How can retail shopping be made easier for allergy sufferers?

[boetius]

We are a group from Copenhagen Business School, studying user driven innovation, who are currently searching for concrete ideas and solutions for making it easier for allergy sufferers to do their retail food and grocery shopping, as it can be difficult and time consuming to find allergy friendly food products.

Therefore, we would like to ask this forum if anyone has suggestions as to how life can be made easier for allergy sufferers or those who engage in the purchasing of food products for, for instance, allergic children. In other words:

“How can retail purchasing be made easier for allergy sufferers, so that they can easily identify allergy friendly and non-allergy friendly food and groceries?"

If you have an idea – whether simple or more advanced – we would be very happy to hear from you.

In addition, it would be a great help if you could also inform us about the following:

Are you allergic? (Yes/No):
Are you living with an allergic? (Yes/No):
Gender:
Age:
Nationality:
Profession:
Education:

Thank you very much for your help.

[AllergyGuy]

Well, I'll just start out by saying I find it easier when there are specific sections in a grocery store that address an allergy or intolerance. This can still be difficult as many people are allergic to multiple foods or ingredients. Secondly, it's much easier to shop when product labels are clearly marked regarding ingredients that are a potential allergen or intolerance.

Lastly, manufacturers that make an effort to put allergen information on their website make it much easier to shop. A simple "search engine" search can confirm a product is safe from a particular issue.

[lalexander26]

It would benefit both the allergic individual, as well as anyone who cares for an allergic individual, if the FDA would require food manufacturers to do the following: Do NOT allow products to have statements such as, "non-dairy whipped topping", or "non-dairy creamer"; they become quite confusing to younger or less allergy-educated individuals because these products do indeed have dairy as their main ingredient. It would also benefit our population if the food manufacturers would list ALL of the top 8 allergens in their allergy disclosure statement at the end of their product ingredients (for example, the FALCPA legislation requires food manufacturers to list the top 8 allergens in laymen terms in their ingredient panel- which is great- but for someone who is not paying attention or doesn't know any better, they may quickly look at the allergy disclosure statement -usually in bold print- and it may say it contains wheat and soy- so that individual may assume it is free of milk, when in fact, milk may be listed in the ingredient panel, just not the allergy disclosure statement. Last, it would be nice if the FDA would prohibit food manufacturers from using blanket statements that the product "may contain the following:...and they list every top 8 allergen"; this product may have been safely consumed for years, but for legality reasons these companies throw their blanket statments on the ingredient panel so as to protect themselves.

I think it is difficult for a large retailer to market allergy friendly foods on a regular basis because ingedients change daily due to cost and availabilty to the food manufacturer; hence putting the retailer at a greater legality risk. Most changes need to come from the FDA down to the food manufacturers themselves.

On last thing, when dining out, many times food manufacturers deliver in bulk and when doing so the ingredients may be listed only on the large box the products come in (which are generally broken down and thrown out) but not on the individually packaged product inside the box. This makes it difficult for both the restaurant and the allergic individual; another issue the FDA needs to address.

Allergic: No
Living with child with allergy: yes
Gender of child: male
age: 12
Nationality: caucasian
Profession: RN
Education: ASN

[jacob7777]

For the last 30 years I have been active in clinical research involving digestive disorders.
Not all, but many food born allergies are the result of improper sterilization and conversion of the nutrients we consume. The primary responsibility of the stomach is the emulsification, sterilzation, and conversion of the nutrients we consume. When this process is out of balance, raw unconverted nutrients are dumped into the small bowel without the benefit of sterilization and conversion, resulting in allergis.
There is very little absorption in the stomach, with the exception of certain fluids, one being alcohol. When food enters the stomach it is mixed with hydrochloric acid and Pepsin I and II. The curning of the stomach, or peralstaltsis, causes the food to become a thick mass called chyme.
The peptic enzymes are responsible for the conversion of proteins into proteoses and peptones, which are the building blocks for the amino acids.
Not all, but many proteins are allergens, which are nomally sterilized and converted by the Hydrochloric acid and peptic enzymes. The peptic enzymes are most active in the converion process when the stomach acid level is at 1.0 to 3.0 pH. When the pH of the acid in the Stomach moves toward the neutral side, these enzymes become less active. At 5.0 pH the peptic enzymes are no longer active in converting the nutrients.
The lack of sufficient Hydrochloric acid in the Stomach, or Hypochlorhydria will result in incomplete sterilization and conversion of the food consumed. When this occurs unconverted proteins are dumped into the small bowel, resulting in allergic reactions.
Hypochlorhydria is most prevelent in older age groups, but not limited to these groups, including children. In many cases the symptoms resulting from this condition, show up as belching, bloating, reflux, abdominal discomfort, irregular stools, etc.
Many doctors overlook the first stage of digestion when treating allergies, which results in the reoccurance of the symptions. I would highly recommed that everyone with allergies get a pH diagnostic test, or what is commonly called a gastrogram. It is a simple test to determine if you are processing foods properly. The test involves a micro-electronic pH capsule that monitors the stomach pH.
Certain foods will not be converted properly, one being peanuts, because the Hydrochloric acid cannot break them down. This is one reason peanuts will end up in a persons stool in their origional state.
Note: There is a scam going around that uses litmus paper to determine the digestive pH. It is absolutely a fraud and cannot tell you what is happeing in your stomach.

[DropYourAllergies]

Hej Copenhagen Business School:

Firstly, if I may say…
Via a 3 Yr Business Assignment in Stockholm .. I had the pleasure to visit / see / experience your lovely Country / Culture.
Personally, I found the Danes to be a lovely Balance of Scandic and Euro / Continent “Thought”.
Please keep this Identity .. It is very Special.

Turning to your Request, I wish to Thank You for the opportunity to express my Thoughts as they apply to the World of ALLERGY > Specifically “How life can be made easier for allergy sufferers and especially our > Allergic Children. :mad:

My name is Stephen and I am Principal of DropYourAllergies.com > A U.S.A. National Allergy Services Company > Supporting Your “ Just around the Corner” Primary Care Physician with:

> Enviro / InHalant and FOOD ( Immediate & Delayed ) Allergy Blood Testing.

> NaturesAllergyDrops.com / Immuno-Allergy DROPs > Which are Custom Formulated specifically to Neutralize EACH Allergy Sufferer’s unique Geo-Regional / Seasonal & Year-round Offending Enviro Allergy Profile as ID’ed by their Allergy Blood Test.

> FOOD Allergy DIET “Action Plans” > Which are Custom Generated based on Each Patient’s FOOD Allergy Test Result. Suggesting FOODs to Eat, Not Eat and Restrict & ReIntroduce on a Controlled basis.

If I may please submit for your Receive / Consideration a recent Article that I wrote, which I believe speaks to How We / DropYourAllergies.com > Feels / Addresses / suggests Treatment of Enviro Allergies and our Breathe-IN-Life Program.

STOP !
Your Child’s Allergy Disease March without the OUCH !

Parents with Allergies / Allergic Asthma know first hand, the health and life compromises their allergies have, and continue to impose on them and will do whatever necessary to prevent their Child from the same misfortune.:mad:

Clinically termed “Allergy March”, 1 in 3 infants begin life fighting a lifetime progression of multiple ailments caused by their often-inherited allergy disease. Leading this Allergy Disease March is Eczema, typically the result of a Food Allergy. Often followed by G.I., Ear, Respiratory, Allergic Rhinitis Issues, then possibly Allergic Asthma ( 80% of children with asthma demonstrate symptoms before age five).

Unfortunately, Allergy March does not STOP at Allergic Asthma. Rather, it is just one of many disease milestones as the progression of un-neutralized allergy progresses / exacerbates unabated… leading a sufferer on a lifetime, Slippery Slope of further “Allergy Driven” diseases, weakened Immune system and compromised Quality of Life.

While your physician has a battery of allergy medications available, most every parent would like their children to take as few medications as possible. Realizing, a lifetime consumption of allergy medicines, which only mask symptoms, while their child’s allergy disease progresses, is not the lasting solution they are looking for. Instead, they ask physicians for a treatment option, which will identify and eradicate the source of their child’s allergy disease, thereby circumventing any present and future allergy driven health issues and in turn produce a lasting quality of life without allergy.

Fortunately, your conveniently located, trusted primary physician has the necessary diagnostic tools to not only identify, but also neutralize the source of your child’s allergy disease. And best of all, it can be accomplished naturally and virtually Drug Free.

Following a Patient / Family Allergy History Interview and physical examination, your physician will order an insurance covered, single draw, Allergy Blood Test to look behind the allergy symptom curtain to determine the extent of your child’s allergy disease. Once the presence / degree of allergy disease has been confirmed / identified by testing, your physician can now take the corrective measures.

Armed with the blood test identification of your child’s offending geo-regional, seasonal & year-round allergens, your physician will order your child’s Allergy Immunotherapy Vaccine. Your child’s allergy vaccine is custom formulated to neutralize “What Your Child is Allergic To”. Virtually all Natural and Drug Free, your vaccine contains FDA Approved Extract concentrations of your child’s “Test Identified” offending Allergens. Slowly over time, vaccine extract concentrations are increased, which in turn recalibrate your child’s immune system, neutralizing offending allergens and the source allergy disease, producing lasting, if not lifetime health and quality of life benefits that come with being allergy free.

Unfortunately, while allergy immunotherapy vaccine is the only clinically proven treatment, which neutralizes the source of allergy disease, research indicates that most patients do not complete their allergy immunotherapy protocol. The reason being, not only does traditional immunotherapy require frequent / inconvenient physician visits, but also … SHOTs ( Ouch ! ). Something no one likes.. especially kids. So regardless of clinical effectiveness, unfortunately, patient non-compliance prevails and patient allergy continues / exacerbates unabated.

Fortunately, a new method of immunotherapy vaccine delivery, which has been successfully used in Europe for over 15 yr., is now available via any U.S.A. physician. Called SLIT or SubLingual Immunotherapy, allergy sufferers can now administer their immunotherapy vaccine themselves.. virtually anywhere ! And, because their vaccine delivery is via DROPs which are placed under the tongue, AM & PM, 7 days / Week… there is No More Ouch!

Now, following the same principals of traditional injection immunotherapy and building on existing Euro & U.S.A. SLIT expertise / success, DropYourAllergies.com, an Allergy Services Company supporting your physician, can custom formulate your Nature’s Allergy Drops to neutralize your child’s offending enviro allergens.

And, because Nature’s Allergy Drops are NEW to today’s Pro-Active Medical Consumers / Parents, DropYourAllergies.com wants allergy sufferers to learn what it’s like to live without enviro allergies via it’s Breathe-IN-Life Allergy Program, which offers six months supply of Nature’s Allergy Drops for FREE. If at the end of the six months, the sufferer does not feel they have “Turned the Corner” and begun to feel “Allergy Better”, they can discontinue use at no charge. But, if they find themselves feeling “Allergy Better” and with more energy, they can continue their Nature’s Allergy Drops protocol for the price of a Cup-O-Coffee a Day.

Additionally, because enviro allergies often co-exist with food allergies, the Breathe-IN-Life Allergy Promotion offers a FREE, Custom Generated Food Allergy DIET Action Plan, suggesting foods to eat, not eat, restrict / reintroduce on a controlled basis all based on each Patient’s unique Food Allergy Blood Test result.

Allergy parents with allergy children are reminded it is never to late to STOP the progression of their child’s allergy disease before it translates to a lifetime of Allergy Driven Health Misery and compromised Quality of Life.

The Time is NOW to > www.DropYourAllergies.com and www.Breathe-IN-Life.com with FREE ! Nature’s Allergy Drops !

Best Health = Wealth Regards,

Stephen

Further Comment….:)

Reflecting DropYourAllergies.com commitment > Our Children…Our Future.

> To addressing / neutralizing the Source of Allergy, as well as the prevention of the Health & Quality of Life ravages that INFANT Allergy March / Allergy / ASTHMA > Imposes on our Children and Parents …

Our Question is this …

As an Parent…. Who has Allergies / Allergic Asthma…

Who KNOW first hand the Health & Quality of Life compromises that YOUR Allergies have caused YOU …

If You could prevent YOUR Child from Suffering the SAME Misfortune ..
Would YOU ?

OF Course !

DropYourAllergies.com is Proud to Announce it’s AllergyMarchTopTen.com Program.

Remember ..

Allergy MARCH = Allergy Parents = Allergy INFANT / Birth > Eczema / Skin > G.I. > Ear > Respiratory Issues > Allergic Rhinitis > Allergic ASTHMA ( A Lifetime of OUCH !) ..
Followed by a LifeTime Slippery Slope of multiple “Allergy Driven” Diseases, recalcitrant Health Issues and compromised Quality of Life / Poor Self Image.

Now…

For a nominal sum of $45.00 > ANY Parent can Test their CHILD for the TOP TEN Allergens that Signal the Presence / Beginning of ALLERGY MARCH in their Child ( Age 9 month > )

The AllergyMarchTopTen.com Allergy Test is an > At Home Administered / Finger or Heel Blood Stick / F.D.A. Approved / IgE Allergy Test.

Given Your Child’s positive IgE Allergy Test Results, You will then be able to provide your Primary Care Physician with the necessary Clinical Information / Allergy Proof which will allow him / her to move forward with “Expanded” DropYourAllergies.com > Enviro Allergy Blood Testing.

Then…
With the identification of YOUR Child’s Test ID’ed Offending Enviro Allergens > Your Child can begin > Kid Friendly > Virtually Drug Free > NaturesAllergyDrops.com > Which are Custom Formulated to Neutralize / STOP the Source / Progression of your Child’s ALLERGY Disease to Allergic ASTHMA and a Life of Allergy Misery.

Also..
Because the AllergyMarchTopTen.com TEST also includes > 3 FOODs ( which are Allergy MARCH’s first manifestation )…
And because FOOD Allergy can only be addressed via DIET…

Given a Positive FOOD Allergy Presence via the AllergyMarchTopTen Test > And an expanded FOOD Allergy Blood Test > Each Patient receives a FREE > Custom Generated FOOD Allergy DIET Plan.

NOW …

In a One Size Fits ALL > Medical / Pharma World…

A One Size Fits > ONE > YOU !

Patient-Centric > Custom ALLERGY Solution …

Designed specifically to Target / Identify / Treat / Neutralize > YOUR > Unique Environmental & FOOD Allergy Profile.

The Time is Now to > DropYourAllergies.com and Breathe-IN-Life with 6 Months FREE > NaturesAllergyDrops.com !

Best Health = Wealth Regards

Stephen

PS > May I say that I was a little reluctant to post this Message given the strong links that exist between Business School’s such as CBS and the Danish Business Community > Specifically ALK-Abello / Shering-Plough.

But my reluctant and concern over sharing / expressing our Program / Competitive Information / Thoughts were overshadowed by DropYourAllergies.com commitment to the > Greater Society Good / Goal > Of Breaking the Legacy of ALLERGY / Allergic ASTHMA in our Children.

Toward this Goal > All are Welcome / Velkomstord.

[Fran]

Hi,

Offhand I can think of three ways retail shopping can be made easier for people managing food allergies:

1. My son is allergic to sesame seeds and mustard seeds, two foods that are not in the top 8 and are not required to be identified on labels in the US. Often they are hidden in “natural flavors” or “spices”. It would help if more allergens were required to be identified on labels - the more the better!

2. “May contain” statements should be mandatory, not voluntary. If a product does not have a “may contain” statement, you don’t know if it’s because the manufacturer just chose not to include one, or if it’s because the product was manufactured in an allergen-free facility.

3. Non-food products that contain food ingredients should follow the same labeling laws as food products, since someone who is severely allergic does not necessarily need to ingest the food to get a reaction. We’ve seen tree nuts in deodorants, soaps, and dental products, and peanuts in ant traps and mouse traps - sometimes it’s on the label, but usually we find out when our son or someone we know gets a reaction after being exposed to the item.

Thanks for asking!

allergic: no
living with an allergic: yes
gender of allergic child: male
age of allergic child: 11
nationality: American

[Midnight Rider]

First, let me state my relief at finding someone else who is allergic to something not in the "top 8"!!! Regardless of whether your allergen is in the top * or not, all allergens should be listed in clear, easy to understand english in the ingredient listing. Generalities such as "spices" and "natural flavorings" should be discontinued entirely because for someone like me, who is allergic to pepper, there is no way to determine if that item is dangerous thus about 80% of the items in the average grocery store are off limits now. Allergic persons would be better consumers if we could only safely determine whether a products was edible.

Also, if packaging for products, especially ones that tend to leech or aerosolize thier proteins into the air easily (such as pepper) would be made more airtight, that would mean that someone like me does not have to avoid an entire aisle or area of a grocery store and have to bring someone shopping with them to gather staples from those aisles or be forced to ask strangers.

Some housewares stores (Williams Sonoma Kitchen springs to mind) have spices and other food products open in the store, and also cook food in the store. I have suffered anaphylaxis by unknowingly wandering into those stores. If stores would post a sign at the door (not necessarily an allergy warning, heck I wouldn't bring a toddler into a spice store with dozens of open bags) warning consumers of open products or cooking happening in the store then that would be helpful.

Though I recognize my allergy is rare, simply clearly labeling products and warnings of open products would be enough for any allergy sufferer. Also, having a strong emphasis in the production and packaging area for cleanliness to avoid cross-contamination would help those labels be truer.

Thanks for asking!

allergic: yes
living with an allergic: no
gender: female
age: 30
nationality: American