|Allergy Reaction & Possible Cross Contamination|
A few weeks ago Jay experienced his first food allergy reaction since being diagnosed. He was diagnosed when he was 3 years old and when we were told what foods he was allergic to we made sure to stay away from those food products. We also made sure that everyone that came in contact with him was aware of his allergies. I spent time researching and learning what I needed to know to educate myself and others. I am constantly reading labels and making sure that the products I buy are safe for him. Recently I had purchased snacks for his school lunch box since he takes his own to school. I picked up a box of the Oreo 2pk box from Walmart like I normally do every other week. He has had Oreo cookies plenty of times as it is one of his safe snacks to have.
The packaging states that it contains wheat and soy which are two products that he is not allergic too. Well on the evening after our snow storm here in Jersey he decided to have one of the snack packs of the Oreo cookies before going to bed. He ate his cookies and then went to brush his teeth. Once he was done he went and laid in bed. The lights were already off so I just went in and tucked him in and kissed him good night. I walked back to the living room and as soon as I sat down he came out his room and said, 'Mommy I feel really itchy." When I looked up at him his face was beat red. He lifted his shirt and he had hives all over his body with large welts. I started to panic a little and he got really nervous. I quickly decided to take him to the ER and was told that it was definitely an allergic reaction to something he ate. I told the ER doctor what he had and she believed that there could have been a cross contamination with the product.
The packaging states that it contains wheat and soy which are two products that he is not allergic too. Well on the evening after our snow storm here in Jersey he decided to have one of the snack packs of the Oreo cookies before going to bed. He ate his cookies and then went to brush his teeth. Once he was done he went and laid in bed. The lights were already off so I just went in and tucked him in and kissed him good night. I walked back to the living room and as soon as I sat down he came out his room and said, 'Mommy I feel really itchy." When I looked up at him his face was beat red. He lifted his shirt and he had hives all over his body with large welts. I started to panic a little and he got really nervous. I quickly decided to take him to the ER and was told that it was definitely an allergic reaction to something he ate. I told the ER doctor what he had and she believed that there could have been a cross contamination with the product.
I spent the last 5 years trying to keep him safe from the foods he can not ingest. I have constantly reminded him what he needs to ask if he is unsure and if he is not sure then to wait till he gets home so I can inspect the label and make sure its safe. After having foods that he knows are safe it makes it super confusing for him to realize that although it was safe in the past it might not be now. Cross contamination can be deadly. Not printing information about the type of facility the product is made in can be deadly as well. Unfortunately there is now law stating a company needs to inform you on
their product labels that the food product is made in a facility that may process any of the 8 common allergens.
Food Allergies is not something that should be taken likely. As a parent it makes it so frustrating to purchase a product that does not have the proper information for me to make the judgement whether to buy the product or not and if it will even be safe for my child. I have since contacted the company to let them know what has happen and how can we assure that this will not happen again to not only my son but to the rest of the children / adults that have a food allergy. The company was very apologetic and offer to send me coupons and a package bag to resend the rest of the remaining product to have tested in the lab. I should know in 6 weeks if the product was cross contaminated. I also suggested that they need to have better information on their product labels. All I got from them is that they will pass the information along. I also pointed out that I didn't understand why they have that information online and not on the actual package. The lady didn't know what to say to me. It is super frustrating because I honestly don't think they will do anything about it. The only reason why I know this is because after his reaction I went to there website to look for the contact information and found it in the FAQ area.
Do you or anyone in your family have Food Allergies? What are some of your tips on staying safe? Please share with me in the comments.
I will do an update about the Oreo's once I get the lab report.
Thanks for Reading & Please share if you know someone with Food Allergies!
