We'll be watching and cheering for you tomorrow, Katiee.
Here is the text of the letter I got today from the Anaphylaxis Network (long):
April 25, 2001
As you are probably aware from the press coverage, Nestle Canada Inc. announced last week that five of its confectionary products - Smarties, Aero, Kit Kat, Coffee Crisp and Mirage will no longer be safe for people with peanut and nut allergies.
We are writing to let you know about some of the background events that preceded the Nestle press release on Thursday, April 19, 2001. A few months ago, Nestle asked the "Network" to help distribute an alert notice about their planned production change. At that time, they asked us to hold their information in confidence unitl they had made their plans public. We voiced our extreme disappointment and pushed them to reconsider their decision. The letter we wrote ... can be viewed on our website at [url="http://www.anaphylaxis.org."]www.anaphylaxis.org.[/url] Despite our correspondence and meetings, Nestle Canada remained firm in their decision.
When Nestle didn't back down, we asked that the alert notification be as broad as possible and include distribution through the Canada news wire and to schools, day care centres, allergists, family doctors, pediatricians, allergy associations, etc. We also partnered with the MedicAlert Foundation to do a joint mailing to the 32,000+ peanut/nut allergic people in the Canadian MedicAlert membership, Anaphylaxis Network membership and Canadian Anaphylaxis Registry. Nestle Canada agreed to fund this...
Many members have been asking what we plan to do about this. We have been working and will continue to work to encourage Nestle Canada and Nestle S.A. to reconsider and will make sure that nobody is at risk because of this decision. THE GREATEST IMPACT, HOWEVER, WILL COME FROM THE RESPONSE OF NESTLE CONSUMERS. As one organization, our voice is impotent if it is not backed by the direct expression of everyone who is affected by this issue.
In their news release, Nestle Canada Inc. made two important points:
1. "In response to growing consumer demand for peanut/nut chocolate products, Nestle Canada made the difficult business decision to forgo its peanut/nut-free manufacturing environment." Nestle Canada has stated publicly that they are responsive to consumers. "...we're a consumer-responsive company." (Toronto Star, April 20, 2001) THERFORE YOU, AS A CONSUMER, HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE AN IMPACT ON NESTLE'S DECISION. If everyone wo is concerned contacts Nestle by phone, email or personal letter, and encourages others to do the same, Nestle will have an opportunity to assess the economic impact of their decision. Ask your friends, family, school, camp, local grocery store, local variety store, local politicians, health professionals, and anyone else you think might feel strongly about this issue, to contact Nestle as well. A million letters and phone calls speak volumes. Get your children to write their own letters or draw pictures. Be creative in your approach - let Nestle know how you feel about their business decision and how this will have an impact on you, your children and your community. Nestle are keeping track of every letter, email and phone call. Send a copy also to the Network. Several key people in the media have contacted us and they are waiting in the wings to do a followup story once there is significant public response to Nestle's decision.
2. Following discussion with the Anaphylaxis Network, Nestle decided to delay the introduction of their new products. Hence, THE CURRENT PRODUCTION LINES WILL REMAIN THE SAME UNTIL JANUARY 2002! That means you have time to be heard. Nestle still have the chance to win on this issue if they are seen to listen to their consumers and respond by protecting their peanut and nut free facility.
While the Anaphylaxis Network board are continuing to work on this issue, we are not organizing a consumer campaign. That is for you, the consumer, to do. We can, however, hlep to facilitate your efforts by posting some of your correspondence and ideas to our website...Let us know of any planned activities, so we can keep the press informed about developments.
Contact information for Nestle Canada:
Nestle Consumer Services
Box 700
Pickering ON
Canada L1V 3T3
Website: [url="http://www.nestle.ca"]www.nestle.ca[/url]
Fax: (905)837-5009
Tel.: 1 800 387-4636 (M-F 9 am-5 pm EST)
Regards,
Jane Salter and the Board of Directors of the Anaphylaxis Network of Canada
Please note our new address:
416 Moore Avenue
Toronto ON
Canada M4G 1C9
Website: [url="http://www.anaphylaxis.org"]www.anaphylaxis.org[/url]
Email: [email]network@anaphylaxis.org[/email]
Fax: (416)785-0458
Tel.: (416)785-5666
Toll free: 1 866 ANA-PHYL-AXIS
**********
I am very encouraged by this! Sent your email already? Well send another!

Well, the peice aired tonight on CJOH and it was well done. There were three other families included in the interview. One of the things I had sid was that my greatest concern was for the children and what would happen to them after Jan 1, 2002, if they ate a Nestle product and had a life threatening reaction? They did use this so I am happy!
The peice as a whole made Nestle look like the BIG BAD WOLF! I think it will get a great response!
Thought you guys would want to know!
Regards,
Katiee (Wade's mom)

I just received a reply to the thank you letter I sent to the Assignment Editor at CJOH in which I thanked them for doing a great job. I mentioned the petition that my dd started at her school, she had all of the grade 6 kids , including her teacher sign the petition. The children were very enthousiastic!
She now plans on putting together petitions (all on large yellow bristol board) for all of the remaining grades! I mentioned this in my letter to the Program Director, he wants to be advised of when the petitions are completed and will do a follow up story.
More bad press for Nestle, there are over 500 children in the peanut free school my dd attends!
Maybe this will make Nestle take notice!
The fact that this is a bunch of children will have a great impact!
Regards,
Katiee (Wade's mom)

More media exposure in a major newspaper! See Ellie Tesher's column in today's Toronto Star. Go to [url="http://www.thestar.com"]www.thestar.com[/url] Click on "Star columnists", then on "Ellie Tesher", then on the link to today's column which is headlined "Nestle's move on peanuts is misguided". While you're on the site, send in a letter to the editor.
(Ellie Tesher has a personal connection to someone who is peanut-allergic. She wrote about it years ago; I remembered this and contacted her last week - she sounded interested but I wasn't sure she would pursue it. !!!!!! I have just sent her a huge thank-you.)
Katiee, the story on CJOH was very good I thought. We taped it. Did you see there was another letter in the Citizen yesterday?

I suggest contacting the buyers of the major reatailers in canada...it is they who can put pressure on nestle to reverse the ill conceived decision to potentially contaminate their 5 popular selling chocolate bars,kitkat,smarties,coffeecrisp,aero,mirage.loblaws;cdavies@ngco.com,provigo;gariepys@provigo.ca,safeway;phelan@safeway.com,metro;dleblanc@metro.ca,zellers;kevinhayes@zellers.com, costco;claude.briere@costco.cawalmart;tel:905-821-2111 #4547 mr.cono cacciatore.
also contact:honourable lyle vanclief who is the minister responsible for the overall direction of the canadian food inspection agency:930 carling ave,ottawa,ont.k1a 0c5(no postage necessary!)also ;ronald l.doering-president canadian food inspection agency@59 camelot drive nepean ont k1a0y9 fax:613-228-6610...tell these guys the rules must change re packaging,the "may contain"is unfairly discriminating against the nut allergic,in that nut free products are slapping the main contain label on to cover their buts,when really the law should be that products which are nut free should need be certifiably nut free at the risk of penalties.the onus must be on the producers of nut free products to ensure a nut free production enviornment!
also suggest join the canadian a.a.i.a @www.aaia.ca-they are a good voice for canadians with allergies and deserve our support!check out their site!

I suggest contacting the buyers of the major reatailers in canada...it is they who can put pressure on nestle to reverse the ill conceived decision to potentially contaminate their 5 popular selling chocolate bars,kitkat,smarties,coffeecrisp,aero,mirage.loblaws;cdavies@ngco.com,provigo;gariepys@provigo.ca,safeway;phelan@safeway.com,metro;dleblanc@metro.ca,zellers;kevinhayes@zellers.com, costco;claude.briere@costco.cawalmart;tel:905-821-2111 #4547 mr.cono cacciatore.
also contact:honourable lyle vanclief who is the minister responsible for the overall direction of the canadian food inspection agency:930 carling ave,ottawa,ont.k1a 0c5(no postage necessary!)also ;ronald l.doering-president canadian food inspection agency@59 camelot drive nepean ont k1a0y9 fax:613-228-6610...tell these guys the rules must change re packaging,the "may contain"is unfairly discriminating against the nut allergic,in that nut free products are slapping the main contain label on to cover their buts,when really the law should be that products which are nut free should need be certifiably nut free at the risk of penalties.the onus must be on the producers of nut free products to ensure a nut free production enviornment!
also suggest join the canadian a.a.i.a @www.aaia.ca-they are a good voice for canadians with allergies and deserve our support!check out their site!

for your info.it's interesting to note that kathryn rowan,the front person for delivering the news about their decision(she was the nestle spokesperson interviewed in the cdn press and on cbc radio) to no longer produce these 5 bars nut free barsin a nut free enviornment(how nuts!!!)is now supposedly,conveniently on maternity leave!seems it was their plan to deliver the news and run,knowing the negative reactions.anyhow,would love to see her reaction if her newborn had the nut allergy(i wish her newborne good health obviously,but how ironic it would be).
heres another way to reach nestle:fax:1-416-218-2739 attention:graham lute-he's kathryn rowans boss,and is president corporate affairs(tel;1-800-563-7853 ext#2688)...also @same fax#bob leonidas-president confectionary div.tel:1-800-563-7853 ext#2627.they have voice mail boxes so leave your messages!
also...fax to nestle switzerland world head quarters,and tell them the massive problems nestle canada is creating for consumers and ultimately the formerly good corporate nestle name-fax:011-41-21-921-1885,1720,6488,4800.the more mail,messages,bad press they get ,the better the chances are that they'll reverse their decision.

I just returned from an all day conference by the AAIA in Kingston ON. I had an opportunity to speak with a rep from Nestles. The most important piece of information I received from her was - When people are writing, e-mailing and phoning Nestle rather than only telling them why you want the plant to remain nut free, give them solutions. Maybe you will have an idea that just might work. If they could come up with a better alternative for their company and the consumer maybe they would reverse their decision. Try to avoid bashing the company. Praise them for the years that they have had a nut free plant and have been allergy aware. People listen better when they are not on the defense. She also said that the response has been overwhelming for the company.
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Karalot

I have a question for everyone. How many of you have thought of getting your PA allergic child to draw a picture or write a few words themselves depending on the age of the kids to Nestles? Wouldn't lots of mail from kids really hit home? After all these are the purchasers of the future.
Why don't we make this our next project? I think I will go talk to Taran's teacher this week. She has been VERY supportive and I know she also wrote a letter, maybe she will be willing to take this on as a class project.
What do you all think?

I have a question for you all.....how many here have had their children, PA and otherwise send in pictures or letters (depending on the age) stating how they feel about this? After all, they are the consumers of the future and these are the kids being raised where PA is an every day occurance.
I am going in to see T's teacher tomorrow anyway, so think I will see if I can enlist her support in making this a class project and get them all to write letters. What a better way to kick off Food Allergy Awareness Week?
Sue