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Celiac.com 04/06/2021 - We get a lot of questions from celiac community members wondering if certain products are gluten-free. One question we see a lot is about snack products, especially peanuts. Specifically, are Planter's Peanuts gluten-free and safe for people with celiac disease? While Planter's does not label their Classic Peanuts, Cocktail Peanuts, or Extra Large Virginia Peanuts as gluten-free, the products do not contain added gluten, and the only allergen listed on the label is peanut. They also do not have a disclaimer, such as: packed in a facility that also processes wheat products. Moreover, Celiac.com has not seen any complaints about people with celiac disease having gluten reactions to Planter's Peanuts. Planter's Classic Peanuts, Cocktail Peanuts, or Extra Large Virginia Peanuts contain: PEANUTS, SEA SALT, PEANUT OIL. Listed allergens: Peanut So, while Planter's Peanuts peanuts may not be labeled gluten-free, they are naturally gluten-free and can be considered gluten-free and safe for people with celiac disease. Planter's Peanuts make the perfect snack for your favorite gluten-free cocktails. As always, read labels, listen to your gut, and choose carefully. If you're looking for snacks labeled gluten-free, then be sure to check out these top brands of gluten-free potato chips, gluten-free popcorn, and gluten-free cheese puffs.

Celiac.com 07/29/2021 - Ukko, a company focused on developing artificial-intelligence designed products and solutions to food allergies, just announced a successful $40 million funding round. Their first effort will be to develop non-allergenic gluten protein and gluten-neutralized ingredients that can be used to in baked goods for celiacs and people with gluten sensitivity. At the same time, they are also working on a safe peanut allergy treatment that focuses on creating a safer therapeutic approach for allergic people undergoing desensitization treatment. Ukko plans to develop a safer peanut allergy treatment by using their non-allergenic version of peanut protein. For gluten allergies, Ukko is working on a safe gluten protein that can be used for numerous products in both commercial and manufacturing markets. Interestingly, Ukko also plans to use its flour products to produce their own line of gluten-free bread that will be available commercially. Current investors in Ukko include lead investor Leaps by Bayer, the venture arm of the pharmaceutical giant, Continental Grain Company, PeakBridge Ventures, SkyViews Life Science and Fall Line Capital, Khosla Ventures, Innovation Endeavors, and TIME Ventures. Read more in Food Dive.

Celiac.com 02/26/2021 - Researchers estimate that 32 million Americans have food allergies, including nearly six million children under age 18. About 40 percent of children with food allergies are sensitive to more than one food. In the U.S., more than 170 foods have been reported to cause allergic reactions. However, new evidence confirms that nearly every allergic reaction to food is caused by one of just eight foods. The food group known by the United States Department of Agriculture as the "Big Eight," includes wheat, peanuts, milk, eggs, tree nuts, fish, crustacean shellfish and soy. These foods account for 90 percent of food allergies in the U.S. Food Allergies on the Rise The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention reports that the number of children with food allergies rose by 50 percent between 1997 and 2011. Even though many people suffer from serious, potentially life-threatening food allergies, most people with food allergies suffer only mild reactions to the offending food. Those people may benefit from efforts to grow and cultivate low allergen versions of many of these foods. Some of the Big Eight foods, such as "[w]heat and peanuts are...major sources of proteins to many, especially those living in resource-deprived conditions, [so]...Finding affordable ways to make wheat and peanuts available for all is very important," says Sachin Rustgi, a member of the Crop Science Society of America, who studies ways to breed less allergenic varieties of the Big Eight foods. Currently No Cure for Food Allergy There is currently no cure for food allergy. Food allergy therapies are under study in clinical trials, but none has been approved yet for general use. Here are the Big Eight major food allergens and some things researchers are working on: Wheat Celiac disease affects more than three million Americans. Researchers are currently using CRISPR gene editing to create wheat varieties that are less allergenic than present strains. "Disrupting the gluten genes in wheat could yield wheat with significantly lower levels of gluten," says Rustgi. Tree nuts Nearly four million Americans suffer from tree nut allergy. Between 1997 and 2008, the prevalence of peanut or tree nut allergy appears to have more than tripled in U.S. children. Peanuts Peanut allergies affect more than six million Americans. In one approach to the problem, researchers are currently testing numerous peanut varieties to find strains that are naturally less allergenic than others. They then hope to use these strains to reduce the allergic sensitivity in people who suffer from peanut allergies. Milk More than six 6.1 million Americans suffer from dairy allergy. Fish Nearly 2.6 million Americans suffer from fish allergy. Crustacean shellfish More than eight million Americans suffer from Crustacean shellfish allergy. Soy Soy allergy affects nearly two million Americans. Egg More than two and a half million Americans suffer from egg allergy. Sesame Sesame is not considered one of the Big Eight major food allergens, but more than a half a million Americans have an allergy to sesame, and it is a growing concern. Researchers are currently trying three different approaches to reducing allergens levels in some, and eventually, all, of those foods. Breeding to Lower Allergens Researchers have been trying to breed varieties of wheat with lower gluten content. The challenge, in part, lies in the complicated nature of gluten genetics. The information needed to make gluten is embedded in the DNA in wheat cells. Gene Editing Offers Promise CRISPR technology allows scientists to make very precise changes to a cell's DNA. Wheat has numerous offending proteins, making gene editing more challenging. Recent improvements in CRISPR technology allow researchers to target many genes at once. By using CRISPR, researchers can change genes so the body's cells no longer 'read' them, and stop making allergenic proteins. Targeting the 'Master Regulator' Another approach includes understanding how gluten production is regulated in wheat cells. As it turns out, in gluten genes, a single protein acts as a 'master regulator.' Targeting a single gene is much easier than trying to disrupt the several gluten genes, so targeting the master regulator could produce low-gluten wheat strains. If researchers can figure out ways to reduce the levels of allergens in these eight foods, they can conceivably make them safe to consume for large numbers of people with food allergies. Read more at News-medical.net

Celiac.com 02/10/2021 - Wheat, peanuts, milk, eggs, tree nuts, fish, crustacean shellfish and soy account for 90 percent of food allergies in the U.S. Imagine if we could just remove the offending allergens from our food. What would that even look like? Armed with the list of offending foods, researchers are using electrophoresis, CRISPR and both traditional and engineered breeding techniques to develop less allergenic varieties of the offending foods. Successfully breeding low allergen varieties could lead to hypo-allergenic varieties in the future. Researchers are currently focused mainly on developing less allergenic varieties of wheat and peanuts, says Sachin Rustgi, a member of the Crop Science Society of America, which studies how breeding can be used to develop less allergenic varieties of these foods. One of the challenges to producing less allergenic varieties is that the culprit in most food allergies is not a single actor, but a group, a conspiracy of allergens, as it were. Gluten contains many potentially offending proteins, while peanuts contain 16 different proteins recognized as allergens. The cells that trigger the production of these proteins are contained within different genes, so effectively neutralizing that production signal means figuring out how to disrupt different parts of wheat and peanut DNA. “When we started this research, a major question was whether it would even be possible to work on a characteristic controlled by so many genes,” says Rustgi. Gene Editing Targets Many Genes But recent improvements in CRISPR gene-editing technology allow researchers to target many genes at once, and the approach has shown early promise. Rustgi has already managed to create a new wheat strain that is safe for people with celiac disease. The new wheat strain relies on two enzymes spliced into the DNA: one from barley that attacks gluten; and another from the bacterium Flavobacterium meningosepticum. Lower Allergens Via Cross Breeding Now, Rustgi and his team are testing wheat and peanut varieties to find those that are naturally less allergenic than others. They are hoping to cross-breed these low-allergenic with crop varieties that have desirable traits, such as high yields or pest resistance. “Disrupting the gluten genes in wheat could yield wheat with significantly lower levels of gluten. A similar approach would work in peanuts,” says Rustgi. Targeting One Gene A third approach targets gluten regulation in wheat cells. Research has shown that just one cell functions as the “master regulator” for many gluten genes. Think of it as the key that starts the gene engines. By disrupting the master regulator, researchers hope to reduce amounts of gluten the wheat produces. Figuring out ways to reduce allergen levels in these eight foods can potentially render them safe to consume for people with food allergies. Certainly, safe hypo-allergenic wheat would be a major step forward for millions of people with celiac disease. Making similar progress with peanuts and potentially with other allergens would be a game changer for people with food allergies. Read more at: laboratoryequipment.com

Celiac.com 11/22/2019 - Our son, Howard, was diagnosed with multiple, life-threatening food allergies, meaning he is allergic to almost everything but cocoa. He also reacts to airborne and contact allergens so he cannot touch play dough, ice cream, gluten, meats, peanuts, shellfish, eggs and milk. The most common question I am asked is: “Then what do you feed him?” Howard is fed foods that are rated class 3 and below, which includes rice, potatoes, beans, quinoa, and vacuum-packed tilapia fish. He must be pre-medicated daily with Xyzal for hives and rash, and Qvar inhalant to protect his lungs, all of which is much better than having a feeding tube. Since Howard is also allergic to cats, dogs, and cockroaches, his allergies restrict social encounters to places where these allergens are less likely to be present. Therefore, I used to take him to the Cortlandt Town Center, where he was given special attention by Mr. Willie who works at Walmart. He gave Howard smiley face stickers and Howard could also interact with other kids shopping with their parents. Jimmy, from the Mohegan Lake Post Office, used to let Howard play with his pigs. Mrs. Lan from Rite Aid, just spoiled him with all sorts of gifts. Although Howard was happiest during those times, he would sometimes say, “Mommy, I am sad. I want to go to school and meet friends that are not cousins.” So I tried to find him a daycare. We were rejected at every one I found because they said it would be difficult for them to monitor Howie. It saddened me each time he was rejected. One day, as I was standing in line at TD Bank in Jefferson Valley, I saw a man wearing a Mohegan Lake Fire Department T-Shirt and I asked him about a recent incident in our community. Meanwhile, Howie was clowning around with Frank, an employee of TD Bank, who asked if I had found a school for Howard yet. The fireman, Mr. Tommy Russo, asked if I had tried Tom Thumb because the fire department could respond to them in 5 minutes. He also mentioned that his wife works there and that Mrs. Brody would never turn a kid away. I drove straight from the bank to Tom Thumb and met Mrs. Brody and told her that my son wanted to go to school but no one wanted him because of his allergies. She said, “We have two kids with allergies and we have the Mohegan Lake Fire Department next door so we will be happy to take him.” She told me to inform the staff that he would be attending pre-school at Tom Thumb and to make sure we got an Action Plan from his pediatrician and allergist. After leaving Tom Thumb I went to the Mohegan Lake Fire Department and spoke to the Chief who let Howie sit and have his picture taken in the fire truck. He told me that “He’s in good hands.” Howard is now the happiest child in the world. Tom Thumb is ordering gluten free Play Dough for the entire school. They are even changing the finger paint to protect any children who might have unrecognized allergies. I would like to thank: Dr. Rodd Stein of Yorktown Pediatrics and Dr. Robert Goldman of Hudson Valley Asthma and Allergy Associates for saving our son’s life; Doctors Cox and Novak from Mt. Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital; Dr Parvez and Lenn from Maria Fareri Childrens Hospital; Dr. Li and Dr. Hom from Westchester Medical; Mrs. Roberta Gershner, the nutritionist who is part of Howie’s team; The staff at Mrs. Green’s in Yorktown Heights; Susan Zajicek, Ingrid Smith, and Karen Miller of Three Dogs Gluten-Free Bakery who will take on the challenge of making the first birthday cake that Howard can eat. Thanks to you all. We love you.

Celiac.com 11/09/2017 - Did you know that the precautionary labeling regarding allergies is widely misunderstood, (meaning you are not the only one that is confused!). Not only is the writing so small you need a microscope to read it, this warning is not necessarily listed in the "Ingredients" column. The United States and Canada have different laws concerning allergy labeling. A survey presented in March at the AAAAI Allergists' Conference in Los Angeles reveals that 40 percent of consumers avoiding one or more allergens bought foods manufactured in a facility that also processes allergens. Beyond buying habits the researchers also found a lack of awareness of labeling. Another problem occurs with differences in the food laws of our two countries, the United States and Canada. 45 percent of people surveyed were unaware that precautionary warnings are not required by law. In Canada labeling regulations do require manufacturers to clearly indicate if major allergens are ingredients of a product. But there are no legal guidelines on how companies should identify products that may have come into contact with food allergens during manufacturing. As a result, the manufacturers have been choosing their own phrasing for precautionary labels. Recently, Health Canada recommended companies limit the advisories to the phrase "may contain", but this is not a legal requirement. A recent study tested 186 products with precautionary peanut labels and found 16, just under nine percent, contained the allergen. A 2009 audit of nearly 100 U.S. supermarkets found that half of all chocolate, candy and cookie products had precautionary labels, many worded in different ways. The consequences to allergic consumers ignoring labels have proved tragic. Bruce Kelly, a 22 year old Minnesota man with a peanut allergy, died of anaphylaxis in January after eating chocolate candy with a label that said it had been made in a plat that also processed peanuts. "There are too many different types of wording" says study author Dr. Susan Waserman, a professor of Medicine in the division of allergy and immunology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. She stated, "Patients assume that differences in wording imply a lower level of risk, which they don't." Gupta and Waserman would like to see precautionary labels reduced to one or two clearly defined phrases. For instance, Gupta says if a "May contain" label meant that the food might have up to 100 milligrams of an allergen, then patients could work with their doctors to find out just how much of their allergen may be safe to consume and purchase foods accordingly. The study noted that research is "underway to develop thresholds" for such labels. Meanwhile, we as two neighboring countries need to urge the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Canadian FDA to work with foods coming into our countries that have no labeling advisories at all. For example my husband and I picked up Sweet Shoppe candies sold in both countries, but made in Argentina. The Starlight Mints mints sold in the United States list at the very bottom in small print, "Made in facility that also processes peanuts, tree nuts, soya, milk and eggs." The label did not list wheat, at least on the green and white mints. I have eaten the green and white striped mints in the United States and have had no reaction to them (I am very sensitive to gluten), but yesterday my husband crossed the border to the United States and picked up a package of the Starlight Mints with the red and white stripes. The ingredients listed are glucose syrup, sugar, natural flavor, (peppermint) artificial colors, Titanium Dioxide, FD&C red #40, FD&C blue, Sunflower oil, Propylene Glycol. Nowhere on this packaging does it show "gluten-free" or "wheat-free," or the "Cover all Bases" listing of "Made in a facility that processes...". I will keep you in touch with my findings, but beware, especially with many of us living close to the U.S./Canada borders that the same products may carry different labeling. It may mean that I am on the internet or calling companies like this one to determine their guidelines for allergy labeling. I am particularly surprised by the United States allowing this Starlight Mint into the country without any "Cover all Bases" type of listing for allergies. Canada often looks to the United States for their guidelines, or rulings for other countries, The researchers at the AAAA1 Allergist' Conference in Los Angeles in March cautions, "In the meantime avoid products with precautionary labels...(i)t still seems to be the best way to maximize safety" says Waserman. We have to be pro-active, just like the people struggling with peanut allergies have been for years. They fought the airlines with over serving peanuts to passengers, only to have them substituted for pretzels, which are poison to celiacs. We need to get on the Bandwagon and "unite and fight" until we get the same consideration as those with peanut allergies. Ironically, the peanut folks are now trying to get the same parts per million type labeling that we celiacs won years ago on products that are labeled "gluten-free."

If you are looking for a great alternative to traditional snacks like chips and cookies, you should try these Gluten-Free Black Pepper With Roasted Peanuts Savory Rice Snacks by Kameda Crisps. They are light and crispy and have a bold delicious flavor like no other snack I have ever tried. The great taste can be attributed to the fact that these snacks are baked (not fried) and they do not contain any trans fats. A 5 oz. package will satisfy your urge for zest and crunch at the same time. For more information visit their site: www.kamedaseika.co.jp/en/.

This recipe makes a great snack that is perfect when you have a few guests over. Gluten-Free and Vegan Ingredients 2 cups peanuts 1 tsp. fresh lime zest 1 tsp. fresh lime juice 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 cup fresh rosemary, very finely chopped 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Spread peanut mixture on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven; set aside to cool.