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The Utah Parent Allergy Support Group started in August of 2004 by a mom in search of emotional & educational support about food allergies and was unable to find much of it.  The purpose of this support group is to give hope, encouragement, emotional strength, knowledge and new information to aid all individuals who have food allergies and or have children with food allergies.

* A new store has opened called Against the Grain  which only sales gluten free products.  It is located at 2292 W.  5400 S., Taylorsville, Utah

Labels must be clear on fat Warnings: Ingredients that can cause allergic reactions now must be listed

By Dawn House

The Salt Lake Tribune

January 2, 2006   

Rebecca Winters remembers the day her 5-year-old son Ethan took a peanut from a bag his cousin opened at a football game. The child's eyes began to water, then swelled up when he wiped away a tear.

   Ethan is allergic to peanuts, nuts and eggs, which can cause him to experience rashes, swelling or breathing difficulties. Now, under a federal regulation that went into effect Sunday, Winters, of Salt Lake City, will have some help when she reads through long lists of ingredients on package labels to ensure that none will trigger severe allergic reactions.

   Under the law, food manufacturers must list eight common allergens on package labels in plain English.

   Now, for instance, Winters will see "eggs" on ingredient lists next to words such as globulin, ovalbumin, ovomucoid, simplesse, surimi or livetin. Some manufacturers, such as Kellogg's, already are listing common allergens directly below the ingredient lists to alert consumers.

   "Labeling is a big deal to me," Winters said. "I can have the confidence that I haven't inadvertently missed something."

   However, federal officials caution consumers to expect a transition period because the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act does not require manufacturers or retailers to relabel foods or remove products labeled before Jan. 1 from grocery store shelves.

   Ethan Winters developed allergies as a newborn, as his mother learned when she nursed him after eating an egg. Now she gives lists of things he cannot eat to his teachers, church instructors, baby sitters and friends.

   "Only 2 to 5 percent of young children suffer from food allergies, which may not seem high unless it's your child or a loved one," said Wayne Askew, professor of nutrition at the University of Utah's College of Health. "The law will be especially helpful to parents with young children when trying out new foods."

   The Food and Drug Administration now requires that package labels clearly state if food products contain ingredients containing protein derived from milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat or soybeans.

   "The eight major food allergens account for 90 percent of all documented food allergic reactions - and some reactions may be severe or life-threatening," said Robert Brackett, director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition in a statement.

   About 150 Americans die and 30,000 others require emergency-room treatment each year because of allergic reactions to food, according to the FDA.

   The new law, passed in 2004, applies to domestically manufactured products, imported packaged foods, flavors, colors and additives. Exempted products include raw agricultural commodities, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, and highly refined oils.

   Manufacturers that don't comply will be subject to product recalls.

   For more information, visit FDA's food allergy page at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/wh-alrgy.html.

 NEWS RELEASE

ENJOY LIFE™ EXPANDS PRODUCT OFFERING TO GROWING CONSUMER BASE 

(March 17, 2005) – Enjoy Life Natural Brands, LLC, today announced the addition of eight new products to its Enjoy Life line, a suite of breads, snacks, cereals and baking ingredients that are free of the eight most common allergens. The new products, debuting at this month’s Natural Products Expo West, include: Snickerdoodle cookies; Cranapple Crunch granola cereal; Caramel Apple, Cocoa Loco and Very Berry snack bars; and cookie snack packs in the No-Oats “Oatmeal”™, Gingerbread Spice and Chewy Chocolate Chip flavors. They will be available in stores as early as April 2005.  

“Enjoy Life products have quickly gained a loyal following among people affected by dietary restrictions and natural foods shoppers, so we’re always hearing from consumers asking us to develop more allergen-free, yet great tasting foods,” said Scott Mandell, president of Enjoy Life Natural Brands. “We’re thrilled to be able to expand our product line to meet that consumer demand.”  

Enjoy Life Natural Brands is also dedicated to continually testing and reformulating its products as necessary to ensure the health and safety of its customers. As a result of new research that indicates sesame seeds could possibly be the next common allergen, the new Enjoy Life snack bars will replace the original snack bars, which contained sesame seeds.  

Enjoy Life is the first-ever product line free of all eight of the most common food allergens (wheat/gluten, dairy/casein, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish). According to a 2004 study by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, at least 11 million Americans are affected by one or more food allergies. This means that one in 25 people in the U.S. are unable to consume a range of basic, familiar ingredients without triggering serious, and sometimes lethal, immune system responses. In addition, nearly 3 million Americans – or about one percent of the population – suffer from celiac disease, a lower intestinal condition for which there is no cure and no treatment except adherence to a gluten-free diet.  

The Enjoy Life product line consists of granola cereals, bagels, breads, cookies, snack bars and chocolate chips. The company’s products are available at most natural food stores and select grocery stores throughout the U.S. and Canada. For more information about Enjoy Life products or to find a local retailer, visit www.enjoylifefoods.com.

About Enjoy Life Natural Brands

Enjoy Life Natural Brands co-founders Scott Mandell and Bert Cohen launched with their first brand, Enjoy Life™, in March 2001 after being inspired by Cohen’s mother, Joyce, who was on a restricted diet due to Multiple Sclerosis. The two former bankers decided to trade in their suits for aprons and invest nearly everything they had into developing and manufacturing a suite of tasty, nutritious foods without gluten or common allergens. Since then, in an effort to increase its product offerings to a growing consumer base, Enjoy Life Natural Brands has acquired a second brand, Perky’s™ 100% Natural -- a line of all natural cereals. Today, Enjoy Life Natural Brands offers more than 20 different Enjoy Life and Perky’s 100% Natural products throughout the United States and Canada.