Its a family affair...

After my sons first reaction I became a protective parent. I started watching everything. I got my son a cute little MedicAlert band. Taught him to say "No nuts", became active in research on food allergies, subscribed to Health Canada's food recalls (here) and made appointments with allergist to become as informed as I could be. Our first allergist appointment was pointless. The allergist simply tested for walnuts. (If your making a specialist appointment for answers - dont be the last appointment of the day) As if we didnt already know it was walnuts, but what about all the other nuts? If we listened to that allergist when he said "It is probably an isolated walnut allergy as it is more common in children of european decent", my son would have probably never been taken to see Dr. David Hummel. Dr. Hummel was amazing, he gave us the time of day, tested in depth for Tree Nuts and Peanuts, discussed with us what we should do, steps to take. He was amazed with all the steps I had already taken. Both my husband and I had already practiced with a "trainer epi-pen" which we ordered from this link, we
de-nutted our house, informed friends and family, became trained in the scientific names of the allergens to watch out for, and began watching for cross-contamination. I was obviously more aware of the steps, despite trying to get everyone on board. Everyone thought I was crazy or being extreme. Honestly, I felt like grabbing my kids and running from my unsupportive family. I screamed when my Mother-in-Law purchased buns from an open bin, you would think this would be safe, but buns come from a bakery, a bakery in a grocery store is not allergen free. The risk of cross-contamination is very high, think of carrot cake, carrot cake is often made with crushed walnuts... think of those buns being baked in the same area... No one could persuade me to think it is safe to have in a house with a child that has severe anaphalaxis to walnuts. That was before discoverning my sons allergy was not specific to walnuts. We discovered during allergy testing with Dr. Hummel on November 15th that he has a positive allergy to Cashews, Walnuts, Pine nuts, Pistachios, Pecan, Hazelnuts, Brazil Nuts, Almonds and a "tree nut mix". This is slightly more rare than just a single family nut allergy. Each tree nut comes from a "family". Generally said, if you are allergic to walnuts, you will also be allergic to pecans, same with pistachio to cashews, beechnuts to chestnuts...

Walnut: walnut, pecan	Birch: hazelnut, filbert, hickory nut
Mango: pistachio, cashews	Plum: almond
Legythis: brazil	Macadamia
Beech: beechnut, chestnut

It was in between all my research and my appointment with Dr. Hummel that I discovered that this will be a life long allergy for my son. On Food Allergy Gourmet it states: a tree nut allergy is rarely outgrown. Most people remain allergic for their entire lives. It is also possible to develop a tree nut allergy later in life. From Food Allergies About they say: over 90% percent of children diagnosed with tree nut allergies will have them for life. This is why I consider living with tree nuts allergies to be like a disability. It is not something that will just go away, it has no cure.



Some interesting facts I have found. I know this is about food allergies in Canada but I have yet to find the same interesting facts and figures for Canada.

Allergy to peanuts and tree nuts in the general population is, respectively, 0.6 percent and 0.4 percent, with the rate in children under age 18 (0.8 percent and 0.2 percent) slightly different from adults (0.6 percent and 0.5 percent respectively). These two foods are the leading causes of fatal and near fatal food-allergic reactions.

In spite of attempts to avoid allergenic foods, accidental exposures are the major causes of allergic reactions to foods. Over a period of two years, approximately 50 percent of subjects in the United States with food allergy have an allergic reaction to accidental exposure.

In the United States, there are approximately 30,000 episodes of food-induced anaphylaxis, associated with 100 to 200 deaths; most deaths occur in adolescents and young adults.

Food allergy is the most frequent single cause of emergency room visits for anaphylaxis and accounts for 34 to 52 percent of these visits.

Being aware is the First Step to Preventing

How to Read a Label for a Tree Nut-Free Diet

All FDA-regulated manufactured food products that contain a tree nut as an ingredient are required by U.S. law to list the specific tree nut on the product label. Much like in the US, Canada has regulations it must follow as well. The Government of Canada says is "committed" to providing safe food to all Canadians. They work with various agencies that help to identify foods that are known to commonly cause allergic reactions. One agency they use is the CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) they enforce the labelling laws by working with associations, distributors, retailers, food manufacturers, and importers to ensure complete and appropriate labelling of all foods. It recommends that food companies establish effective allergen controls to minimize the potential for allergic reactions. The Food and Drug Regulations require that pre-packaged food be labelled and that ingredients appear in a list in decreasing order of proportion. However, these regulations do not currently require components (i.e. ingredients of ingredients) of certain foods and products, such as flavouring, seasoning, spices and vinegar, to be listed on food labels. Health Canada is working to amend the Food and Drug Regulations to require that the most common foods and food ingredients, which have the potential to cause life-threatening or severe allergic reactions, be labelled when intentionally added to food. These changes would also require that the most common of these foods and food ingredients be always identified by their common names, which consumers can easily recognize on food labels.” (http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/iyh-vsv/food-aliment/allerg-eng.php)". Esentially, it comes down to it being your duty, check the labells, be aware and know what oyu are looking for. The following is for tree nuts only .

Avoid foods that contain nuts or any of these ingredients:

 almond

 artificial nuts

 beechnut

 Brazil nut

 butternut

cashew

 chestnut

chinquapin

coconut

filbert/hazelnut

 gianduja

(a chocolate-nut mixture)

 ginkgo nut

 hickory nut

litchi/lichee/lychee nut

macadamia nut

marzipan/almond paste

Nangai nut

 natural nut extract

(e.g., almond, walnut)

 nut butters

(e.g., cashew butter)

nut meal

 nut meat

nut paste

(e.g., almond paste)

nut pieces

 pecan

 pesto

 pili nut

 pine nut

(also referred to as Indian, pignoli, pigñolia, pignon, piñon, and pinyon nut)

pistachio

praline

shea nut

 walnut

Tree nuts are sometimes found in the following:

black walnut hull extract

(flavoring)

 natural nut extract

 nut distillates/alcoholic extracts

 nut oils

(e.g., walnut oil, almond oil)

walnut hull extract

(flavoring)

 Keep the following in mind:

 •

Mortadella may contain pistachios.

 •

There is no evidence that coconut oil and shea nut oil/butter are allergenic.

 •

Many experts advise patients allergic to tree nuts to avoid peanuts as well.

 •

Talk to your doctor if you find other nuts not listed here.

Provided By:

© 2011, the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network

Resources - Websites

Websites and resources:

These are the ones I am currently using for my information. Should you have any resources either online or in book format please feel free to share.

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/label-etiquet/allergen/index-eng.php

http://www.parl.gc.ca/Default.aspx?Language=E

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/allerg/index-eng.php

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/labeti/allerg/allerge.shtml

http://www.lung.ca/diseases-maladies/asthma-asthme/allergies-allergies/index_e.php

http://www.anaphylaxis.ca/

http://www.canadianliving.com/health/prevention/canadas_9_most_common_food_allergies.php

http://www.allergyfoundation.ca/

http://allergicliving.com/

https://www.foodallergy.org/section/about


http://www.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Compilations/HouseOfCommons/legislation/privatememberspublicbills.aspx

http://www.foodallergygourmet.com/Food%20Allergy/Tree%20Nut%20Allergy.htm

http://www.calgaryallergy.ca/Articles/English/treenuthp.htm

http://allergicliving.com/index.php/2010/08/19/nut-main-about-tree-nut-allergy/?page=4

http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/foodallergy/understanding/pages/quickfacts.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_nut_allergy#cite_note-autogenerated1-0

http://foodallergies.about.com/od/nutallergies/p/treenutallergy.htm

Current Petition For the House of Commons

If you are interested in circulating this petition in Canada, Please please please email me at allergenmother@hotmail.com I would like to provide you a copy of it as well as the mandatory information to ensure this petition remains valid, and the signatures are accepted.

PETITION TO THE Government of Canada

We, the undersigned, residents of Canada draw the attention of the Government of Canada to the following:

THAT it is estimated that as many as 1.2 million Canadians may be affected by food allergies and these numbers are increasing, especially among children. The food products most commonly associated with severe allergic reactions in Canada are eggs, milk, peanuts, seafood, sesame, soy, sulphites, tree nuts and wheat. These are otherwise known as the priority allergens. Currently in place are labelling laws for foods that have been made or in contact with any of the priority allergens. Nothing is in place in stores selling food and other commodities that prevents cross contamination with nuts and tree nuts.

THEREFORE, your petitioners call upon the Government of Canada,

To bring forward legislation that would require tree nuts (including but not limited to: walnuts, pistachios, almonds, brazil nut, cashew nut, pecan, hazelnut) and peanuts, to be sold pre-packaged, with mandatory labelling, or in a closed bin to help prevent serious life-threatening anaphylaxis.

Signatures (Sign your own name.) Do not print.	Home Address	City, Province, Postal Code