Anxiety over possible reaction

One last thing.. Anyone have a fear of having a reaction when they're alone? Has anyone ever had that? Are you usually able to administer an epi-pen even when you're in an anaphalyactic state?

Hi Ang,

I have had my peanut allergy for 36+ yrs and I understand your anxiety. I do read every label, research products, parent companies, call them and refuse to eat it, use it if I can't verify it.

I have had 2 reactions and both times I could function well enough to have taken myself to the hospital, but there was someone else around to help. It is also good to be able to know and recognize your body's response so that you react as quickly as possible.

Ang153555,

Personally I tend to avoid the smaller food manufacturers/brands. I have 2 reasons for this:

1. Because traditionally these types of companies have the most recalls for cross-contamination and/or mislabeled products;

2. Smaller companies don't always have the same resources as the bigger ones (i.e., state of the art manufacturing equipment, allergen testing capabilities, and the ability to keep raw ingredients separate.)

For me this is more of a guideline then a rule since manufacturing practices vary amongst even the big companies.

Although it can be a tedious process, it's a good idea to contact any company whose product you are thinking about trying and ask as many questions as necessary for you to feel comfortable with your decision of whether or not to consume their product.

Also, when contacting by telephone ask to speak with a supervisor from the beginning as they usually have more accurate and specific information regarding production and allergen policies than the customer service representatives that answer the phone.

I hope this helps!