Do you ever wonder why you never see the words allergy free on our products or website?

I began using the term allergy friendly about 6 years ago and ever since then have been correcting those who refer to Nonuttin’ products as allergy free.  While I can understand that like “gluten free”, it’s a quick and easy way to refer to products that are designed for those with food allergies, it doesn’t communicate the true reality of food allergies. Read more »

I’m here to tell you a secret;  traveling is not all glamor.  Hard to believe, isn’t it?

I remember when my kids were little and my husband had to travel for work conferences.  I’d be exhausted when he came home and he had the nerve to be exhausted too!  How could that be when he’d had a hotel to go to sleep in, meals provided, banquets to attend, no children to wake him up in the middle of the night, no carting the kids back and forth between childcare plus work?  Now, I’ve discovered why as the shoe is on the other foot.

Because it is my company that I travel for, no one is planning my dinners for me at lovely restaurants when I’m away.   And, like many of you with food allergies and intolerances, I cart my own food with me so that I can eat safely and healthfully and try to book hotels with a microwave and fridge wherever I can.  I’ve been traveling so much in the last 3 months that I haven’t spent more than 10 days at home at a time.  At one point, I looked out of my plane at the city beyond and forgot where I was (Vancouver)!

So you might ask, why do I do it?   Here are the things that keep me going:

The eleven year old boy at the Canadian Celiac Association’s National Conference in Winnipeg who mowed through all of our samples once his mom had determined all of our products were safe for his Celiac disease, peanut allergies, egg allergies and dairy allergies.  What a smile on his face and his mom’s too!

The lady at Choices gluten free fair in White Rock who found out we’re free of sulfites and dairy.  She told me that she was in love with our company. 

The store owner who came up to our booth at the Canadian Health Food Association’s Expo West who said she can’t keep our Energy Explosion trail mix on the shelf, people love it so much.

The lady who’s been a customer for years who introduced herself at the Celiac Disease Foundation’s Annual Conference in Los Angeles in May.  It felt like I was meeting an old friend.

But it’s the same in all that we do isn’t it?  We handle all of the education and anxiety necessary to deal with our family’s food allergies and at times it can be really overwhelming.  We plough on, sometimes just putting our heads down and marching ahead because it’s really all we can do.  But then we get those moments of bright light; that small thing that may not mean much to someone not in our shoes but can mean the world to us.  A new safe product, a medical situation handled well, excitement over finding someone else who really “gets it”.

Small things – they’re really what makes the world go round.

Health Canada has said since 2007 that pure oats (no wheat, barley or rye contamination) are not only suitable for gluten free diets but recommended due to the B vitamins, fiber and iron they add to a gluten free diet.  Yet at the same time, Canadian labeling laws, last updated in the 1990’s don’t allow oats to be labeled or advertised as gluten free.  This is why you only see “gluten free” on our US site even though it’s the same product as Canada.

As part of the upcoming allergen labeling law changes, Health Canada has recognized that their recommendations and the labeling laws don’t match.  Two weeks ago they published a 20 page document about their intent to change the law regarding oats and are asking for feedback from Canadian consumers and the food industry.  For more information, check out the link at:  http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/advisories-avis/_2010/2010_75-eng.php

Shows like The Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim last month can be a little overwhelming.  Open only to those in the natural products industry (stores, distributors, manufacturers, media, etc.), not the general public, it’s hard to share with you the vast size and amazing diversity of items available at these shows.  There is everything from allergy friendly foods to organic skin care to vitamins and pet food.

But while there were some wonderful new products to discover, I found an underlying bandwagon at the show:  gluten free.  New market research shows that 1 out of every 10 new products introduced this year will have a gluten free claim.  Some of this is good, some not so.  Read more »

It’s been a long time since I’ve written a blog post and there’s been a good reason; I’ve been locked in my closet with SunCups.  Not really, of course, but not too far off the truth. Read more »

Just in time for Easter, we’ve brought in Divvies 4 oz solid chocolate bunnies to bring some joy to your household. Since they’re made in a gluten free, egg free, dairy free, peanut free and nut free environment, you don’t have to worry about anything except whether to nibble on the ears or the feet first.

Divvies products are at Nonuttin’ for a limited time and in limited amounts so don’t miss out. You can also get jelly beans, gummy stars and Benjamint chocolate bars and plain Bingo chocolate bars to make a delicious Easter basket that’s safe for your family.

Allergen Information:
Divvies does make cookies that include wheat and gluten but they are made and packaged in a completely separate building from the candy that we are offering. The only allergen declaration for all of these items is for soy and all ingredients are posted for each Divvies item that we offer.

Some Divvies jelly beans and gummy stars are fruit flavored (natural and/or artificial flavors) so if you have any fruit allergies, please contact us so we can inform you what flavors are in these products.

If you have any further questions, we’d be happy to answer them at mailto:info@nonuttin.com  or toll free at 1-866-714-5411.

Shipping Times – Canada
Order at the latest by 10 am March 24 to ensure the treats arrive before the Easter bunny does using ground shipping. For information about ground and express shipping times, please see our Canadian Shipping Policies at: http://www.nonuttin.ca/help.php?section=shipping#canada

Go Shopping in the Canadian Store Now: www.nonuttin.ca

Shipping Times – United States
Order at the latest by 10 am on March 18 using ground shipping to make sure there are no disappointed facese. Please see our US Shipping Policies for information about US Customs and Express Shipping at: http://www.nonuttin.ca/help.php?section=shipping#usa

Go Shopping in the American Store Now: http://www.nonuttin.com/shop/

There are a lot of people in the “free from” foods market that begin their businesses for different reasons.  Many, like myself, begin a company due to intensely personal reasons such as an affected family member.  Others  start because they choose to eat a certain way to feel healthier and want to share that with the world.  And others don’t have any of the medical issues involved but perhaps have a product that they would like to market to a particular segment of the free from marketplace such as Nestle’s chocolate bars in Canada being advertised as peanut free.

What I find frustrating are the people who want to market a product as free from a certain ingredient but have no idea what that actually means.  Read more »

The diagnosis of Celiac disease is on the rise and as such, there have been many studies lately about the causes  and possible prevention.  While Celiac disease is an immune response to the proteins in wheat, barley and rye (known collectively as gluten), it is a non-IgE response, meaning the reaction is not anaphylaxis but a myriad of symptoms from headaches to gastrointestinal upset and nutritional deficiencies.  Damage of the intestine and other body systems (such as osteoporosis of the bones) can be undiagnosed for years.

Up until this point, once properly diagnosed with Celiac disease, the only way to avoid the symptoms and subsequent damage is complete avoidance of gluten; not always a very easy prospect in our food supply.  So bring on the parasitic hookworms! Read more »

Did you miss me last week?  I flew to Chicago to attend a food allergens/gluten conference specific to food manufacturers. 

There were 41 companies represented with anywhere from 1 to 12 attendees per company.  The companies ranged in size from tiny, like Nonuttin’ Foods, to large, like Kraft.  Amongst those attendees, I met people who had different roles in the companies such as quality assurance manager for 39 facilities across the United States to Consumer Relations people, the ones who answer your questions when you phone in about food allergens. Read more »

In my last blog post I wrote about how many more family members than I had previously thought were affected by food allergies.  But what about the non-humans in the family?  Yes, there are pets with food allergies.

When my food allergic daughter visited my sister in Calgary in July, one of her favorite things to do was to play with and walk their golden retriever, Kobi.  But while she was there, Kobi was not himself.  He was shedding far more than normal, losing hair behind his ears and in clumps from his haunches.   My daughter was concerned as she thinks he’s the best dog in the world and with mom being allergic to fur-bearing animals, Kobi is the closest thing she gets to a dog.

Well, we now have our answer:  Kobi is suffering from wheat and beef allergies.  He immediately required a change in diet.  My sister found the pet food easy since it already had no wheat in it but all new pet treats were in order.  The change was also very expensive (as we all know from human specialty food) because the new treats are all gluten free, organic and much less processed than the cheaper dog treats.

Apparently some breeds of dogs are more prone to allergies and this includes golden retrievers.  One of our local clients introduced me to her new dog who has corn allergies.  Hmm.  Is this all because they are purebred and getting no genetic diversity?  Or are our pets simply reflecting the overall issues that we are seeing in humans?  Maybe it’s just one more piece of the food allergy puzzle that bears some research.