Goldfish - PF Doesn't Label for May Contain/In a Facility?

I contacted Pepperidge Farms regarding the same issue. I noticed that there were pecans in one of their cookie products, and it did not have a May Contain statement on the label. I was immediately concerned about Goldfish crackers. Here is their reply:

"Pepperidge Farm follows all government regulations regarding the labeling of our products. In the case of the top 8 allergens (peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, eggs, fish, wheat, soy and shellfish) we list those ingredients in the product ingredient statement, no matter how small the amount might be. We do not include any of those items under the broader listings of "spices" or "natural flavors". We recommend that consumers always check the ingredient statement and evaluate the product based on the statement.

We know many consumers have come to trust our Goldfish crackers to be nut/peanut free. With the exception of one specific seasonal item – the Chocolate Dunked Pretzel Goldfish - we currently produce our Goldfish crackers on production lines that do not use nuts/peanuts.

We work hard to clean and sanitize production equipment to minimize the risk of cross contact with any allergens (e.g., peanuts). We use a "may contain" statement on any products when we feel, despite the application of good manufacturing practices, there is a small risk of cross contact. Our decision to use a "May Contain" statement is made on a product-by-product basis with the consumer's safety being the ultimate goal."

I haven't had a chance to post this on my blog, but I do try to continuously add company labeling policy information on a regular basis.

Mom on a Mission
www.peanutclinicaltrial.blogspot.com

I called Pepperage Farms and talked with someone about whether or not there were peanuts in the goldfish foods. I also asked about the traces of tree nuts etc. They told me absolutely not! They are a peanut free company. I called the 800 number on the back of the fishy package.

Unfortunately, they don't have to list it as an allergen as long as it is in the ingredient list. Companies only have to list a food in an allergen list if the ingredient is not something commonly known, i.e., casein is an ingredient but not everyone knows that it is a milk product. In that case, the food manufacturer has to specify milk in a separate allergy statement. PF lists pecans and almonds in their ingredient list so, by law, they don't have to list them separately.

I didn't realize this until I came across the PF label. I just assumed that all companies had to include a separate allergen list or a may contains statement. It was a wake-up call for sure.

It was a wake up call for us too. It is infuriating as well to know that companies are not required to list May Contain or Processed on warnings. It is reactions to these products that scare me because according to their label, there is nothing in there that would cause a reaction.

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My daughter has a severe peanut allergy and she has been able to eat goldfish crackers for years without any problems. We haven't tried any of the milano cookies, though.

Not long ago I watched the film about chemicals in our food. If I'm not mistaken I've downloaded it at shared files SE http://filecraft.com . It turns out that this industry develops very fast and the government is not able to catch up with its progress. If the chemical is not registred the producers think they have a right to use it in food. In such a way we get a lot of harmful chemicals in what we it.

I emailed them 2 months ago, I cant find the email..But I do know all the products are made in a nut facility, incuding breads...All except the cheddar goldfish..

I agree..Just ordered the bear paws, and so far my daughter is fine with sunshine cheez its..I felt liek when she ate the goldfish, she got rashy a few times...Hope she likes the bearpaws...I also buy Dare :)

So, is it official that we have to stay away from goldfish too? If so, has anyone ever heard of Aunties Bunnies crackers? I think they are an organic brand and I wonder if anyone knows off hand if they are completely peanut free?

Do you mean Annie's Homegrown Bunny Crackers/Cookies? I stopped purchasing Goldfish Crackers for the most part because of the artificial dyes. My peanut allergic daughter had never had an issue with them, but I still switched us to the Bunny Crackers. From reading other comments above, it's probably better that we did anyway. The Annie's products aren't completely organic, but are definitely better for the kids than Goldfish Crackers.

Their website states that they label if a product is manufactured in the same facility with the Top 8 Allergens. I wrote a post on Annie's (which included their allergy info.) last year on my blog. At the time, they were giving away free reusable lunch bags. Not sure if they still are or not, but that info. is also on my blog. Here's the link: http://peanutclinicaltrial.blogspot.com/search/label/Annie%27s%20Homegrown.

Mom with a Mission
www.peanutclinicaltrial.blogspot.com

I just bought a box of Annie's Homegrown Gluten Free Bunny Cookies in Cocoa and Vanilla. It says right on the box that they are produced in a peanut/tree nut free facility. It was the only reason I bought them! :) Now, I hope they taste good! :)

I stopped giving my daughter the PF Goldfish. She had been broke out for a while and I couldn't figure out why as we are very vigilant regarding what she eats. I finally figured out what was causing it....she had a small piece of goldfish stuck to her face and when I got it off there was a red blotch right where the goldfish piece had been! Sure enough, once I stopped giving her the goldfish she cleared right up :/

I was told when i called PF specifically about the goldfish crackers that all of the GF flavors EXCEPT the chocolate pretzel blast are made in a peanut free facility, my daughter has been eating these without problem so far and she lOVES them, maybe i'll give them another call... not sure what to believe now, this si so frustrating! Deanne

I called PF yesterday and was told that the goldfish crackers are made in a peanut free facility.

It was the large package of Goldfish sold at our local wholesale club which caused the reaction in my DD. She had been eating the smaller packages from the store fine previously. When I called they told me that if there was a chance of peanut contamination then it would have said so on the packaging. I requested that they look into the specific facility where these goldfish were made just to make sure, since it was so obviously these goldfish causing my DD's reaction. They said no, so I requested a refund. Goldfish are no longer in my comfort zone, unfortunately.

That's too bad. A responsible company would have looked into the packaging plant. Hummmm......I'm not feeling too comfortable with this information either. I think I will cross goldfish off the list. There are so many other snacks to chose from, so why take the chance.....

Jennifer, i was wondering what the other snacks were that you feel more comfortable with? I'm new to this and trying to find foods i feel safe using, thanks for any help, deanne

Right now her snack options are the honey flavored Teddy Grahams, Great Value vanilla wafers, Great Value fig newtons, Members Mark fruit snacks and Cheese Head string cheese. She also likes to snack on the Chex corn or rice flavored cereal. I carry around a handful of the fruit snacks in my purse in case we are somewhere and peanut contaminated snacks are served. This is the only time she eats the fruit snacks so she feels they are a treat and she's not missing out. We have Sunbutter, but I can't get her to eat it!

Awesome thank you very much for your help!

My daughter, who is only PA, had one of the worst reactions ever to plain Teddy Grahams (the snack packs). I don't trust Kraft at all in terms of their facilities

After I posted my list of snacks someone else on here posted about their child reacting to the Teddy Grahams as well. I switched to Annie's cheddar bunnies instead of Goldfish and the honey bunnies instead of the Teddy Grahams.

I recently discovered that my son has a TA allergy and I slowly have been eliminating products that don't say if it is processed in the same facility as tree nuts that he reacts to. Goldfish has caused a reaction every single time so I cut it out. His school acidently gave him goldfish for a snack because they are listed online as "nut free" and he has a horrible reaction at that time as well. Goldfish crackers are NOT nut free

This is very confusing because my dd eats goldfish almost every day, and teddy grahams many times, and she has never had a reaction.