Baby Foods – Making Sense of Foods on Allergy Lists When Feeding Your Baby

Apr 30, 2008 Uncategorized

Many parents visit our Allergy page and our Forbidden Baby Foods page to find out what foods may pose an allergy risk for their little ones. On our Allergy page we list foods by “highest” and “lowest” allergen risk. We also have a nice table that was developed by Janice M. Joneja, Ph.D., RD.

Elizabeth had written to ask us why the lists on the Allergy page weren’t consistent. All lists vary by the numbers of food items as well as the scale of the allergy risk. The chart that we have at the top segment of the page is a list of typical food allergens, broken down by the generic “high” and “low”.

These food allergens are not broken down with any specificity regarding high-higher-highest allergens. You will see that on the “high” list, peas share the space with peanuts yet peas do not pose as great a concern as peanuts. This list is more of a “generic” list in that foods are in the same categories yet, they are not distinguished by allergenic levels.

Dr. Joneja compiled her more indepth and specific scale from research and experience in food allergies. The foods on the scale are listed from the highest to the lowest allergenicity and are broken down into specific categories of allergenicity.

The nice table that is at the bottom of our allergy page was developed by Janice M. Joneja, Ph.D., RD. In speaking to the different levels of allergenicity in foods, she says, “Nevertheless, we can make some generalizations about the degree of allergic potential (usually referred to as the allergenicity) of foods. I have developed an allergen scale (often referred to as the Joneja Food Allergen Scale), that has proved to be useful as a sort of comparative measure of the allergenicity of foods, based on the frequency of reactions in people eating a typical Western Diet.” You may visit her site here http://www.allergynutrition.com to learn more about her and her publications.

Always keep in mind that your doctor or consulting allergist should be able to tell you the appropriateness of foods for your baby.

Tags: Allergies, food allergy

Our Mini-Baby Food Contest is closing today! Hurry and submit your comment!

Apr 30, 2008 Contests and Giveaways

We’re asking about foods that you don’t like but that you are going togive your baby anyway! So far it seems the usual suspects are here – like beets and avocado. I had to give a chuckle to Tamar because I had the same issue with brown rice when I first switched to it!

Alright then, get commenting!

http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/news/?p=123

Tags: contests

FDA launches a review of Bisphenol A (again)

Apr 27, 2008 Call to Action, Dangerous Baby Items

In July 2007, the FDA essentially brushed off the dangers of BPA and now, it appears they are pressed into more review! That’s good news.

From USAToday on 27 April 2008 -

The Food and Drug Administration is reconsidering the safety of a hormone-like chemical, bisphenol A, or BPA, commonly found in baby bottles and infant formula cans.

FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach launched the review after the National Toxicology Program’s April 15 report suggesting that BPA may alter human development. Days later, Canada declared the chemical toxic and proposed banning it.

The FDA isn’t recommending people stop using BPA, says Laura Tarantino, director of the FDA’s Office of Food Additive Safety. But the agency will take another look at the safety of baby bottles, formula cans and other products made with BPA, which has been shown to leach into food. Depending on their findings, she says, the agency could require changes in the way these products are made or the amount of BPA that’s allowed to be used.

Read the full article

Tags: BPA