V-Day Sweethearts: Necco Response

Hi mjmom,

Thanks for sharing this. We just realized they were safe as well. The kids are thrilled!

Jennifer B

MjMom--

Safe or not is up to you--your call as a mom.

That being said, these would be safe for our household given our comfort level.

Our own personal comfort level is:

1. Items made in allergen free facilities only

2. Items made in facilities with allergens but in a separate sealed room.

3. Items made in facilities with allergens in the same room or on the same line so long as the line is thoroughly cleaned, non allergens are run first AND food is allergen tested.

This is what we feel has worked for us and are the most comfortable with.

Oh--and we never eat foods with warning labels like "may contains" or "processed in" even if they follow our guidelines above.

Hope that helps!
Ruth

I got a call from a representative that I had phoned two weeks ago--she had contradictory information so now I'm not sure at all....

She stated that the ONLY ones that are safe for our kids are the 1oz boxes....the ONLY ones. She said the others are produced in various parts of the company and are not safe. Then she said that the boxes are made on a separate floor. I told her I received an email, blah blah, and she just repeated what she said originally. So are they made on a different floor or a separate room? Does that detail make a difference? The inconsistency bothers me....

Personally I would go with what she said.

They probably sell so many 1 oz boxes that they have a separate line for them--especially since the packaging is different.

My son had some in class (the 1 oz boxes) and there was no warning label etc. He was able to eat them fine.

I've toured many facilities and you'd be surprised at how they are made up. Some are rooms within factories, some are divided by curtains.

My guess is what the person on the phone was saying is the other hearts (non 1 oz box) are made in a room that potentially has allergens.

The lack of information and spread of misinformation is why I've honestly stopped calling manufacturers. It will drive you crazy!

For our own comfort for our family we do the following:

Will not eat food with warning labels, may contains etc.

Will eat food without warning labels and without allergens.

If we have a question about potential shared lines we do call and find out what their cleaning protocols are.

We will eat food made on shared lines so long as they are cleaned and allergen tested. (Like Ice Cream)

This plan is not right for everyone but has worked for us so far.

Ruth

Jenny over at the Nut-Free Mom Blog has a recent email from the NECCO folks stating that the 1 ox boxes are safest. Here is the link: http://nut-freemom.blogspot.com/2010/01/nut-allergy-info-for-necco-conve...

I felt comfortable with that information and have happily eaten a couple 1 oz boxes with no ill effects.

I do not feel comfortable trying the other size packages. I have heard conflicting things about the other sizes and chances of cross-contamination. Not worth the risk!

Good luck!