M&Ms

Ooooh that's tough.

My opinion? It's really your choice. I have always been under the impression they are a "may contains" and "may contains" are not safe for my son. But like your friend, we have friends who eat "may contains" with no problems. You'll have to do some "soul searching" and decide how important it is to eat those plain M&Ms and if you are comfortable with the risk (however big or nonexistent it may be).

Good luck. These are tough decisions.

Jennifer

Kristen,

I agree with Jen, it is totally 100% up to you.

That being said and so you know....

In a study of foods with warning labels up to 7% of them contained detectable levels of peanut protein even though peanut was not an ingredient. Also, there are some in the food allergy community who HAVE had reactions to m&ms.

My understanding of the m&m warning label is that they are made in the same facility or on the same equipment as the peanut m&ms.

So again--your choice. Just want you to have all the facts! :)

We did eat regular m&m's safely at my house in my PA daughter, but I decided it wasn't worth the risk. I also don't like the fact that the reese's pieces look so much like the m&m's. I think it is safer to not eat any of them. Not worth the risk.

I can tell you with 100% certainty that they are NOT SAFE!!!
My 18 year old daughter who is anaphylactically allergic to peanuts found just that the hard way....a peanut M&M in a plain bag of M&M's...fortunately for her, she called 911 immediately.

I have a severely PA alleregic son who does eat Plain m&m's. We open the pack put only a couple in a bowl make sure there are no peanut ones mixed in and let him eat only 5-10 at a time. He so far has not had a reaction. Thank God. But as with any food manufactured in large plants like that You run a risk.
But like everyone else has told you It has to be a purely personal decision. Take the facts as you know them and make your decision.
Good Luck

My daugther use to eat m&m's without any problems, but then they started labeling them with "may contain" and we stopped purchasing them. Although I wonder if it would be alright to try them again. It's just something that makes me way too nervous to purchase an item with "may contain"

Our allergist told us that those products that have a statement "may contain" has a 20% chance of having enough of that allergen to cause a reaction. I personally feel that this is too large a gamble to play and would avoid.

I eat them all the time too...I have the most severe form of PA and I'm positive that that the regular kind are perfectly safe.

I personally don't see a point to chance it at all. Are M&Ms really so important to eat that one would risk playing Russian Roulette just to have a few pieces? There are safer chocolates on the market if you have a craving. Just my opinion, personally.

I found out from the school nurse here that some peanut allergic kids eat the plain m&ms and their parents say it's okay because "they've never had a reaction." That's the point, though, isn't it? They haven't had a reaction, but that's because that particular bag, thankfully, had no cross contamination. Peanut isn't SUPPOSED to be in there, but there's a chance it could be, and that's not a risk I'm willing to take.

The chocolate skippers from Vermont Nut Free are similar to m&m's, but in my opinion are much better. Although, the only downside is that they cost alot more. So if anyone is looking for alternative to m&m's the skippers are worth a try.

Its' up to you whether or not you take the risk, but I have a severe PA and I eat m&ms without any reaction.