Monday, August 4, 2008
Whew! There have been a lot of topics covered here in the last week or two, so I thought I would take the time to address some of them.
First of all, thanks for all of the great comments regarding "The Great Nut-Free Baking Debate." I urge you all to check out "mama o' the matrices" "tiered" approach. It sounds great. I also want to compliment all of the responders on their positive, polite and flexible approaches to dealing with well-meaning friends and family who want to bake for our kids. I think the lesson learned here is: tell people (nicely) all the important details, but never leave home without a back-up treat for your child.
Also, I got the fabric allergy bracelet from American Medical ID in the mail last week and I'm really happy with it. It was a bit long but it is adjustable and my daughter enjoys wearing it. She says it's a lot more comfortable (and cuter) than the metal chain-link style she wore in the past. If you are looking for allergy alert bracelets, you should check it out.
Finally, I still have not heard a word from the "gourmet retailer," regarding their allergy practices, but in a recent post, lizzby confirmed what many of us already thought. She says she called Williams-Sonoma (I should have just picked up the phone! Talk about lazy...) and they told her they use a "blanket" allergy warning for their products because they don't know the practices of all of their food manufacturers. Thank you for this info, Lizzy! It's kind of what we all suspected and you confirmed our suspicions.
While I appreciate allergy labels in the first place, I'm so disappointed that I have to avoid a product at certain stores simply because no one wants to take the time (or incur the liability) to "properly" label it. I wonder if these food manufacturers know that they are losing a lot of dollars to food-allergic consumers who would otherwise buy their product? Anyone up for writing them a letter or e-mail letting them know this is the case?
A final thought: I just got my daughter's back-to-school packet for registration (yikes!) and I urge you all to get your EpiPens and emergency food allergy plans in order. The allergists are getting super-busy and it's hard to get through to their offices this time of year!