Kissables with Shea Oil

Wow! I used the Christmas colored Kissables and didn't see shea oil. Please post when you have more clarification. I am very curious why they would change their ingredients so soon.

Thanks.

I'm glad I bought an extra bag of leftover Xmas ones. I'll just take out the green ones!

I called Hershey's yesterday and wasn't thrilled with the response. He didn't even have the ingredient information available because it is a valentine's product.. even though they are being sold in stores. The shea oil was listed in the ingredient section so there was no need for a warning or having the ingredient in bold print. He tried to tell me if the word NUT was used, there would be a statement b/c then it would be one of the top 8 allergens. I told him that was the dumbest thing I ever heard because isn't the oil derived from the nut? He said yes, and for tree nut allergic individuals to avoid the product. DUH?? Anyway, for whatever reason these particular valentine one's are cross contaminated or may actually contain the shea nut oil. He said they are most likely just not made on the dedicated lines the other kissables are because they are a holiday version. I double checked the regular bags and the christmas ones I have and the dark chocolate ones we found and none of them contain Shea oil.

I bought three small packs the other day and they do say shea oil on them, I didnt even see that, I didnt give it to the kids.

They also have kissables in a heart a small 1.5 oz heart. no mention of shea oil, as a matter of fact no mention of any oils except emulisifier and what is PGPR? I have seen this on 2 of their labels recently.

I am calling them in a few mintues not quite 9 yet.

I'll call today as well. Can someone post the UPC number from one of the valentines bags and the size of the bag- they always ask me for that. I have Halloween (stockpiled the mini bags), Christmas, and dark choc. no mention of the Shea oil...makes me wonder now if they didn't label for that before and have just started labeling and the old ones might have it in there too- like under the emulsifiers?

Definitely would like to find out- if it's in the old ones too- we will give away- I would rather avoid Shea all together since the verdict on it seems to be out.

Thanks!

OMG
I cant even begin to write what that rep told me because it just doesnt make sense.

I told her I had bought a 1.5 oz of kissables valentine bag and it says shea in the ingredient list and i never saw it on kissables before. Its not even on another valentine kissable I got, and is shea a nut?

She tells me yes it is

me " oh because it doesnt say contains nuts"

her "exactly"

Me" Excatly what??"

her " if it conatined nuts it would state it"

Me " you just said shea was a nut"

her "oh, hold one"

ROFLMAO

so anyway she comes back with the answer that shea butter is like cocoa , whatever lady so then I say ok but why do some bags say shea and other dont and for that matter why does this 1.5 heart with a sliver bag of kissables in it doesnt say anything about oils of any kind?

Oh we put shea in all the kissables except the bags 2.85 oz or larger

me " really, I am reading the ingredients off a 1.5 oz bag and it doesnt say it"

Her "oh i dont know , its in all the bags except the ones 2.85 oz or larger"

at this point I have a literal choking fit. lol she says give me your number and I will have someone call you back , these are really good questions

I was like omg

no call back yet

anyone else have better luck?

oh the flip side I called Kebbler and they said that if there is no warning the cookies are made on dedicated lines, wlthough alway scheck the boxes because they have several factories and make the cookies in all different places.

[This message has been edited by patsmommy (edited January 04, 2007).]

Is Shea a nut? Do those w/ PA and TNA need to avoid this also?
I have never seen it listed on a food label before that I can recall. Lotions, all the time.
Am I going to have to cross Kissables off the list of safe items already?! That would be so disappointing.
I have already told so many people that these are ok. Relatives and friends all make sure to have these for dd when we visit and she has so enjoyed them!

[This message has been edited by krc (edited January 04, 2007).]

I'll try and see what info I get--if we make enough calls maybe they will realize they need the CORRECT answer!

This must not be the morning for to make phone calls! I was on the phone trying to talk to Keller's butter about their products- the rep says he's never been asked about nuts before someone will have to call me back- this is my second call- no one called me back last week. UGH!

KRC- I think Shea is kind of debated at this point. I called FAAN about it about 2 mths ago and they told me they didn't have much info on it at all- was only produced in a small part of Africa- and they advised to avoid it if PA/TNA. So that's what we've been doing- no one seems really sure though!

Well, I also did a search on previous threads and it does seem Shea is derived from a nut but no one knows much about it!

My dd is TNA also so if it is listed as an ingredient, we will avoid.

This will be so disappointing!

Why would it only be added to certain ones? and why does it need to be added at all?!

I guess I will be calling again this afternoon also.

Hi guys- anyone have a UPC on the valentines Kissables with shea oil- I have a great Hershey's rep on the line- but don't have a code to give her and she's searching but not coming up withanything.

its probably too late now but here it is

03467602

what i find werid is that the other kissable bag i have does not mention any oils at all in it

this one says vegatable oil(palm, shea, sunflower and/or safflower oil)

I haven't called, but I have a strong feeling that the shea oil is part of the pink or white colors that they added to the Valentine kisses. Maybe the pink color doesn't bond as well with the chocolate or something. The reason the shea would show up on the regular size would then be because they are being run on the same line as the Valentine kisses.

It would be ridiculous for them to change the formula already.

Dark chocolate kissables??? I haven't seen them yet.

Here is a link MommaBear found some time ago...used often, I believe they talk about shea nuts as well...considered a drupe (like almonds, cashews, others). My computer can't get the link to open right now...maybe it will for you...

[url="http://waynesword.palomar.edu/ecoph8.htm"]http://waynesword.palomar.edu/ecoph8.htm[/url]

My DD has a severe TNA and we haven't really come across this in food yet...not at least until now. I haven't seen the valentine kissables, but I am disappointed to hear it here.

Mind if I say it for the many of us who would like to??

Well, just _____.

Sorry, am just tired of anything even remotely resembling a nut working its way into the few foods PA kids might POSSIBLY safely eat.

Just _____ .

~Elizabeth

Edited to prevent grief.

[This message has been edited by ajas_folks (edited January 06, 2007).]

patsmommy - ROTFLMAO...holy cow, that was funny! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/biggrin.gif[/img]

Thanks for the UPC- if you still have the bag let me know what size it was- and was it specifically valentines packaged. That's what the rep told me to find out. I'll be glad to call again tomorrow if you have the answers above. I checked tonight at our local grocery- but they were just stocking the valentines candy- and so far they didn't have any kissables. I would love an explanation on why these now have shea oil- to make sure the ones I stockpiled really don't have it- and make sure it's not that they are improving their labeling.
A side note, I did find a pack of Hershey's chocolate "cupids"- look like the individually wrapped Santas but are funny looking cupids at our local K-mart. They are solid chocolate- no warning.

The bag I have is a pink colored bag size 1.5

I called our allergist yesterday to ask a question about this. They have not been particularly helpful with anything. So DH chuckled that I was making them work when they idn't want too.....

DD is PA/TNA. The message I got back was that shea is definitely a nut. And that I should contact the manufacturer to see if there was any chance of any protein being in the kissables. And if there is, to absolutely not have her eat them.

I am just soooo irritated that they have done this. I truly hope that it is going to be just the Valentine's Day ones...not other ones...

Thanks for the info---I'll try calling Hershey's again this afternoon and see where I get!

Quote:Originally posted by McCobbre:
[b]Thanks.

I'm glad I bought an extra bag of leftover Xmas ones. I'll just take out the green ones![/b]

Use the red& white for Valentine's day, and the green for St. Patrick's.

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[url="http://www.the3day.org/boston07/deedaigle"]http://www.the3day.org/boston07/deedaigle[/url]

Dark chocolate ones came out and they are purple-ish in color. They do not list any shea oil.

I didn't buy the valentine ones for obvious reasons but they are in the same size bag as all the others... just valentine colors. I hope you get better answers than I did when I called.

I am SOOOOO hoping this is just going to affect the valentine kissables, because I LOVE them.

And maybe all the complaints will make the realize that the PN/TNA people are a good size, active consumer group that they should keep happy with more safe candy and keeping the safe stuff safe. (I can ehar them in the board room now: We are going to do THAT again!)

My dh & dd brought me a small bag the other day and were shocked when I read the label and said I couldn't eat them... said "good thing you always read them." They usually tease me for reading labels of foods I eat every day!

I checked the large valentine bag (14oz) and it also had the shea & other oils. In their defense, it seems even the experts can't agree what shea is and Hershey at least labeled it clearly (I don't do sunflower, either).

In praise of Hershey, though... they have safe chocolate cupids out- like their chocolate santas. AND I noticed this at Halloween, Christmas, and now on the Valentine candy- they not only label the outer bag, but each of the individually wrapped candies so when they are given out, the receiver can check the ingredients! I don't recall having noticed that in the past (though they may have been doing it for years!) but it made me happy.

I saw they had a really neat candy out for Halloween- jelly filled marshmallows dipped in chocolate. I wanted some SOOO bad, but they had a xcont warning and were made in the phillipines or somewhere. It would be great if they started making them in the US without Xcont so I could try them!

Tara P

I sent an email to Hershey's - I'll let you know if I get a response. Patsmommy thanks for the UPC and package info- I included it in my email to them!
If I don't hear early next week- I'll try calling as well. Maybe if we keep bugging them- someone will get a good answer. I just hope there wasn't shea oil before and they have just started labeling for it now (since I have a stockpile of Kissables).

1. Do a search and you will find lots of opinions and fewer but more important, facts, on this board about shea nut. I am just reminding people that there is a wealth of information on this topic here.

2. Ask your allergist to test for shea nut allergic reaction at your next appointment.

3. Shea nut is hypoallergenic and reactions to it are said to be unknown. This is one ingredient that we don't worry about and several in my family have life threatening nut allergies. I have however made arrangements for ds and dd to be tested for it at our next appointment so that I have facts about our situation.

I called our allergist's office yesterday and she said that shea oil is fine to eat. I think everyone would just have to trust their instincts and their personal doctor. Some doctors have different opinions on shea oil and peanut oil.

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Jodi

I just noticed that I have a big bag of Christmas Kissables and there is no Shea Oil listed. I also have little bags with no Shea oil listed either. Is this a new ingredient? I have all different sized bags and no Shea oil!

FAAN just added sheanut to their list of things to avoid for tree nut allergy (due to the FDA changes). Of course, you should check with your doctor to see if you need to avoid it. Here is a link to FAAN's updated list:

[url="http://www.foodallergy.org/downloads/HTRL.pdf"]http://www.foodallergy.org/downloads/HTRL.pdf[/url]

It sure would be interesting, to me anyway, to have Hershey come out & say why Shea is added as an ingredient to their product.
Flavor? Texture? What?

Just wondering out loud.

~Elizabeth

PS -- Would also be interested to validate that Shea is available at allergist's office for testing in SPT (skin prick test) and also wondering if they've got Rast available specifically for Shea. I've got it on our list of questions for our own new allergist, whenever we finally get there this spring.

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~Elizabeth,
Mother to 2:
DD age 5, NKA, treated as though PA/TNA
DS age 8, PA, possible TNA
(PA diagnosed & ana reaction 1999)
Member here since 2000

Unfortunately I have had no luck with Hershey. I have emailed them, and called twice today. The last rep I talked to told me it appears the shea oil is now in all the kissables (from what she is looking at)- but then looked up my bags from Christmas and Halloween (yes I stockpiled)and said she gets the same ingredient list- I then let her know those bags don't list Shea oil and do they or do they not have it? They can't answer that and will have to research and get back to me. I'll let you know if I hear anything.

I just emailed them also. I will plan to call tomorrow to see what they say. I am so disguisted at this... I am so sad.
Andrea

We do not avoid shea oil and dd has eaten it alot in Kissalbes and who knows what else. But she never has any issues. Just anectdotal, but just throwing it out ther if it helps anyone. Ds is KNA;s but seems to have some wierd sensetivities around nutty environments, and he is fine with kissables as well. He has tested very low on PA antibodies, below threshold, but we treat him as PA still at age 3. No know ingestion. becca

Quote:Originally posted by becca:
[b]We do not avoid shea oil and dd has eaten it alot in Kissalbes and who knows what else. But she never has any issues. [/b]

Same with me. Even though I am allergic to peanuts, I am not allergic to shea oil.. it is in many products, including soaps, etc. Just because I am allergic to peanuts does not make me want to avoid shea.

Quote:Originally posted by becca:
[b]We do not avoid shea oil and dd has eaten it alot in Kissalbes and who knows what else. But she never has any issues. Just anectdotal, but just throwing it out ther if it helps anyone. [/b]

I would say the same for my son, except up until now the kissables haven't had shea listed as an ingredient. So just because he was ok with the old formula.... he is TNA, and who knows if he will/would have a problem with the new ones (valentine) with shea oil added? Looking at older bags, there was no type of veg oil listed at all, so I don't feel comfortable assuming he would be ok with the newer ones, JMO of course. I don't believe they have contained shea all along, or *some* type of vegetable oil would have been on the ingredient list on the old bags, and there was none.

Someone upthread mentioned that perhaps the shea oil had something to do with the pink coloring in the valentine kissables.... I did see a valentine heart, it was small and plastic and filled with kissables. They only showed red ones on the outside of the package. On the label it listed no type of veg oil at all, no shea oil. I found that interesting.

[This message has been edited by mcmom (edited January 11, 2007).]

When I talked to Hershey the other day the rep said the Shea oil was equivalent to Cocoa butter as far as what they use it for. The old kissables did list cocoa butter- and don't list any type of oil..not sure about the new bags regarding cocoa butter (that's probably what the shea oil/other oils) have replaced??

My son is allergic to tree nuts and sunflower. I wonder if I need to worry about cross contamination with their other chocolates. I guess I'll be order from Vermont Nut Free more often until I find out more info.

Quote:Originally posted by PennMom:
[b]Unfortunately I have had no luck with Hershey. I have emailed them, and called twice today. The last rep I talked to told me it appears the shea oil is now in all the kissables (from what she is looking at)- but then looked up my bags from Christmas and Halloween (yes I stockpiled)and said she gets the same ingredient list- I then let her know those bags don't list Shea oil and do they or do they not have it? They can't answer that and will have to research and get back to me. I'll let you know if I hear anything. [/b]

PennMom, thanks for the info. I looked up kissables on the Hersheys site, and under nutrition/ingredients it said the info was unavailable at the time. That makes me afraid that they *are* changing the recipe, but why? Poor ds is going to be so sad, he loves them [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/frown.gif[/img]

I emailed, and I will be calling on Monday. If we find out they are changing the ingredients, *everyone* should call, maybe we can make a difference here. Didn't they get Nestle to keep Smarties safe in Canada? Maybe we can do the same.

o

[This message has been edited by NicoleinNH (edited June 10, 2007).]

Well, I got an email back and I spoke on the phone with Hersheys. The email was generic and requested that I call them and give more information. The lady I spoke with on the phone yesterday was very nice and seemed knowledgeable- she stated all the kissables now released will have shea oil. She did agree with me on how that will/is affecting many consumers that will not buy their products anymore due to nut allergies. She asked if she could send the call to the marketing dept. and asked me for more info incase they wanted to contact me.

So, lets all call them and maybe they will consider going back to the orginal recipe.

BTW, I bought 20 bags of original kissables yesterday at Target...just to have before we can't have them anymore.. Anyone know if I can freeze them?

Thanks,
Andrea

And yet, the *dark* chocolate kissables in the Valentine's packaging has no shea oil listed, it is the same as the old ingredients.

Why would they change the recipe so quickly?

I wouldn't bother to freeze the kissables you have stocked - I have had a friend buy me Smarties in Canada and kept them in a cool place and they were still fine up to a year later. Now I'm mad I didn't stock up more at Halloween when they had the little bags. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/frown.gif[/img]

Regardless of whether shea is recognized as an allergen (although I thought someone posted that FAAN was advising to avoid?) I am still game to try to get an organized effort going to get Hershey's to change back to the original formula.

Quote:Originally posted by mcmom:
[b]
Regardless of whether shea is recognized as an allergen (although I thought someone posted that FAAN was advising to avoid?) I am still game to try to get an organized effort going to get Hershey's to change back to the original formula. [/b]

Sheanut is recognized as a nut by the FDA and FAAN. If you click on the link on the first page of the thread, it should take you to FAAN's list of things to avoid.

However, what someone else was pointing out is that FAAN might not recognize shea OIL as something that those who are allergic to tree nuts should avoid. FAAN does list nut oil under things to avoid for tree nut allergies. They are not specific--just "nut oil". Some people may not avoid nut oil or sheanut oil. Again, that is something that differs depending on a person's sensitivity and their doctor's advice. That's why I suggested people check with their doctors.

The reason my family is concerned is 1. this seems to be a change to the recipe because shea oil was not listed previously and 2. our daughter is TNA--not just PA. We also try to avoid oils derived from nuts.

We just contacted Hersheys via email and are waiting for a reply.

(FAAN did not recommend people avoid sheanut until recently due to FDA reports. Their cards/magnets that tell things to avoid and their list that you can download have all changed to reflect information from the FDA)

[This message has been edited by Lori Anne (edited January 13, 2007).]

And my husband laughed when I bought about 12 bags of Kissables at Halloween! DH loves the dark chocolate- guess I'll try and hit Target and stock up- the last time I was there they still had the ones without Shea oil. I've called and left my info- for someone to call me at Hershey's- and sent 2 emails- at least they can know we won't be buying the kissables anymore- who knows maybe its all us PA/TNA people who have kept the kissables on the market! I know it's a "comfort zone" thing regarding the Shea oil- but we are also PA/TNA so we are avoiding- there are other choices that don't have the shea oil!

[i]Shea (Vitellaria paradoxa, syn. Butyrospermum parkii, B. paradoxa) is a tree indigenous to Africa, occurring in Mali, Cameroon, Congo, C

I read that description on wikpedia too, and I kind of wish I had stopped there [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]Unfortunately for every article that claims it is a fruit, there's another that classifies it as a tree nut. (I spent *way* too much time googling this, lol!)

There are theories that the reason there have really been no reports of allergies to shea before is that it is just now entering into products. I had heard of shea butter in lotions etc., but this is one of the first times I have come across it as an ingredient, and who ever heard of it just a few years ago? In googling, I did come across several mentions of people with TNA who had reacted to shea butter in lotions.

There is just such a plethora of differing answers on this - if it turns out to be in the same category as say coconut, I would have no worries about it at all! Where to get a *definitive* answer, that's the question for me.

Quote:Originally posted by PennMom:
[b]Unfortunately I have had no luck with Hershey. I have emailed them, and called twice today. The last rep I talked to told me it appears the shea oil is now in all the kissables [/b]

It's in Milk Duds too, right? My son eats them both without incident. But that's just him. No advice.

Erik,

Yes, it is possible to react to those items, something about how they are related or cross related to tree nuts.

My DD is allergic to all tree nuts (and tree pollens as well) and coconut. Yes, coconut is classified as a fruit, but apparently there is some relation to tree nuts??? I don't understand, nor do I try, we just avoid. Seeing her reaction was enough for me. And yes, DD has also reacted to Shea Butter in moisturizer so our allergist has instructed us to completely avoid any Shea Nut products - oil included.

In addition, there are other fruits that are fine during most of the year, but when certain tree pollen is high, she takes one bite and refuses to eat anymore. Her body knows best.

My DD is "very reactive" (her allergist's words) so she may be more sensitive than others.

Okay... I just want to clarify this...

[b]Hershey has confirmed that this is a *change* in *formula*? (not just a change in labeling)??[/b]

[b]And that this will be for ALL new bags of Kissables, not just some fluke with the Valentine's Day?[/b]

Even if Shea is okay (which I am on the fence with that) I have reacted to products with Sunflower oil (which is also listed in the Kissables)

I want to call myself, but I don't know when I will get the time. If it is a change in formula and will be permanent, I think I am going to raid my stores and stock up before they are gone. Though I am tempted NOT to just on principle [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/frown.gif[/img]

Tara P

Quote:Originally posted by PurpleCat:
[b]Erik,

My DD is allergic to all tree nuts (and tree pollens as well) and coconut. [/b]

Hi PurpleCat,

It is unfortunate that your daughter has so many allergies, including coconut. In her case, I would agree that there is no point even trying products with shea due to her allergic history.

I am mainly stating that in my personal situation (I am only allergic to peanuts) I saw no reason to avoid any shea products. For those who are only PA I don't see why shea is so scary, although for those with multiple FA I can see there is much more of a risk.

Rather than kissables, I think there is also a product called Sixlets.. not sure if thye are safe but I think I heard someone post that they are (made by Sweetworks I think?). Or if everyone contacts Hershey, maybe they will reverse their decision?

The conversation of "shea", what's a nut, what's a fruit, what's a seed, comes up often here...as it should...colloquial use of the term "nut" gets everyone confused!

Would you believe almonds aren't nuts? Yup, that's right --- they are the seed of a fruit and are classified as "drupes". Same with shea...

so...check out the below site, and it'll help you better understand how true nuts, tree nuts, drupes, and some other fruits (like avocado, mango, papaya) all fit together [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

Fruits Called Nuts
[url="http://waynesword.palomar.edu/ecoph8.htm"]http://waynesword.palomar.edu/ecoph8.htm[/url]

Adrienne

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30-something survivor of severe peanut/tree nut allergy