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FOOD FOOD ALLERGIESALLERGIES
A Parent’s PerspectiveA Parent’s Perspectivebyby
Kimberley Madden-SnoadKimberley Madden-Snoad
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Finding OutFinding Out• 0-6 months: Breastfed but- Widespread eczema requiring
moisturiser 5 x daily. • 6 months: serious reaction to baby
museli containing milk powder• Specialist diagnosed milk and egg
allergy; advised to delay introducing wheat until one year of age, and peanuts until three years.
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More AllergiesMore AllergiesOne to two years of age:• Reacted to kiwifruit, walnuts and
peas• Mainly skin reactions (hives) but
swollen tongue in one reaction indicated risk of anaphylaxis
• Specialist prescribed an EpiPen. These cost $135 each and we need two at all times.
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Ongoing Specialist TestsOngoing Specialist Tests• Confirmed list of 5 food allergies: Cows Milk (Dairy), Eggs, Tree nuts, Kiwifruit
and Peas.• Peanut allergy cleared through a food-
challenge.*• Specialist check up at least once a year.*Hasn’t made food more accessible as most
labels with ‘may contain traces of peanuts’ also contain traces of tree nuts and/or dairy.
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Managing Food AllergiesManaging Food Allergies• Had to learn to bake at home as ‘allergy-
friendly’ biscuits etc are expensive and hard to find;
• Meals have to be prepared from scratch because most processed foods (e.g. pre-prepared sauces) either contain or warn of potential contamination of allergens.
• Share recipes through Allergy New Zealand and our local support group.Probably eat healthier foods as a result!!
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Shopping for Safe FoodShopping for Safe Food• Takes at least 20% more time than normal• Have to read every label every time:
- allergens previously not listed on a product can suddenly appear on the label;
- ingredients added to a product we have used safely in the past.
Not checking the label every time could put my daughter at risk
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Warning StatementsWarning Statements• Many FA consumers believe ‘may contain’
warnings are more about food manufacturers avoiding legal liability;
• We follow Allergy New Zealand’s advice to always heed warnings, even though it really limits our choices;
• I never buy a product with ‘may contain’ but
• I assume a product labelled ‘ made in a factory where..’ is less risk than ‘made on a line where…’ – but this may not be correct.
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Contacting ManufacturersContacting Manufacturers• E.g. All brands of pasta seem to have
warning statements, so I have had to ring manufacturers for information to try and assess the risk;
• Manufacturers not always helpful e.g. refusing to say whether a product was made on the same line as another product containing nuts.
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Plain wordsPlain words• Have noticed that labels now tend to list
allergens in their common English terms. This makes it much easier to read and understand labels.
• However a Garlic Bread bought recently had ‘whey powder’ instead of dairy. This could have been a serious problem because it was a relative who bought it thinking it was safe for my daughter.
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Family DietFamily Diet• Whole family is excluded from eggs, tree
nuts, peas and kiwifruit;• Dairy is allowed on basis of:
- replaceable with soy products for my daughter e.g. yoghurt or ice-cream- strict hand-washing rules apply even to my 3½ year old.
• In spite of strict precautions my daughter had two severe reactions last year probably from a trace of dairy. Both required going to A & E.
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Eating outEating out• My daughter needs to learn how to
eat out safely• Very stressful because of the number
of food allergies she has but is really unavoidable
• Other parents say staff often don’t seem to understand the importance of providing accurate information
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Current ChallengesCurrent Challenges• School:
i) Being able to avoid the allergens concerned and not have a reaction
ii) Emergency response in case of a reaction.• Medical services:
i) Need at least yearly check-ups with an Allergy Specialist
ii) Cost of the EpiPen (on top of all the other expenses involved)• Long Term: Our specialist advises it is unlikely she will
outgrow any of her allergies so she will probably have to cope with them for life unless a cure is found.