The manufacturers of most epinephrine options offer U.S. savings programs and patient assistance programs.

Epinephrine is the only treatment for a severe allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis [anna-fih-LACK-sis]. It is only available through a prescription by your doctor. Most prescriptions come with 2 doses. Epinephrine is most commonly prescribed in easy-to-use options, such as auto-injectors and nasal spray.

People with food allergies should have epinephrine with them at all times. For children, this might mean that you need extra epinephrine doses. For example, your child may need to keep epinephrine at school, as well as some at after-school care. And you may want epinephrine that stays at home or goes with you when you leave the house.

Here are savings offers for epinephrine options, as well as other ideas that may help you save money on drug costs. Your final copay, if any, may vary depending on your insurance plan and the deductibles for your family. Talk with your doctor about which epinephrine option is right for your family.

Savings Programs for Epinephrine Devices

• AUVI-Q^® – AUVI-Q has 2 assistance programs. If you have commercial insurance that covers AUVI-Q, you may be able to get AUVI-Q for $35 or less. If your insurance doesn’t cover it or if you have a high-deductible plan, you’ll pay no more than $150. Eligible patients without commercial insurance or Medicaid may be able to get AUVI-Q for no cost through the Kaléo Patient Assistance Program. Call 502-213-7601 for questions.
  
  
• EpiPen^® and EpiPen Jr^® – Use The EPIPEN^® Savings Card^® to save up to $300 on your out-of-pocket cost per EPIPEN 2-PACK® and/or EPIPEN JR 2-PACK® carton per prescription refill (up to 3 cartons per prescription) and can be used for 6 cartons per calendar year. If you have questions, call 1-800-657-7613 (8 a.m.-8 p.m. ET, Monday-Friday). VIATRIS™ also has a patient assistance program.
  
  
• Authorized Generic of EpiPen^® and EpiPen Jr^® (Epinephrine Injection, USP) Auto-Injectors – Use the Epinephrine Injection, USP Auto-Injector Savings Card to save up to $25 on your out-of-pocket costs per generic 2-pack. It can be redeemed for up to 3 cartons per calendar year. If you have questions, call 1-800-657-7613 (8 a.m.-8 p.m. ET, Monday-Friday). VIATRIS™ also has a patient assistance program.

• Epinephrine Injection USP Auto-Injector, Generic from Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries – If you have commercial insurance may save up to $30 per carton, up to 3 per prescription. If you have any questions, call 1-844-248-7949.

• Authorized Generic of Adrenaclick® Epinephrine Auto-Injector – If you have commercial insurance, you may get up to $10 off per pack. If you have any questions, call 330-757-8402.
  
  CVS Health sells these generic epinephrine auto-injectors at all CVS Pharmacy locations.
  
  
• neffy® Epinephrine Nasal Spray – If you have commercial insurance, you can pay $25 for each filled prescription of 2 devices. If you don’t have insurance coverage, your plan doesn’t cover neffy, or if you have a high-deductible plan, you can pay a cash price of $199 for 2 doses of neffy using BlinkRx or GoodRX.

• The ARS Pharma Patient Assistance Program (PAP) may provide neffy at no cost if you:

  • Are a U.S. resident
  • Don’t have enough insurance
  • Don’t have insurance
  • Meet certain eligibility criteria
  • Have tried all other options to help pay for neffy
    
    
  If you have any questions, call 1-877-696-3339.
  

Other Possible Ways to Save Money

• Change insurance plans – If you are privately insured through work, see if you can shop around during open enrollment. If your family’s income is below a certain level, you might be offered Medicaid and/or your children might qualify under the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This depends on your state. Visit HealthCare.gov or your state’s health insurance site.
  
  
• Switch to the “preferred” device for your plan – If you have prescription benefits, you may save on copays by agreeing to use the epinephrine option that is on the insurance “preferred” list.
  
  
• Use mail order – If you have prescription benefits, look into your plan’s mail order pharmacy options. This may give you a lower price or provide more two-packs of medicine for the same price. Many mail order prescription plans provide patients with a three month’s supply of medicine for the cost of two month’s copay.
  
  
• Talk with your doctor – If you have insurance, talk with your doctor. Sometimes they can write the prescription so you can get more sets of medicine for 1 copay. Typically, a 2-pack of epinephrine auto-injectors is considered a 30-day supply under your prescription plan. A doctor might write the prescription for 6 auto-injectors (3 2-packs) to be filled at once. This could then be filled through the mail order pharmacy, as described above.
  
  
• Shop around – Call around to different pharmacies. Prices can vary, especially between large chain pharmacies and smaller independent pharmacies. Be aware that the pharmacies at club stores such as Costco and Sam’s Club are generally available to non-members too.
  
  
• Check with your local children’s hospital – This option may work if your child sees doctors at a major children’s hospital. Ask if they have any grants or patient assistance programs that can help pay for your child’s prescription.
  
  
• Talk with your employer – If you have medical insurance through an employer, contact their human resources department. Explain that your insurance will not cover a life-saving medicine for you or your child. Sometimes, if you have a generous employer, they will try to help you.
  
  

Updated November 2024

MadeGood Granola Bar Voluntary Recall

For Immediate Release

December 8, 2024

Contact Information

madegood@webershandwick.com
855-215-5695

Company Announcement

We are voluntarily recalling certain MadeGood granola bars as a precautionary measure due to a potential safety hazard. There is a very small risk that some of our granola bar products made between January and November 2024 may contain a piece of metal. We have addressed the source of the issue and are conducting the voluntary recall with the knowledge of regulatory authorities. There have been no reports of injury; we’re initiating this recall out of an abundance of caution and commitment to the well-being of our valued customers.

Please check your product codes and return recalled product to the store where it was purchased for a full refund. Kindly review the link below to determine if the MadeGood granola bar products in your pantry are part of the recall.

*Items with a Z after the Best Before Date are excluded from this recall [e.g., 2025 OC 14 Z].

Product - Description - Size - UPC - Best Before Date*

• Chocolate Banana Granola Bars
  • 120g (5 bars)
    • 687456213040
      • 2025 MA 11 up to and including 2026 JA 17
• Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
  • 1.5 kg (63 bars)
    • 10687456216017
      • 2025 OC 13
  • 960g (40 bars)
    • X002CYW2IB
      • 2025 JN 28 up to and including 2025 OC 25
    • 10687456216444
      • 2025 JN 29 up to and including 2025 OC 25
  • 120g (5 bars)
    • 687456213019
      • 2025 MA 09 up to and including
      • 2025 DE 08 and 2025 DE 10;
      • 2025 DE 24;
      • 2025 DE 26; 2026 JA 10; 2026 JA 17; 2026 FE 03
  • 720g (30 bars)
    • X001TO8QCB
      • 2025 AL 19; 2025 JN 08; 2025 AU 02; 2025 AU 03; 2025 AU 22
  • 360g (15 bars)
    • 687456216119
      • 2025 MA 10 up to and including 2026 JA 10 and 2026 FE 03; 2026 MR 24
  • 576g (24 bars)
    • 687456216300
      • 2025 MA 02 up to and including 2026 JA 10
  • 720g (30 bars)
    • 687456217062
      • 2026 FE 21; 2026 FE 22;
• Chocolate Chip Mini Granola Bars
  • 1.08 kg (90 bars)
    • 10687456214532
      • 2025 MA 12 up to and including 2025 AU 05
  • 576g (48 bars)
    • 10687456215973
      • 2025 AU 05 up to and including 2026 JA 30
• Mixed Berry Granola Bars
  • 1.5kg (63 bars)
    • 10687456216024
      • 2025 SE 21
  • 960g (40 bars)
    • X002CYZ8M3
      • 2025 JL 27; 2025 OC 03
    • 10687456216468
      • 2025 JL 27
  • 120g (5 bars)
    • 687456213026
      • 2025 MA 25 up to and including 2025 DE 29
• Cookies & Creme Granola Bars
  • 120g (5 bars)
    • 687456213750
      • 2025 JL 05 up to and including 2026 FE 10
• Strawberry Granola Bars
  • 120g (5 bars)
    • 687456213170
      • 2025 MA 22 up to and including 2025 NO 22 and 2026 JA 19
• Chocolate Drizzled Birthday Cake Granola Bars
  • 120g (5 bars)
    • 687456214139
      • 2025 JA 08 up to and including 2025 AU 31 and 2025 SE 18
  • 720g (30 bars)
    • X002UAC79V
      • 2025 MR 18 up to and including 2025 MA 15
  • 480g (20 bars)
    • 687456215747
      • 2025 FE 05 up to and including 2025 MR 05
  • 360g (15 bars)
    • 687456215822
      • 2025 JL 23; 2025 SE 17; 2025 OC 16
  • 1.34 kg (56 bars)
    • 10687456216932
      • 2025 AU 29; 2025 SE 20
• Chocolate Drizzled Vanilla Granola Bars
  • 120g (5 bars)
    • 687456214122
      • 2025 FE 15 up to and including 2025 NO 13
  • 720g (30 bars)
    • X002VWC1ZD
      • 2025 MR 07; 2025 AL 01; 2025 AL 15; 2025 MA 10
• Chocolate Drizzled Cookie Crumble Granola Bars
  • 120g (5 bars)
    • 687456214146
      • 2025 JA 05 up to and including 2025 SE 14
  • 720g (30 bars)
    • X002VWCL2L
      • 2025 MR 15; 2025 MA 12; 2025 MA 30
• Chocolate Drizzled Granola Bars
  • 720g (30 bars) Variety Pack 720g (30 bars)
    • X002ZQLF4X
      • 2025 FE 15; 2025 MA 10; 2025 MA 30
• MadeGood Variety Pack
  • 35 count
    • X0043RPWYV
      • 2024 DE 06 up to and including 2025 JL 20
  • 7 count
    • X00347PCCN
      • 2025 FE 17; 2025 FE 18; 2025 FE 21

Refunds will be made available at the retailer where MadeGood products were purchased. If you believe you have a product on the list, please click here for more information. If you would like additional support, please call 855-215-5695 between 8am and 5pm EST.

Chick-fil-A announced changes to their waffle fry ingredients. As of November 2024, the coating on their waffle potato fries now contains pea starch.

This ingredient change is updated on the company’s website. Because pea is not a top allergen, there is no allergen warning for this ingredient on their website or mobile app. You can find detailed allergen and ingredient information for your local restaurant on their website.

Always make sure to check the website or local restaurant for their ingredients. Always read labels carefully. Ingredients may change without warning. Ingredients can also vary based on region. Companies are required to provide up to date ingredient and allergen information, but they are not required to alert consumers about changes.

Before a new drug can be approved for a disease or condition, it has to go through a clinical trial. Clinical trials are important because they give us new treatments, such as drugs, devices, or diets.

In February 2024, Xolair® (omalizumab) was approved for food allergies. Before that time, no other medicine to treat food allergies was available. They could only be managed by completely avoiding your food allergens or through oral immunotherapy (OIT).

Xolair’s approval for food allergies was the result of the OUtMATCH clinical trial. The people who volunteered to be part of the trial were important in making this new medicine available to people with food allergies.

Nicole Rogers, Associate Project Director at Rho, a full-service contract research organization, worked on the OUtMATCH trial. She has seen firsthand how clinical trials can lead to big breakthroughs for people with conditions such as food allergies.

Kids with Food Allergies (KFA) spoke with Nicole about the trial, as well as what it’s like to take part in research that can lead to new treatment options.

KFA: Can you give a brief summary of the OUtMATCH clinical trial?

Nicole: OUtMATCH is a clinical trial that had 3 stages, each with different goals but all focused on patients as young as 1 year of age with multiple food allergies. To be eligible [take part], patients had to be determined allergic to peanut and 2 other study-specific foods, which included cashew, milk, egg, hazelnut, walnut, and wheat. This eligibility was based on results of skin prick tests (SPT), immunoglobulin E (IgE) lab values, and oral food challenges (OFC) for each of the of the foods that would be considered their patient-specific foods for the trial.

KFA: What was the experience like for patients and caregivers during the trial?

Nicole: This trial required a huge commitment from patients and their families. As mentioned above, to be eligible, patients had to complete screening visits consisting of blood draws, skin prick tests, and 4 oral food challenges. Once a patient was enrolled, they attended in-clinic injection visits every 2 to 4 weeks for up to 1.5 years through stages 1 and 2, and then completed an additional 1 and 2 years of follow-up in stage 3 depending on when the patient enrolled.

In addition to the in-clinic visits in stage 2, patients also consumed daily home doses of oral immunotherapy (OIT) powder that consisted of either the 3 patient specific allergens mixed together or of an oat placebo powder. Patients and caregivers would complete daily diaries documenting how much of the OIT dose was consumed and listing any dosing symptoms or reactions that occurred along with any medications that were taken as preventative or treatment of a suspected food allergy reaction.

KFA: Even though the study focused on peanut, milk, egg, wheat, cashew, hazelnut, and walnut, how were you able to find out that Xolair would work for all IgE food allergies?

Nicole: Based on the strong results for peanut, which is 1 of the most common and potent food allergens, along with the results for the additional foods tested, the investigators for the OUtMATCH trial were confident that Xolair would be effective against other food allergens that were not tested given that the mechanism of action [how a medicine works in your body] is the same for all foods. With that said, it is important to always consult with your doctor or allergist before taking any medication with the intent of treating or preventing symptoms related to food allergies to ensure that it is the best fit for your situation.

KFA: Why is it important for people with food allergies to participate in clinical trials?

Nicole: This trial has provided a treatment option to protect against accidental exposures to food allergens. However, hopefully, with continued research, there will one day be evidence of a treatment that will have the ability to modify the underlying disease that causes food allergies instead of patients only having protection while receiving therapy.

KFA: What advice would you give a family who is considering having their child participate in a clinical trial for food allergies?

Nicole: Don’t be afraid to ask questions. That is what the clinical site staff are there for, and they are happy to answer them for you. Also, be open about aspects of the proposed trial that will and will not work for you or your family. Enrolling in a trial and being compliant with the treatment and visits are of the utmost importance to ensure a successful trial.

KFA: If a family decides to participate in a food allergy clinical trial, what can they expect? How are concerns, such as anaphylaxis, typically handled?

Nicole: Anaphylaxis is taken very seriously by the investigators and site staff that are conducting clinical trials. The site staff for the OUtMATCH trial were all extensively trained on the signs and symptoms to watch for during treatments that could result in severe allergic reactions, and they had medicines to combat anaphylaxis such as epinephrine readily available.

KFA: What does a successful clinical trial like the OUtMATCH trial mean for the future of food allergy research and treatments?

Nicole: A trial like OUtMATCH gives patients and caregivers a new hope in knowing that there is a treatment that may prevent them from having severe reactions in the case of an accidental exposure to a food allergen. For many patients and families, this was a fear that caused limitations in how they lived their daily lives.

The success of this trial and approval of Xolair helps reduce the fear that comes with food allergies but does not take it away completely so continued research is important to hopefully one day find therapies that not only prevent or treat reactions but instead modify the underlying disease and remove the fear of life-threatening food allergies in patients’ lives completely.

About Nicole Rogers

Nicole Rogers is Associate Project Director at Rho, a full-service contract research organization. She has more than 7 years of clinical research experience with the last 3 years being focused on food allergy. Nicole is passionate about mentoring and developing clinical research skills in all members of her study teams, which she views as a key to setting up clinical studies for success.

Mom’s Pumpkin Pie: Milk-Free, Egg-Free, Soy-Free

You might be surprised to find out that pumpkin pie can be made without milk or eggs, but with this recipe, it is possible. The following recipe has been adapted from one of the most popular recipes in KFA Safe Eats® recipe collection, created by KFA member, “Littlebotsmom.” Members have used the Mom’s Pumpkin Pie recipe to make traditional pies, mini pies, custard molds, even amuse-bouche (single-bite) desserts.

Ingredients

2 cups canned pumpkin or sweet potato
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 1/2 cup milk alternative or water
6 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 pie crust, safe for your allergy set

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a medium saucepan combine all ingredients. Cook over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken, stirring constantly. Pour into pie crust. Bake 30 minutes until firm.

Notes

Nutmeg is not a tree nut. It is a seed from an evergreen tree.

Gravy is the crowning glory to the mashed potatoes and stuffing on your holiday dinner menu. You make a wonderful gravy, but now have to avoid what you usually use to thicken it.

Many gravy recipes call for thickening with a "roux" of butter and flour. There are alternatives if you have to avoid milk and wheat.

Gravy Thickened With Starch

Watch video on YouTube

You can also thicken gravy using a starch slurry. Starches, such as cornstarch or potato starch, must be mixed with a small amount of cold water to make a slurry. Strain drippings into a saucepan.  Add more stock if needed. Bring to a simmer. For each cup of liquid, mix starch with a small amount of water. When the drippings are simmering, slowly whisk in the starch slurry. Continue to simmer until the gravy is thickened.  Adjust the seasoning to taste.

Equivalent thickening per 1 cup of liquid:

• 1T all purpose flour
• 1T cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tsp potato starch

Adjust the ratio of thickener to liquid based on how thick you prefer your gravy.

Cornstarch and potato starch are the best options for gravy.  Avoid arrowroot and tapioca starches because they can get "stringy" and look artificial in gravy.

Cornstarch gravy is more translucent than flour based sauces. Potato starch gravy is more opaque than cornstarch, but less opaque than flour.

Starch sauces require less simmering than flour based sauces. Do not boil. Don't overcook cornstarch based sauces or your gravy will lose some of its thickness.

Starch based sauces do not freeze well.

Gravy Thickened With Roux

Make your roux using an equal amount of vegetable oil or milk-free margarine in place of butter. Heat the oil or melt the margarine, then add your flour. Whisk until bubbly to remove the "raw" taste of the flour.  Add your liquid as usual.  Bring to a simmer, while whisking, until your gravy is thickened. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Use a gluten-free flour mix or single alternative flour. Sweet rice flour, sorghum flour and garbanzo flour are great single flour options. Sweet rice flour can be found in the Asian section of the grocery store and makes a very smooth sauce. Garbanzo flour, also known as besan, chana or chickpea flour, can be made by lightly toasting dried garbanzo beans then grinding them in a blender. Use the same ratio of 1 Tbsp "flour" to 1 Tbsp "fat" to thicken 1 cup of liquid.

Fixing Lumpy Gravy

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you wind up with lumps! This is easily fixed by pouring your gravy through a fine sieve.

Need mashed potatoes to pour that delicious gravy over? Learn how to make creamy mashed potatoes without milk or soy! Check out KFA's Safe Eats™ recipe collection of more than 1,500 allergy-friendly recipes to help you plan your menu!

This September, Enjoy Life Foods discontinued their chocolate bar and lentil chip products. This includes their seasonal mini varieties.

Enjoy Life will continue to make their baking chocolate products. You can use Enjoy Life’s product locator and online grocers like Instacart, Amazon, iHerb, Vitacost, Thrive Market, Walmart, and Target to buy remaining inventory of their chocolate bars and lentil chips.

You can find other chocolate and chip options in Kids with Food Allergies’ (KFA’s) Allergy-Friendly Foods and Safe Eats® Allergy-Friendly Recipe Collections.

You can also make molded chocolates and candies easily with safe for you chocolate chips or large bars. Here are some recipes to get you started:

• Molded Chocolates - Create chocolates in any shape or flavor you choose.
• Mini Chocolate Crisps - Crunchy, versatile, and bite-sized chocolate pieces.
• No-Bake Chocolate Dainties - Made with rice cereal, rice milk, sugar, and cocoa for a simple no-bake treat.
• Buckeye Candies - This popular treat is modified to be free from the most common allergens.

What alternative chocolates have you found? Share in the comments!

Valentine's Day is the time of year when you show your loved ones how much they mean to you. But for kids with food allergies, it can leave them feeling excluded or unsafe. #TealLove means being inclusive of those with food allergies.

How can you pledge your #TealLove to someone with food allergies on Valentine's Day?

1. Show food allergy awareness with our #TealLove awareness ribbons. One in 13 U.S. kids has a food allergy. You can use these images as your profile picture or share on social media:
   
   
    
     
   
   
   
2. Encourage others to share non-food gifts which are safer and more inclusive for everyone.  Share this image. Download our Tips to Safely Celebrate Valentine's Day With Food Allergies which includes ideas for celebrating both at home and at school.
   
   
   
   
   

3. If you choose to include food in your Valentine's Day celebration, find safe recipes and ideas. Be sure to read all labels carefully. Many candies look alike but can have different ingredients and advisory warnings.
   
   Caitlin Reiter, of  Caity's Kitchen: Thriving With Food Allergies, shares her tips to celebrate L-O-V-E on Valentine’s Day.
   
   
   
   

4. Learn more about managing food allergies. KFA's free online Managing Your Child's Food Allergies course will help you understand the basics of managing your child's newly diagnosed food allergy while keeping them safe. Recommend this course to grandparents or other caregivers as the perfect gift for your child.
   
   
   
   
5. Pledge your #TealLove by donating in honor of a child with a food allergy. When you send a gift to Kids With Food Allergies, every donation helps our efforts to raise awareness about life-threatening food allergies and keep children safe and healthy.

Donate Today

Knowing the foods that cause your child’s food allergy reactions can help you best manage their allergy, reduce stress, and avoid restricting their diet unnecessarily. To help diagnose a food allergy, an allergist may recommend allergy tests.

But allergy tests only tell part of the story. Instead, food allergy tests work with your child’s personal, medical, and symptom history to help your child’s doctor confirm their allergens.

What Do Food Allergy Tests Look For?

There are two categories of food allergies:

• Immunoglobulin E (IgE) mediated – a type of allergy that has the potential to cause a severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis
• Non-IgE-mediated – a type of allergy that usually affects the digestive tract (gut), such as eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES)

Food allergy tests are best for IgE-mediated food allergies. They are rarely recommended for non-IgE-mediated food allergies.

What Are the Most Commonly Used Food Allergy Tests?

There are four types of food allergy tests that are most often used by allergists:

• Skin prick test
• Specific IgE (sIgE) blood test
• Component test
• Oral food challenge

Skin Prick Test

Skin prick testing (SPT) is one of the most commonly used allergy tests. You may have heard it called a “scratch test.” With SPT, the allergist places a drop of an allergen on your child’s skin and the lightly pricks it. This causes the allergen to go into the top layer of the skin.

If your child has IgE antibodies – immune cells that react with an allergen and cause an allergic reaction – to the food, they will develop a red, itchy bump. This bump is called a wheal or a flare.

Just because your child reacts to the allergen doesn’t mean they are allergic to the allergen. But if your child has had symptoms in the past when eating the allergen, SPT can help confirm the allergy.

Specific IgE Blood Test

The specific IgE (sIgE) blood test measures levels of specific IgE in the blood for certain foods. This test was previously known as RAST or ImmunoCAP testing. The allergen will be introduced into a sample of your child’s blood to see if IgE antibodies are found.

Like SPT, a positive result doesn’t mean your child is allergic. It can be used to confirm a diagnosis if other factors suggest an allergy. Also, the results – or “class levels” – don’t relate to whether or not your child is more likely to have anaphylaxis. Your child can have a low class level and still have a severe allergic reaction.

Component Test

A component test is another type of blood test. It’s different from other tests because it looks at IgE levels in the blood to different proteins in a food instead of the whole food. These tests are designed to try and determine if your child’s IgE tests are elevated due to true food allergy or are false positives from cross-reactivity with inhalant allergens.

Oral Food Challenge (OFC)

The best way to know if your child is actually allergic to a food is to have them eat it during an oral food challenge (OFC) in an allergist’s office. It’s the gold standard for confirming whether or not your child has a food allergy.

In an OFC, your child eats small, increasing amounts of their suspected food allergen. The allergist and their staff watch your child for a reaction and are prepared to treat any symptoms, if they arise. It’s the most reliable allergy test for food allergies.

What Should I Do If I Think My Child Has a Food Allergy?

If you think your child has a food allergy, see a board-certified allergist, if possible. They know how to look at your child’s full history along with allergy tests to confirm or rule out a food allergy. Avoiding foods without a proper diagnosis can lead to issues like food anxiety, poor quality of life, and poor nutrition – factors that can have a major impact on your child’s well-being, health, and development.

Medical review: June 2023 by David Stukus, MD

Food is part of nearly everything we do. Nearly every party, event, and meeting include food. Snacks are easily available and even handed out on planes, during events, or in classrooms.

Our food-centered culture can make food allergies harder to manage. This can lead to stress, anxiety, and sometimes food aversion in a child with food allergies. Parents and caregivers of children with food allergies have higher rates of anxiety and panic than parents of children without food allergies.

You do not have to manage your child’s food allergy alone. Kids with Food Allergies (KFA) has many resources – including free help and support.

Ways to Manage the Mental Impact of Food Allergies

Here are a few ways to support your mental, emotional, and social health:

Form a circle of support. Enlist a team of people you can reach out to when you need help managing your child’s food allergies. Giving information about your child’s condition to these people in your life is very important. They can help reduce your child’s chances of having food allergy reactions. They will also be able to help your child if they have anaphylaxis, a serious allergic reaction. Include people you trust who will listen to you and encourage you.

Your support team may include:

• Family members or caregivers
• Friends and neighbors
• Classmates, faculty, or school staff
• Health care providers such as doctors, nurses, registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN)
• Mental health counselor or therapist

Join KFA’s online communities. KFA has an online support community where you can connect with other people managing food allergies. Visit kidswithfoodallergies.org/help for more resources.

Find a food-allergy-aware counselor or therapist. A counselor or therapist who understands food allergies can help you and your child find ways to cope with the emotions that come with managing food allergies. Visit foodallergycounseling.org for a directory of food-allergy-aware counselors and therapists.

If your child takes medicine for asthma and allergies, talk with their doctor about medicine side effects. Most people have few side effects, if any, from asthma and allergy medicines. But a small number of people may have side effects related to mental health, including mood changes, irritability, depression, and more.

If your child takes medicines and you think they may be affecting their mental health, talk with their doctor right away. Don’t stop your child’s asthma or allergy treatment without talking with their health care team first.

If your child shows signs of disordered eating, get help. Disordered eating can turn into an eating disorder. Disordered eating is small or infrequent eating behaviors that aren’t as severe as an eating disorder. In a child with food allergies, it can include avoiding foods they aren’t allergic to, picky eating that gets worse, or obsessions about foods. Here are some resources for disordered eating and eating disorders:

• National Alliance for Eating Disorders
• National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders
  
  

Snyder’s of Hanover® said it has moved most of its pretzel-making to a facility free of peanuts.

The company's pretzel line previously carried cross-contact warnings for peanut.

Now, any snack made in the peanut-free plant will show a peanut-free symbol.

Some varieties already show the new allergen information and are on sale now:

• Pretzel Minis
• Pretzel Sticks
• Pretzel Snaps
• Pretzel Rods

Remaining products with updated graphics will be on store shelves by the end of the year.

The company will make pretzels with nuts, like those filled with peanut butter, in a separate plant.

Kellanova (formally Kellogg Company) announced that starting January 2024, Club Minis Original crackers will contain milk.

This change only affects Club Minis Original crackers. All other Club crackers, including Club Original crackers, remain milk-free.

This allergen change will be clearly noted on the front of the packaging. Milk will also be added to the ingredient list and allergen statement.

Remember to read every label, every time. Ingredients can change at any time. Look on packages for the most up-to-date ingredient and allergen information.

Thank you to Kellanova for alerting us about the ingredient change to share with the community. We appreciate their efforts to inform consumers.

Enjoy Life Foods announced that it is closing one of its manufacturing facilities in Indiana. It will close on or before April 1, 2024, and is expected to be permanent.

This facility produced Enjoy Life’s baked goods line. Reports indicate that once the current inventory is gone, these products will no longer be available. The following products have been removed from Enjoy Life’s website:

• Chewy Bars
• Brownie Bites
• Soft Baked Cookies
• Crunchy Cookies
• Enjoy Protein Bites
• Breakfast Ovals

Enjoy Life will continue to make their Lentil Chip, Baking Chocolate, and Chocolate Bar products. You can use Enjoy Life’s product locator and online grocers like Instacart, Amazon, iHerb, Vitacost, Thrive Market, Walmart, and Target to buy remaining inventory.

Find alternative foods with KFA’s Allergy-Friendly Foods Collection and Safe Eats® Allergy-Friendly Recipe Collections. Make cookies and bars ahead of time and freeze them to enjoy later. Here are some recipes to get you started:

• Mock Nutri-Grain® Bars
• Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
• Chewy Choco Chip Cookies
• Pumpkin Cookies
• Wacky Double Chocolate Cookies

What alternative baked goods have you found? Share in the comments!

Information from AAFA’s “Ask the Allergist” is not a substitute for a consultation with a health care professional. Always talk with your own doctor before making changes to your asthma or allergy management plan.

Q: If a child is allergic to tree nuts, are they able to touch acorns? Should they avoid them to be safe? Can they cause allergic reactions?

A: Acorns are botanical nuts of oak trees. They are not a common allergen. Anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction) due to contact with acorns would be very rare. There are case reports in the medical literature of allergic reactions after eating acorns. This was thought to be by cross-reactivity due to a pollen allergy and not due to a nut allergy.

Contact with acorns would pose a low risk of systemic reactions, even in someone with a tree nut allergy. Washing with soap and water would get rid of the allergen.

Learn more about tree nut allergy.

Dr. Douglas Johnston is our Ask the Allergist columnist. Dr. Johnston is a board-certified allergist/immunologist with Asthma & Allergy Specialists, P.A., in Charlotte, North Carolina. He obtained his D.O. from New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his residency at Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, New York. Dr. Johnston grew up with both allergies and asthma. He decided it would be exciting to help people with these conditions. His passion about food allergies also comes from having a child with a peanut allergy.

Published October 2017. Updated October 2021.

Information from AAFA’s Ask the Allergist is not a substitute for a consultation with a health care professional. Always talk with your own doctor before making changes to your asthma or allergy management plan.

Q:  My son is allergic to sunflower seeds. Without having tried it, would he be also allergic to sunflower oil? 

A: As you know, people who are allergic to one seed may not be allergic to all seeds. Sesame is the most common seed allergy in the U.S., and most allergists recommend avoiding sesame oil, which is often unrefined. Sunflower is likely the most second most common seed allergy in the U.S. Not much is known about sunflower allergy.

Highly refined sunflower oil would not likely cause an adverse reaction in those with a sunflower allergy. But less refined or unrefined oils that contain the sunflower protein could possibly cause allergic reactions. Cold or expeller pressed oils are typically unrefined. Refined oils use a high heat process which can help remove food proteins from the oil and are unlikely to cause food allergy. I advise my patients to use caution since both oils exist.

Dr. Douglas Johnston is our Ask the Allergist columnist. Dr. Johnston is a board-certified allergist/immunologist with Asthma & Allergy Specialists, P.A., in Charlotte, North Carolina. He obtained his D.O. from New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his residency at Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, New York. Dr. Johnston grew up with both allergies and asthma. He decided it would be exciting to help people with these conditions. His passion about food allergies also comes from having a child with a peanut allergy. 

Weekday mornings can be hectic – packing lunches and backpacks, finding lost shoes and library books, and making sure everyone has a good breakfast to start the day. Serve up a homemade breakfast even on busy days by making family favorites ahead and freezing.

Muffins

Bake up a batch of your family’s favorite muffins and freeze them. After baking, allow them to cool completely. Then arrange on a baking sheet to freeze. Once frozen, store them in an airtight container or zip-top freezer bag.

Defrost one muffin or a few at a time in an airtight container overnight and enjoy for breakfast! Forgot to take them out of the freezer? Microwave on low power for a quick defrost to enjoy warm muffins!

Muffins can be a great way to include whole grains and a serving of fruit. Most muffin recipes are flexible. You can swap out part of the flour for whole wheat flour. If your child has a wheat allergy, look for recipes that use whole grain flours like oat, millet, and sorghum. You can reduce the sugar in many recipes by one-third. Pair with low-fat yogurt or a milk-free alternative or a Yogurt Smoothie.

Search for muffins that are free of your allergens in KFA’s Safe Eats® Allergy-Friendly Recipe Collection. Try one of our favorites:

• Apple Pie Muffins – It tastes like apple pie for breakfast!
• Cheryl’s Pumpkin Muffins – Pumpkin flavor is always a classic fall favorite.
• Fruit Mini Muffins – Mini muffins are perfect for little hands. Banana is a classic, but also try pureed plums or pears.
• Millet Banana Muffins – These wheat-free banana muffins are made with whole grain millet flour and flax egg substitute.
• French Toast Muffins – Brown sugar and cinnamon combine for hot-off-the-griddle flavor.
  
  

Pancakes, French Toast, and Waffles

You can freeze pancakes, French toast, and waffles too! Make extra after a relaxed weekend breakfast or when you make breakfast for dinner. Arrange cooled items in a single layer on baking sheets lined with parchment paper and freeze. Store in an airtight container. Add a square of parchment or waxed paper between pieces to make them easy to separate.

When ready to serve, heat from frozen. It’s best to reheat pancakes and French toast in an oven or toaster oven. Spread them out on a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet and cover tightly with foil to keep them from drying out. Bake them in a 350 F oven. You can toast waffles on a medium setting similar to commercial frozen waffles. Top with jam or your child’s favorite chocolate spread, or dip in syrup.

• Pancakes, Egg- and Milk-Free – This is KFA’s most popular pancake recipe! Add blueberries or other add-ins for a sweet surprise.
• Oat Pancakes – Fill up on these hearty pancakes made with oat flour and a hint of cinnamon.
• Pumpkin Pancakes – Try our wheat-free buckwheat pancakes made with pumpkin and spices.
• Family Favorite Waffles and Pancakes – This recipe makes a super simple batter that can be used for either waffles or pancakes.
• Oat Waffles – Make fluffy wheat-free Belgian waffles.
• Millet or Rice Waffles – Here’s another simple-to-make wheat-free waffle recipe.
• Family French Toast – Up the nutrition content by adding in some veggies with this French toast made with pureed sweet potato.
• Gluten-Free Raisin Bread – Bake up this yummy bread for toasting or make it into French toast. Slice and freeze with parchment or waxed paper between the slices for easy separation. Before you begin, learn some tips for baking gluten-free bread.
  
  

Oatmeal

Warm and creamy, hot oatmeal is great for breakfast. But sometimes, you just need a version to grab and go!

• Overnight Oats – Made in individual serving-sized jars, these can be customized to give everyone their favorite flavor. Use plastic containers for kids to eat in the car or toss in a lunchbox for morning snack.
• Oatmeal and Brown Sugar Fruit Bars – All-purpose baking mix and oats are transformed into fruit-filled bars. Bake in the evening for the next day’s breakfast or freeze individual bars wrapped in waxed paper. Defrost wrapped bars overnight on the counter.
• Oatmeal Breakfast Bars – These easy bars are simply oatmeal and dried fruit that you can customize to what your family likes. Wrap in waxed paper and store in an airtight container.
  
  

Looking for candy for the kids, or kids at heart, in your life who have food allergies? Here is the Kids with Food Allergies (KFA) candy guide for food-allergy-friendly sweets! You can use this guide when shopping for candy for holidays, gatherings, treats, parties, or just for fun!

Avoiding Food Allergy Reactions

Remember, read labels every time on any food you give your child. Ingredients can vary for many reasons, especially on different sizes and treats in seasonal packaging.

Also, remember that a holiday, party, or celebration is not the best time to try new foods.

Find Allergy-Friendly Candy

Search KFA’s Allergy-Friendly Foods collection for candies and treats to fit many food allergy needs.

The buttons below take you to different searches for candy free of the allergens listed on the button. The “Free of Top Food Allergens” button searches for candy and gum free of the most common food allergens – milk, egg, soy, peanut, tree nuts (not including coconut), sesame, wheat, gluten, fish, and shellfish. We have also included buttons below for common categories.

You can set up your own custom search. Click “All Candy” then “Show Search Query.” Adjust the search for what you want to avoid and then click “Search” at the bottom of the form.

     

Click the item in the search results to view the product listing in our Allergy-Friendly Foods collection. Each product includes information about allergens and ingredients, flavors, and varieties, as well as facility information from the manufacturers’ websites.

Some companies make holiday-themed candy. You can include seasonal tags in your search to find holiday candy. Here are the tags you can search for:

• Valentine
• Easter
• Halloween
• Thanksgiving
• Hanukkah or Chanukah
• Christmas
  
  

Note: The “Free of Top Food Allergens” and the “Peanut & Tree Nut Free” searches may include items that contain coconut.

KFA has also created a shareable handout for our candy guide. Our handout lists candies free of the top allergens. Download it to take shopping or to share with teachers and your child’s other caregivers.

Download, print, and share this guide

Below, we have listed a few of the products you can find in our Allergy-Friendly Foods collection.

Chocolate

free2b Chocolate Sunflower Butter Cups – Free of milk, egg, soy, peanut, tree nuts (not including coconut), coconut, sesame, wheat, gluten, fish, and shellfish

PASCHA Chocolate Bars – Free of milk, egg, soy, peanut, tree nuts (not including coconut), coconut, sesame, wheat, gluten, fish, and shellfish

No Whey! Foods Choco NoNo’s – Free of milk, egg, soy, peanut, tree nuts (not including coconut), coconut, sesame, wheat, gluten, fish, and shellfish

Gummies and Chewy Candy

Sunkist Fruit Gems – Free of milk, egg, soy, peanut, tree nuts (not including coconut), coconut, wheat, gluten, fish, and shellfish

Surf Sweets Delish Fish – Free of milk, egg, soy, peanut, tree nuts (not including coconut), coconut, sesame, wheat, gluten, fish, and shellfish

YumEarth Organic Giggles – Free of milk, egg, soy, peanut, tree nuts (not including coconut), coconut, sesame, wheat, gluten, fish, and shellfish

Hard Candy and Lollipops

No Whey! Foods Chocolate Lollipops – Free of milk, egg, soy, peanut, tree nuts (not including coconut), coconut, sesame, wheat, gluten, fish, and shellfish

YumEarth Organic Pops – Free of milk, egg, soy, peanut, tree nuts (not including coconut), coconut, sesame, wheat, gluten, fish, and shellfish

Mints and Gum

Glee Gum – Free of milk, egg, soy, peanut, tree nuts (not including coconut), coconut, sesame, wheat, gluten, fish, and shellfish

Red Bird Candy Puffs – Free of milk, egg, soy, peanut, tree nuts (not including coconut), coconut, sesame, wheat, gluten, fish, and shellfish

Seasonal

Amanda’s Own Chocolates – Free of milk, egg, soy, peanut, tree nuts (not including coconut), coconut, sesame, wheat, gluten, fish, shellfish, mustard, sulfites, and lupin

No Whey! Foods Chocolate Lollipops – Free of milk, egg, soy, peanut, tree nuts (not including coconut), coconut, sesame, wheat, gluten, fish, and shellfish

Other Sweet Treats

All Free Brownie Bites - Individually wrapped chewy brownies in a variety of flavors. Can also be frozen to enjoy later.

Better Bites Mo Cupcakes - Soft chocolate cupcakes filled with vanilla cream and dipped in chocolate ganache. Available individually or in 6-packs.

Drizzilicious Mini Rice Cakes - Mini rice cakes drizzled with various flavors for a crunchy, low-calorie snack. Available in 4 oz. or .74 oz. bags.

Partake Cookies - Crunchy or soft-baked cookies in a variety of flavors. Also available in individually wrapped mini snack packs with seasonal packaging.

Other Ways to Buy Allergy-Friendly Candy

In addition to our Allergy-Friendly Foods collection, you can also find many options online at the Natural Candy Store. Their site allows you to filter and shop by allergens too.

Updated October 2024

Allergy-Friendly Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup
by Melanie Carver

Many casserole recipes call for cream of mushroom soup, but the canned versions available at the store are filled with milk, soy and wheat (not to mention fat and salt).  This recipe provides a delicious alternative that avoids those allergens and is also vegan and gluten-free.  I prefer it to be very flavorful and chunky, so I pack it with herbs and use lemon juice to make tangy "buttermilk" for the base.

With this recipe, you can make a variety of Thanksgiving dishes for those with milk and/or soy allergy, are vegetarian/vegan, or have Celiac disease.

Ingredients
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp gluten-free flour (I use garbanzo bean flour)
1 cup diced/sliced cremini or white mushrooms
1/4 cup finely diced white onion
1 1/4 cup original or unsweetened milk alternative (I use So Delicious coconut milk beverage)

1 Tbsp lemon juice (or vinegar)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

pinch dried rosemary

pinch dried oregano

1/4 tsp poultry seasoning or Garlic & Herb Mrs. Dash
3 Tbsp minced fresh parsley (optional)

Substitutions and Notes
Poultry seasoning is just a blend of spices that is pre-mixed for you. You can also make your own using any combination of thyme, parsley, oregano, sage, rosemary, marjoram, celery seed, black pepper.  Alternately, you can use a Mrs. Dash blend, if safe for you.

If you don't want your soup to be really chunky, reduce the amount of mushrooms and onions and use a food processor to chop finely.

Any gluten-free flour should work, I prefer the nuttiness and fullness of garbanzo bean flour for this recipe. You can also use rice flour, sorghum flour, or millet flour.

Instructions
In a large saucepan or bistro pan, heat the oil on medium heat. Add the chopped mushrooms and onion and cook for several minutes.

Pour and measure the milk beverage into a measuring cup and add the lemon juice (or vinegar) to it so that it can begin to sour into "buttermilk".  This process takes about 10 minutes, so you do want to do this step early on.

When the mushrooms and onions have softened and reduced in size, add the gluten-free flour to the pan and whisk.  The flour will "gum" with the oil/liquid.  Allow to cook for a few minutes while you prepare the spices or chop the parsley.

The milk is ready to pour in when there are separated "blobs" in it.  Pour the milk in slowly, and continue to whisk.  Allow it to slowly come to a boil (still on medium heat) and then reduce the heat to medium-low.

Add the spices (dry and fresh) and continue to simmer until the soup has thickened and reduced.

The final product will fit in a standard mason jar (about 400 mL); which is a little more than one store-bought condensed cream of mushroom can.

Serve the soup to eat right away or use it in another recipe that calls for cream of mushroom soup (casserole, vegetable dishes, etc.).

The information shared here is for your convenience only, it is not an endorsement or guarantee of the product's safety. Please read the ingredient labels and contact the manufacturer if needed to confirm the safety of a product for your child.

Melanie Carver is the Vice President of Community Services for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). (Kids With Food Allergies is a division of AAFA.)  She is a long-time vegan and has a special interest in nutrition. She is the mother of two, one of whom still has food allergies.

Many children with food allergies have eczema as babies. This is part of the allergic march – the natural progression of allergic diseases in a person over time. This means eczema and food allergies are connected.

Does Eczema Cause Food Allergy?

Eczema is caused by a defect in a protein in the skin that helps it build a barrier. It is often genetic, meaning someone else in the family has eczema or another allergic condition. Infants who have persistent or severe eczema have a higher risk of developing food allergies. Most likely, they have a genetic tendency to develop other allergic conditions.

Because of family history, a child with this tendency is also more likely to have environmental allergies (such as pollen, dust mites, and mold) and asthma.

The connection between food allergies and eczema may happen when a baby has eczema and food touches or is rubbed on their skin. Because their skin barrier is not as effective as it should be, their immune system reacts differently to contact with the food through the skin.

This is not cause for alarm. There are a lot of factors that go into whether or not a child develops a food allergy. Just because food touches your baby’s skin does not mean they will develop an allergy to that food.

The best way to help prevent your child from having a food allergy is by introducing allergenic food to your child when they start eating solid foods – around 4 to 6 months old. That may help your baby build a tolerance to those foods.

Does Food Allergy Cause Eczema?

It's unlikely that a specific food is the cause of your child’s eczema. Most babies do not see an improvement in their eczema when foods are removed from their diet.

Because of this, recent guidelines actually recommend against doing panel food allergy testing in babies with eczema. Why? Several reasons.

Children with eczema have high rates of false positives to food allergy testing.

If a child has a false positive to a food but eats that food with no reaction, you may be told to avoid that food. Removing a food from their diet may actually cause your child to become allergic to it when they eat it months later.

David Stukus, MD, explains more in this video:

Watch on YouTube

Should My Child Avoid Foods If They Have Eczema?

Most children do not get relief from eczema when foods are removed from their diets. Often, eczema flares after eating a food are a coincidence. As mentioned above, removing food from their diet can do more harm than good because it may cause them to develop food allergies to those foods you have them avoid.

This applies to breastfeeding/chestfeeding infants as well. Removing food from the parent’s diet typically does not improve the child's eczema.

Watch on YouTube

The important thing to focus on is eczema care. Focus on the skin barrier, avoiding environmental factors and triggers – such as skin care products with fragrances. Use very thick, greasy, unscented emollients such as Vaseline on a regular basis. Use anti-inflammatory topical treatments long before talking with your doctor about removing food from your child’s diet.

If you have concerns about your child’s eczema and food allergies, see a board-certified allergist. They can answer your questions, help you figure out your child’s triggers, and help your child find relief.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently published findings about the milk content of dark chocolate bars and chips made in the United States that were labeled “dairy free” or had similar free-from-milk claims. The study found that four of the 52 products tested had enough milk to possibly cause an allergic reaction.

Many chocolate products are recalled in the United States because of undeclared allergens. The most common undeclared allergens found in chocolate are milk and peanut.

Read the Label

Read every label every time. It's a great time to review how to read food labels to prevent allergic reactions. The FDA doesn’t regulate “made in a facility with” or “may contain” statements. If you still have questions after reading the label, you may wish to contact the manufacturer and ask about how the product is made. You can ask whether the product is made on equipment dedicated to making dairy-free dark chocolate, whether the ingredients used are free of milk, and whether the manufacturer(s) test their products with dairy-free claims for the presence of milk.

The FDA does not define the terms “dairy free” or “milk free.” These claims are voluntary statements that should indicate that there is no milk or milk component in a product. If a product has a dairy-free or similar claim, the FDA would expect there to be no milk allergen in the product given that consumers with milk allergy depend on the accuracy of dairy-free claims. Note that the term "non-dairy" is a defined terms and allows a product to contain caseinate, a milk protein.

Milk-Free Chocolate Treats

If you have a milk allergy, there are still ways to enjoy chocolate!

Shop for Chocolate Using Allergy-Friendly Guides

KFA publishes allergy-friendly candy guides each year for Easter and Halloween. The lists include many candies you can buy year-round.

You can also search KFA’s Allergy-Friendly Foods collection. You can find a variety of chocolate candies, bars and chips from allergy-friendly food vendors. The list allows you to search by category, allergens and more.

Mold Your Own Chocolate Candies

Let your creativity shine by creating fun, safe chocolates at home using candy molds using milk-free chocolate chips or bars. Here are some recipes and guides to walk you through the process:

• Allergy-Friendly Chocolate Easter Eggs Candy – Create basic molded chocolates in any shape with this chocolate candy guide.
• Allergy-Friendly Chocolate Easter Bunnies – Use this guide any time of the year to create hollow chocolates with two-part molds. It also explains techniques like tempering.
• Crunch Chocolates – Use crispy cereal to create crunchy shaped chocolate treats.

Safe Eats® Allergy-Friendly Recipe Collection

If you’re looking for fun recipes beyond basic chocolate candy, check out the recipes in KFA’s Safe Eats® Allergy-Friendly Recipe Collection. It includes more than 1,500 recipes from our community members, including several allergy-friendly chocolate recipes. Search by category and allergens to find recipes to make at home.

• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles
• Chocolate Dainties
• Chocolate Sunbutter Bark
• Easy Chocolate Cherries
• Mock Peanut Butter Cup Bars
• Peanut-Free, Milk-Free Chocolate Buckeye Candy
• Vegan Toffee with Candied Hemp Hearts
• Xavier's Chocolate Mint Bark