses to help schools and individuals find and understand the laws.  These are listed at the end.

This is an incredible resource with a great deal of information, that is very well organized. 

Download it here:  Voluntary Guidelines for Managing Food Allergies in Schools and Early Care and Education Programs.

You can also read more about this, and find other resources on the FARE website.

More Than Just a Pretty Plate. Food Stylist, Laura Goble.

Food Stylist, Laura Goble; Photograph, Jeff Hage, Green Frog PhotoEvery once in a while, I get the opportunity to step away from food allergies, and simply talk to beautiful and interesting people in the world of food. My conversation with Laura Goble is one of those inspirational moments that I'm honored to share with you.  ~Elisabeth

What is a Food Stylist?

“I’m lucky. I love my job.”

When you hear this at the beginning of an interview, you know the conversation will be fun. Food stylist Laura Goble loves food, knows how to cook, and has a creative streak and gobs of energy. Her job isn’t just to make food look pretty for the camera; it’s about balancing editorial and creative, and then integrating a strategy around that pretty food.  

Laura has worked with the United Dairy Farmers, Michigan Apples and the Horseradish Information Council as well as cookbook authors, film producers, and major brands and advertisers. She puts together budgets, creates recipes, and often art directs the shoot as well as styles the chow.  

The task board for this photo shoot. Photo, Jeff Hage, Green Frog Photo.

But what exactly does a food stylist do?

Laura explains, “People have this perception that it’s magic. There are many tricks of the trade, like using Pine Sol to make melted cheese, or motor oil for pancake syrup. Glycerin is popular to make food look fresh, but it gets onto everything. I use very few additives like that.  I think that food is beautiful on its own. You just need the ability to see it, and then help the photographer catch it.”

Laura & Photographer, Brad Bruce on Set

Laura has always loved to cook, but food wasn’t always her gig. After a divorce seven years ago she was forced to drastically rethink her life. As she hung out at photo shoots with another mom who just happened to be a food stylist, she became hooked. Since food styling degrees don’t exist, this was a rare opportunity to apprentice with a veteran. After attending culinary school, including Boston College and the Culinary Institute of America, this mother of four stepped into the work of creating appetites.

Last January, photographer Jeff Hage and I had the chance to catch Laura in action at a photo shoot for author Stephanie Howard and “Kidlicious”, a cookbook full of plant-based foods for kids. The goal was to get twelve shots a day with a staff of four, which is ambitious, especially when working with natural light in a Michigan winter. But very cool to watch.

Food Stylist Toolbag, Photo, Jeff Hage, Green Frog Photo

The two most iconic images of the day were Laura’s stylist bag and back pocket. A set of dentist tweezers that screamed, “It’s about the details, folks!” was the most talked about item. As Laura dunked cilantro into Dawn dishwashing liquid to perk it up, she uncloaked a little more of the stylist mystery. Dawn also clears grease spots from soup. Trident gum is always on the job because, “you can chew it, pop it, and it’s the right thickness to make things stick.” Sometimes she magically mixes canned frosting and powdered sugar to use in place of real ice cream because it sits pretty for long periods of time and doesn’t break a sweat.

Laura w/ the iconic tweeze. Photograph, Jeff Hage, Green Frog Photo

“Food styling uses a lot of intuition.  When you look at a bottle, it’s not a bottle. You see its shape, the light, the composition of the shot.”  

Thus, from her intuition and a pile of dishes, glasses, fabrics and colors emerged the perfect setting for smoothies, the right patterns for nachos, and some added color for a flawlessly placed noodle.

Laura is now highly successful, but she doesn’t forget that someone opened that door for her. She has a passion for developing new talent, and recently moved into a live / work space on Fulton Street called “Acorn Studios”.  She’s fully equipped to host shoots and fulfill her greater creative vision.  

And her pretty plate is chock full of vision.

The kitchen in Acorn Studios. Photo Jeff Hage, Green Frog Photo

Advice on Life, Work, & Becoming a Stylist

FOOD PHILOSOPHY

“Real food.  Everything about it intrigues me. I’m curious to see what and how people eat in different places. My favorite Asian market is in Cleveland – it is just fascinating to see what’s in that market, and what other cultures use for food.”

FAVE G-RAP EATS

“Brewery Vivant has really, really good food.  I’m obsessed with the kale salad at Trillium Haven, and I love Grove.”

Prepping a vegan cake on set. Photo: Jeff Hage, Green Frog PhotoFOOD TRENDS ON SET

• Clients incorporate more whole grains into recipes
• Farm to Table is hot
• Less ingredients, and those that are easy-to-find
• The use of fresh herbs, especially in compound butters
• Kale
• Cost Friendly
• People are starting to care about what they eat
• Clients aren’t as concerned with the perfect photograph, they now look for the “perfectly imperfect”

ADVICE TO BUDDING FOOD STYLISTS

“Don't be a baby.  You need stamina because you are on the go, hauling stuff, and standing a lot.  Love food. Know how to cook. Be resourceful, creative, and willing to go to many places to find just the right thing or the freshest ingredients. Clients might drive you crazy, but you can’t take it personally. It’s all about making their product look great.”

ADVICE ON FINDING A NEW PATH

“You can’t force what you aren’t ready for, and that's OK. I recommend the book by Julia Cameron called, “The Artist’s Way”.  I wrote line after line, stream of consciousness style, and got the junk out of the way. I’ve learned to always say, “yes.” It opens you up to possibilities and makes you figure out how to do it – whatever ‘it’ is. If you can’t, you can always say, ‘no’ later. But I’ve got the balls to do some crazy stuff.  Change affects me, like my kids growing up, but I don’t mind change.  It’s fun.”

 

About the Author

 Elisabeth VeltmanWriter, owner of Blue Pearl Strategies, and lover of all culinary delights, Elisabeth is a Tender Foodie. She started The Tender Palate, a website for foodies with food allergies & The Tender Foodie, its blog, where she consults with experts from every area of the Tender Foodie life. She believes that everyone should live deliciously and have a healthy seat at the table.

Interview w/ Isabel Hoffmann: Her TellSpec device can tell us what allergens & pesticides are in our food.

ARTICLE UPDATE: I regret to report that I have decided to temporarily suspend access to this article. A few credible doubts about the technology have come to The Tender Foodie’s attention, and an interesting discussion has developed in James Randi Educational Foundation Forum, where Dr. Stephen Watson, TellSpec's CTO ("drswatson") is responding with the participants. You can follow that discussion here.

I'm suspending access to the article, not because of the technical doubts/questions, this is a natural discussion and I"m excited to hear how things progress, but because in my excitement about this potentially ground-breaking product, we missed an important detail that came to light in the forum - that the device might not be ready to properly detect allergens at the time of its release, and during its initial testing in the public arena. I feel that there is a misunderstanding here that needs to be completely clarified before we re-post the article.  I've begun corresponding with TellSpec to clarify this, and suspect that this will take some time, but my plan is to re-post the article with the proper clarifications that mitigate the risk of further misunderstanding. I certainly enjoyed speaking to Isabel Hoffmann, TellSpec's CEO during the interview, and should it prove appropriate, look forward to re-posting that interview at the proper time.

The Tender Foodie certainly hopes that this device could be created with great success for the food allergic community, and looks forward to any technical developments and information/proof regarding those developments.  Thank you for your patience.

 Visit the TellSpec Website here.

Other articles about this device:

Fast Company:http://www.fastcoexist.com/3020813/fund-this/point-this-magical-scanner-at-your-food-and-it-will-count-the-calories

Financial Post:http://business.financialpost.com/2013/10/21/how-one-entrepreneur-is-revolutionizing-the-food-industry/

Engadget: TellSpec identifies food ingredients and calories using science

Betakit: http://www.betakit.com/is-tellspec-the-star-trek-tricorder-we-have-been-waiting-for/

CanadianBusiness: Coming soon to your phone: handheld food safety 

Metro News:http://metronews.ca/news/toronto/830736/scanner-analyzes-chemical-makeup-of-your-food/

Health habits:TellSpec answers the question…what is in that food?

Daily News (UK): http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2452714/Tellspec-Future-dieting-Gadget-tells-calories-dinner-scanning.html

Silicon Angel:http://siliconangle.com/blog/2013/10/17/crowdfund-these-smart-gadgets-earring-bluetooth-audio-wrist-allergen-detectors/

Gluten at Your Dentist? Many dental products contain that pesky allergen.

You, The Gluten Detective

When you are first diagnosed with a food allergy or with an auto-immune disease that is triggered by food, such as celiac disease, the path to removing an allergen seems fairly obvious, especially when it comes to gluten. You remove bread and pasta. Then you start reading labels. Then you start looking up words. You, or your child/mother/sister/brother/husband... begin to feel better and stop having reactions until one day, another reaction occurs and you have no idea "what you did wrong." After you finish flogging yourself, you become a detective and go through the list:

1. What did I eat?

2. When did I eat it?  Could I have a reaction that wasn't immediate?  Did I make a mistake today or was it several days ago with something new?

3. Could I have developed an allergy or sensitivity to something new (here's a list of the different types of food reactions)?

4. What did I do wrong? Could it be somewhere that isn't obvious (read the list of surprising place for hidden gluten here)?

If you are allergic to gluten, have gluten sensitivity, or have celiac disease, your detective work centers around that pesky composite of gluten proteins (glutenin & gliadin) found in wheat, rye, barley, triticale, spelt, and some other grains. Your beauty cabinet is your next suspect, because you had heard that gluten can get into your eyes, nose, and mouth through cosmetics and personal care products (read more about cosmetics here).  Supplements and medications are next - could they contain gluten?  Yes they can (read more about supplements and medications here).

BUT THE DENTIST?

Common Gluten-Containing Products in Your Dentist Office (& in Your Home)

I began suspecting that gluten was in my toothpaste because I would wake up about an hour after I went to bed with my heart racing, my intestines, spine, and knuckles swelling, and I wondered what on earth I could have eaten. I did my detective work and found that toothpaste commonly cotains gluten, but it is not found in common language on the label. I switched to Desert Essence gluten-free toothpaste and felt relief immediately.

But after a few days, I had the same thing happen. At 10pm I was tired and ready for bed. I was relaxed and felt like I could sleep for a fortnight. I brushed wtih gluten-free toothpaste, then I flossed with minted dental floss. I'd go to bed and wake up an hour later - again with heart racing, intestines and joints swelling. I went through every possible scenario and the ONLY item that went into my mouth or any other mucous membrane that I had NOT thoroughly researched was the dental floss. I stopped using the dental floss and the next night slept like a baby and after two nights woke up swelling-free.I now use unflavored, unwaxed dental floss and that seems to be fine.

This also made me stop to think. What about the dentist? I always feel pretty crappy after a dental cleaning. I've been avoiding the dentist and it could be for a number of reasons, but I've learned to listen to my intuition - something is making me sick at the dentist.

In my next step of detective work, I found that gluten lurks in many common dental products:

1. Toothpaste

2. Flavored polishing paste

3. Topical anesthetic

4. Fluoride commonly used in many dentist offices

5. Dental Gloves: Make sure they are not powdered. They can be powdered wtih starch, usually starch that contains wheat or could be corn starch cross contaminated with wheat.

6. Dental Floss: unwaxed and unflavored flosses are your best bet, but double check that your dentist has gluten-free floss.

7. The Dentist Mask: the mask itself might not contain gluten, but your dentist may not change the mask between patients and after using gloves that contain gluten. Just request that the mask be changed before your dentist and the assistant put on their gloves and treat you.

8. Clean Hands: Most dentists, of course will wash their hands before putting on their gloves and before treating you. Just make sure that your dentist understands that after handling a potentially gluten-containing product, that he/she and the assistant need to wash their hands before handling anything that they use for you.

9. Orthodonic Retainers & Bite Splints:  A new case study found that a girl was having trouble going into remission from celiac disease because of her retainer.  Gluten is a common additive in plastics. Read more about this study, here.

10. Mouthwash: some mouthwashes - at the dentist and at home, contain gluten. Dental products are not regulated by the FDA, like food is (although tye should be they are going in our mouth!!), so gluten may not be disclosed in the ingredients.

The Moral of the Story?

Check with your dentist before your next visit to see if they are "gluten literate." In other words, do they know, without a doubt, what ingredients are in the products that they use? Do they treat patients with celiac disease and gluten allergies? Gluten might not appear in the ingredients, since by law it does not have to for these particular products (yet). If your dentist office isn't able to or won't properly research the ingredients, ask for alternatives, or find a gluten-free dentist.

As I was working on this article, I ran across another today (serendipity) about a dentist in Boulder Colorado who specializes in gluten-free dentistry!  God bless Boulder, they are the good guys on the cusp of many a food fight. Maybe there is a gluten-free dentist in your town. I'm working on my own dentist right now to see if he can accommodate those of us with food allergies and celiac disease. People might laugh at a sign reading, "Gluten-free Dentist" but there are a lot of us who need one!

Companies Who are Claiming Gluten-free Status

(This list was begun on 10/29/2013. Please use this as a guide, but double check everything yourself against your own allergies & needs. Sometimes companies change formulation or policy, and The Tender Foodie may not be aware of this. Thank you!)

• Oral B Dental Floss
• Oral B Stages Toothpaste (does not say anything about other toothpaste lines)
• Desert Essence Toothpaste

 UPDATES

Update 3/4/2014: Here is a post on Triumph Dining indicating that the study findings were not conclusive - that the plastics in the retainer material may not leach out enough over time to cause alarm.Two dieticians, Amy Jones, MS, RD and Tricia Thompson, MS, RD, contacted the lead author of the study and came to this conclusion:

Amy Jones, MS, RD and Tricia Thompson, MS, RD

The original study led the dietitians to contact the lead author. After discussing, both were still not convinced of the retainer’s guilt in the diagnosis. Due to the half life of tTG (which is 6 months) and an outdated report on the contents of methylmethacrylate (from 1971), Amy Jones and Tricia Thompson concluded that “enough gluten would leach from the retainer to cause an increase in tTG levels seems a bit extraordinary.” - See more at: http://www.triumphdining.com/blog/2014/03/04/is-there-a-link-between-orthodontic-retainers-and-gluten-intolerance/?utm_source=Triumph+Dining+List&utm_campaign=c4ab154054-Newsletter+7%2F23%2F13&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c9c15f454b-c4ab154054-122078121#sthash.PFDy2d3Q.dpuf

 The original study led the dietitians to contact the lead author. After discussing, both were still not convinced of the retainer’s guilt in the diagnosis. Due to the half life of tTG (which is 6 months) and an outdated report on the contents of methylmethacrylate (from 1971), Amy Jones and Tricia Thompson concluded that “enough gluten would leach from the retainer to cause an increase in tTG levels seems a bit extraordinary.

This may put some fears to rest, but this will be an interesting study to follow.

Best Allergen-Free Chocolate 2013

Since I am a chocolaholic, I will always be on the lookout for the best chocolate for baking, cooking, eating and giving.  Here is a start to my list.  I'll keep adding to it and letting you know what else I find out, and publish a new one every year! So let me know your favorites and why.

Cooking, Baking & Confections

Barry Callebaut - North America - DARK CHOCOLATE

Barry Callebaut dark chocolate is used by confection makers, restaurants and bakers world-wide because it is a fantastic chocolate.  The North American factory is a dedicated dairy-free facility, and they test for dairy.  The North American factory also does not produce any gluten or nut products, however, they do not test or monitor sourcing. I use this chocolate for many recipes. 

• Dairy Free (processed on a dedicated dairy-free, dark chocolate North American factory line & tested for milk.)
• Kosher Certified
  
• Vegan (no animal products are processed on their dark chocolate line)
• Soy: Contains small amounts of soy (soy lecithin is used for consistency)
  
• **Gluten: currently, gluten products are not processed in the North American Factory, however, there is no testing for this at the moment. 
• **Nuts: currently, nuts are not processed in the North American Factory, however, there is no testing for this at the moment.  Some European factories do process nuts, so please do your own research.
• Organic Status: not certified organic
• GMO Status?  Currently Unknown.
  
  **It's always best to do your own research and match your personal allergens with those of the company.
  

www.barry-callebaut.com

RECIPES

Check out Tender Palate's gluten & dairy-free recipes for Almond Cognac Truffles (contains nuts) & for our Coconut Truffles  using Callebaut.

Navitas Naturals Raw Cacao Powder

UPDATE 5/13/16

PLEASE NOTE: Navitas started producing tapioca in their factories some time ago, so I am no longer able to use their products because I have an anaphylactic response to tapioca. however, I picked up a package this week to show a friend, and the allegen statement has changed. It states that it processes  in a factory that also produces wheat, dairy, peanuts and more. Please check with the company and the label to be sure that this product is safe for you to consume if you are sensitie or allergic to the top 8 allergnes.

"All of Navitas Naturals products are inherently gluten free and vegan. We do not source or process anything with gluten and therefore our entire production facility is gluten free. We do not have a gluten free certification at this point nor do we test for parts per million for each product, but are working toward doing so for the near future. Our foods are also all dairy free. Again we do not test for parts per million at this time, but no dairy is ever present in our facility."

~Arthur Mullin, Navitas Naturals, IN 2013

• No Gluten: not sourced or processed with gluten, but not tested. In the process of getting gluten-free certification and performing a ppm test for gluten-free certification for raw cacao. Navitas Power Snack line is gluten-free certified.
• No Dairy: no dairy is present in the facility, but not tested for dairy at this time.
• Tree Nuts:  facility processes tree nuts, but handles cashews only.
• Soy: We do not test for parts per million for soy or peanuts. Our superfoods come from around the world and are grown in natural, native habitats. The risk for cross contamination with gluten, soy, or other legumes is extremely low and/or unlikely.
• Peanuts: We do not test for parts per million for soy or peanuts. Our superfoods come from around the world and are grown in natural, native habitats. The risk for cross contamination with gluten, soy, or other legumes is extremely low and/or unlikely.
• Sulfite Free: None of Navitas Naturals products contain sulfites
  
• Organic: All products are certified organic and use minimal processing methods such as freeze-drying. The facility is certified organic.
• GMO Status?  Navitas Naturals products are Non-GMO Project Verified! That means they’ve met the rigorous standards of the Non-GMO Project- an independent non-profit reviewer that ensures products are made according to best practices for GMO avoidance. Organic Facility. Under current FDA regulations, no GMOs are allowed in organic foods.
• Certified Kosher: "Most of our products are certified kosher through Earth Kosher. You can find more information at www.earthkosher.com."

Read the labels for your particular allergens at:  http://navitasnaturals.com

UPDATE 5/13/16

Navitas started producing tapioca in their factories some time ago, so I am no longer able to use their products because I have an anaphylactic response to tapioca. however, I picked up a package this week to show a friend, and the allegen statement has changed. It states that it processes  in a factory that also produces wheat, dairy, peanuts and more. Please check with the company and the label to be sure that this product is safe for you to consume if you are sensitie or allergic to the top 8 allergens.

RECIPES

Here's a recipe for a 14 allergen free (also not nuts/peanuts) Not Yo Mamma's Chocolate Mousse Tart & Chocolate Squash Muffins using Navitas Raw Cacao. Both are soy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, tapioca-free.

Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

& Bittersweet Chunks

This is a great little chunk. The chocolate is very good, high quality and can be used in most of your baking needs. I've even used it to make truffles, which surprised me that these chunks would work for confection. Enjoy LIfe chocolate products do contain tapioca.

• Free of the 8 most common allergens (NO wheat, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish, or shellfish. Also made without casein, potato, sesame or sulfites).
• Nut-free (tested and produced in a dedicated nut-free and gluten-free facility)
• Gluten-free  (tested and produced in a dedicated nut-free and gluten-free facility)
• **Dairy-free (tested)
• **Soy-free (tested)
• **(produced in a facility that also processes dairy and soy, but produced on a dedicated dairy-and soy-free line.  Ingredients have been additionally tested for the presence of dairy and soy)
• Contains Tapioca
• GMO status?  Currently unknown.
• Organic Status? Not organic

Read the labels for your particular allergens at: http://www.enjoylifefoods.com

RECIPES

Here's a recipe using these chunks/chips for Coconut Cream Muffins & Brownie Tart

Giving & Eating

Eating Evolved - The Primal Dark Chocolate Company

Eating Evolved Vanilla Latte TruffleI have not yet tasted these incredible looking treats myself, but am adding them to this list because I've read other reviews which loved them. It is also rare to find a chocolate product that has no dairy, soy, gluten, or tapioca in it.  I corresponded with Eating Evolved on Facebook to find out more specific information on how they handle common allergens.  Here is what they said:

Our chocolates are completely gluten, dairy, soy-free and is made in a facility that is free of those allergens. We do have three flavors of Primal Chocolate that contain nuts (banana walnut, coconut almond, and fig & almond) so our facility is not nut-free.

No Gluten: no gluten in the ingredietns and made in a gluten-free facility but is not yet tested for gluten. Gluten testing is in the company's future plans.

No Dairy: no dairy n the ingredients and made in a dairy-free facility but is not yet tested for dairy. Dairy testing is in the company's future plans.

No Soy: no soy in the ingredients and made in a soy-free facility but is not yet tested for soy. Soy testing is in the company's future plans.

No Tapioca: ingredients are tapioca free

Organic Status: All ingredients are organic except for the coffee beans used in the Maple Bacon Mocha Truffle and the Vanilla Latte Primal Chocolate. The estate that produces the coffee beans is Passive Organic and the family that owns it does not allow chemicals (herbicides, pesticides, etc.). Click here to find out more about the coffee beans they use.

All of our ingredients are organic except for the coffee beans used in the Maple Bacon Mocha Truffle and the Vanilla Latte Primal Chocolate. The estate that produces the coffee beans is Passive Organic and the family that owns it does not allow chemicals (herbicides, pesticides, etc.). Click here to find out more about the coffee beans we use. - See more at: http://eatingevolved.com/?page_id=78#sthash.4c8jgRWA.dpuf

Tree Nuts: Certain products contain nuts

Peanuts: Though there are no peanuts in Eating Evolved products, nor are there any in their facility, Some of their ingredients that they get from other vendors are packaged in facilites that handle peanuts.

http://eatingevolved.com/

Righteously Raw

This is dark stuff, and I love, love, love it. If you haven't had raw chocolate that isn't too sweet, this might be a palate changer for you. The chocolate is developed to contain many phytonutrients from superfoods, including the raw cacao itself. I always feel like I feel better after I eat one of these bars. I don't think its my imagination! The acai and maca are my favorites. The caramel, which I also like, is an acquired taste (it doesn't taste like typical caramel), as is the rose. But I wouldn't kick them out of my shopping cart.

No Dairy: Certified Vegan, no dairy in the facility

No Gluten: Facility is free of gluten / wheat

No Soy: Facility is free from soy

No Peanuts: Facility is free from peanuts

No Nuts: Facility is free from nuts

PLEASE NOTE: I have a call in to discuss any testing that they do, and to see if any of their suppliers have allergens in their facilities. Stay tuned for more info on that.

Ceritifed Kosher

Certified Organic

GMO Status: part of the non-GMO project (love that)

Indie Candy 

Indie Candy makes allergen-free confections for Tender Foodies of all kinds.  Their truffles are very good, and they cater to several special diets. They offer selections that are:

• Gluten-free
• Dairy-free
• Soy-free
• Nut-free
• Kosher
• Vegan
• Feingold Diet Approved
• Contains Tapioca
  

www.indiecandy.com

Check out what The Tender Foodie has to say about Indie Candy in our Review.