Doing Due Diligence - Taking Safety into your own hands!
Only you really know how you feel when you eat or smell something. Doctor’s and test can give you an idea, but in some cases you may be allergic to something that may not appear in your results, so really when it comes to allergies you’re really the one person who can give you the best advise. So take it from someone who’s seen many levels of medical practitioners, you need to do your part to keep yourself safe from future reactions. So there are a few things you can do:
1) Knowledge is Power: Learn about your food allergies; access all the different tools that are out there. Learn how to read labels, do some research on the bi-products that you may be allergic to – often times, a bi-product doesn’t even sound remotely like the actual allergen. For example, gluten is food allergen derived from a number of grains including wheat, but did you know that caramel also contains wheat? I used to spend hours on the net finding a list of bi-products, and then hours looking for products in the grocery store which didn’t contain these products. I have a list of what I’ve learnt at a later part of this book, but labels are always changing, so it’s better that you research and create your own list. You can also go to a dietitian for a list of food bi-products, but it’ll save you $40/ hour if you just spend some time on-line or do your own research.
Visit the FDA website for recalls and cases where there may be undeclared items in some of the foods. Not all companies declare their items as well as they should. So this will help you, you can even join their mailing list. Oh and if you do come across a food that’s not labeled properly, please don’t just leave it. Please call the FDA or email – Canada Food Safety Inspection Agency as soon as possible, so that product can be removed from the shelves. It’s important to know that most regular grocery stores will carry well labeled items, when you go to the smaller international stores (like the east Indian or Asian stores) you’re more likely to find international products with little or no labeled information at all.
So like I said before, use your discretion. If you’re in doubt, then really think about if it’s worth the risk to buy or eat something that you’re unsure of. I know it’ can be tempting, especially when you can see, touch, feel and smell something, abstaining from it can be a challenge, but weigh out the pro’s and con’s. It’s like wanting chocolate when you’re on a strict diet. You know it’s not good for you, but you want it none the less. Same ting, except that if you do eat it, you’re not just going to gain a pound, you may end up on a hospital bed somewhere gasping for air.
Only you really know how you feel when you eat or smell something. Doctor’s and test can give you an idea, but in some cases you may be allergic to something that may not appear in your results, so really when it comes to allergies you’re really the one person who can give you the best advise. So take it from someone who’s seen many levels of medical practitioners, you need to do your part to keep yourself safe from future reactions. So there are a few things you can do:
1) Knowledge is Power: Learn about your food allergies; access all the different tools that are out there. Learn how to read labels, do some research on the bi-products that you may be allergic to – often times, a bi-product doesn’t even sound remotely like the actual allergen. For example, gluten is food allergen derived from a number of grains including wheat, but did you know that caramel also contains wheat? I used to spend hours on the net finding a list of bi-products, and then hours looking for products in the grocery store which didn’t contain these products. I have a list of what I’ve learnt at a later part of this book, but labels are always changing, so it’s better that you research and create your own list. You can also go to a dietitian for a list of food bi-products, but it’ll save you $40/ hour if you just spend some time on-line or do your own research.
Visit the FDA website for recalls and cases where there may be undeclared items in some of the foods. Not all companies declare their items as well as they should. So this will help you, you can even join their mailing list. Oh and if you do come across a food that’s not labeled properly, please don’t just leave it. Please call the FDA or email – Canada Food Safety Inspection Agency as soon as possible, so that product can be removed from the shelves. It’s important to know that most regular grocery stores will carry well labeled items, when you go to the smaller international stores (like the east Indian or Asian stores) you’re more likely to find international products with little or no labeled information at all.
So like I said before, use your discretion. If you’re in doubt, then really think about if it’s worth the risk to buy or eat something that you’re unsure of. I know it’ can be tempting, especially when you can see, touch, feel and smell something, abstaining from it can be a challenge, but weigh out the pro’s and con’s. It’s like wanting chocolate when you’re on a strict diet. You know it’s not good for you, but you want it none the less. Same ting, except that if you do eat it, you’re not just going to gain a pound, you may end up on a hospital bed somewhere gasping for air.
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