catsup and salsa

That's a good question because neither Hunts nor Heinz are made by very allergy aware companies.

I was afraid of that. Thanks for the input. We are very lucky b/c Logan has never had any reaction beyond excema and a diaper rash from any exposure to his allergy foods, several of which occured before we know he was allergic. The down side to this luckiness is that I can't determine if a food is "safe" or not. We don't get any rash or hives or anything to let us know. I am terrified that I will feed him something on a regular basis which is cross-contaminated and thus prevents him from growing out of his allergies. I know the chances of growing out of them are slim, but I want to give him the best chance I can. Of course I also know his first "big" reaction could come from a cross contamination. There are just some foods that are easier to make than others. I'd really love to splash some catsup on his food when he refuses to eat. Oh well, back to the drawing board.

Well, I use Muir Glen catsup and salsa. The company is called Small Planet Foods and they are a division of General Mills. They told me that if there were any chance of cross contamination, it would be on the label. The salsa is out of this world! I love the little trace of lime in it!

Mustard I buy Whole Foods brand but I've never called them on it - we just don't use mustard that often.

Our son has a PA and is very sensitive. We eat boat loads of HEINZ every week and have never had a problem. I am very cautious about what he eats and make the majority of his food from scratch, but I have always felt comfortable with his ketchup. Hope this helps!

I called Heinz this past July and was told there are no peanuts or treenuts in the factory where the ketchup is made. Also that there are no peanuts or treenuts in the natural ingredients. We have been using their ketchup and have not had a reaction. I called Hunt's about their canned tomatoe products (not their ketchup) and was told that because of the suppliers that they get their tomatoes from that they couldn't guarantee those products would be peanut free. Good Luck.

MomJd,

we use Heinz ketchup by the gallons. My pa son, Drew puts ketchup on absolutely everything. Noodles, veggies, chicken, turkey and pork. He has never had a reaction to this ketchup.

As for mustard he has never eaten anything with it on.

We use Taco Bell salsa or Richfood brand salsa (store brand). We have never ever had a problem with either of these.

Best wishes,

Renee [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

Did I mention that you guys are the best? Thanks.

Thanks for sharing all of this information! We use heinz ketchup without a problem.

My PA son seems to have a sensitivity to mustard, so we have always stayed away from it. Not sure why he gets a rash from mustard; anyone have a problem with mustard?? I am also concerned when I see mustard seed listed as an ingredient, not sure if that would cause him to react with other foods that have it as an ingredient.

Any suggestions/experiences would be appreciated!! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img] Thanks!!

I can't remember exactly why but I seem to recall Ms. Barber's book mentioning something about mustard that made me think it should be avoided- maybe it was in the same family with something else we were avoiding? I will try to find out and get back to you.

We use Heinz as well.... virtually as its own food group [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/wink.gif[/img] and our DD is sensitive enough that even aerosol-based contamination problems are a big issue for us (ie- coconut milk made on dedicated line and physically separate from any pn containing flavorings gave us a moderate problem with a single sip).... so anyway, if there were any problem with ketchup, I think we'd know by now. (We go through about two gallons a year, I would estimate [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/biggrin.gif[/img])

We use S + W canned tomato products without any problems as well. I like to make our own salsa because the jarred stuff is so loaded with salt.... but we have used Pace, Newman's Own, and La Victoria without any issues at all. (We eat a LOT of salsa at our house)

BTW- small red welts from contact with tomato products are NOT NECESSARILY an allergic reaction, according to two of our allergists.... many kids with sensitive/fair skin have this response to anything with much acidity... ie OJ, vinegar, etc. Our DD gets these a lot around her mouth with ketchup, but once she's cleaned up they vanish within minutes, and antihistamines don't prevent them from forming.

just out of curiousity...(b/c we are talking about tomatoes)..does anyone know if you could be allergic to cherry tomatoes and NOT regular tomatoes (like the ones used for most ketchup and salsa)??? My daughter to had welts around her mouth when she was 1 when tasting a cherry tomato...never gave her another one, but she too, consumes ketchup like it is another food group!!

Re: cherry tomato- have you investigated oral allergy syndrome?

momjd-haven't investigated anything on the cherry tomato...it sounds like you have ideas or have looked into this oral allergy syndrome? What is it? never heard of what you are mentioning. thanks.

SF - my son Logan is allergic to mustard. Didn't know that until he was tested. Since it's a seed I guess people who are susceptible to allergies should be cautious with it?

KS65 - I'm allergic to tomatoes, but only raw ones bother me. If they've been processed in any way (bottled salsa, ketchup, tomato soup, etc.) I'm fine with them. I think their protein is very easily broken down in processing.

Rebekah

Corvallis Mom - I'm so happy to see that information. I used to feed my son Uno's Pizza that you get at the grocery store. I called Uno's and they told me that the pizza was safe for him but a couple of times his cheeks got really red after eating it. Now I wonder if that's the reason - acid from the tomatoe. He's not allergic to them because we eat pasta with sauce once a week, pizza all the time, etc. with no problems. I stopped buying Unos because the red cheeks concerned me - but maybe there's no cause for concern after all.

My PA son's favorite food item is Heinz ketchup; we go through great quantities of it and have never had any problems.

I see some of you have mentioned mustard on this topic. My son is also allergic to mustard--it caused his upper lip to swell and his cheeks to get bright red and hivey, so we have been avoiding mustard for years. We also check labels for mustard--it is present in certain hot dogs and in most sweet pickles and relishes, so if you are trying to avoid it be careful with those products. Since mustard is an ingredient in virtually all non-egg mayonaisses (he's also egg allergic) I've had to do some experimenting to come up with a condiment (besides ketchup!) for our sandwiches.

We have used Heinz ketchup and a lot of it, for the past 3 years w/o a problem. We also use a lot of mustard. I called French's and was assured that it was safe. We use the regular yellow kind. French's makes some really tasty potato sticks too that are safe according to a call about a year ago.

Mustard
I couldn't find what I was looking for re: mustard- I did find out that it is in the same family as brocolli, if that gives anyone some insight.

Oral Allergy Sydrome- the body reacts to raw but not cooked fruits and vegetables. The reactions are more likely to occur during the spring and summer. (I don't know why) Barber mentions this briefly in her book under the section regarding other food allergies- I think it's near the end of the section. My allergist also mentioned that cherry tomatoes are a big culpri in oral allergy reactions. The acid in the tomatoes can cause regular allergic reactions as well. Of course now that I have all these good catsup tips, we've discovered that Logan is allergic to catsup [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/frown.gif[/img] Oh well, on to the next food.

momjd-thanks for the info...So, is it possible to NOT be allergic to catsup, salsa sauce, pasta sauce BUT be allergic to a raw cherry tomato? The reason I ask is b/c when my daughter was first diagnosed with PA it went like this: she had a cherry tomato that night (got a slight rash around her mouth)...then (b/c I knew nothing about allergies) right afterwards I gave her her 2nd bite of peanut butter that she had ever had (this was at dinner - both of these). Immediately after she started itching her eyes and her face got red and she got hives/execema on her torso. The doc immediately said it was a PA..and we had her blood tested..It was Class 3 and he said given her symptoms and class 3..it was peanut! I always thought it was weird...but the doc knows best, right? (I have heard of people that do NOT have allergies can still blood test positve, even though they don't have the allergy)..anyhow, she is now almost 3 and CAP RAST tested NEGATIVE to peanut. (I wrote this on another thread)..We are going to skin test in a few weeks...Does anyhone think or have any words or anthing...that it could have been the cherry tomato all along (even though she eats catsup, salsa and pasta sauce without problem)???

i just got off the phone with a rep from conagra foods who makes Hunt's Ketchup. i was so elated that i did not copy down her statement in its entirety, but the gist is this. even though Sesame is not considered one of the top 8, conagra does not consider it a spice and therefore will list sesame if it is included at all in any ingredient. as far as the major 8 go, their policy is to use a full ingredient list and/or a 'contains' statement. so, hunt's ketchup is safe for my PA/SA child. how great! also, she said that this policy extends to ALL conagra foods. this includes orville reddenbacher and rosarita brand salsas. i have not checked their ingredient list, but at least no i know i can depend on their labeling.