I posted a couple of messages about this on the "Manufacturers" board, but will repost them here.
Extremely unhappy with Kraft/Nabisco. They told me to consider everything unsafe.
Posted on: Tue, 01/22/2002 - 3:06am
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I just called Kraft and talked with someone named Michael in the "Cheese and Pizza" department (1-800-634-1984). He told me that they don't have information about which products are manufactured on shared lines, but assured me that they consider them safe anyway because they sanitize them between products. Gee, how reassuring.
Has anyone else run into this problem?
He gave me a couple of other numbers to call for other Kraft products. I'm going to call them and find out what they have to say.
I'm disappointed in Kraft.
I just called the number Kraft gave me for Nabisco cookies and crackers (1-800-370-1114), and talked with someone named Tasha. She read the same prepared statement, saying they make many things on shared lines but that they're safe. When I pressed her further, she said that she doesn't have any info about which items are made on shared lines. She did, however, forward me to their Headquarters Office (I'm on hold now).
How frustrating. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/frown.gif[/img]
Okay, now I'm extremely upset. I talked with Kim at Kraft's Headquarters Office. She told me that we should avoid ALL Nabisco and Kraft products (everything from Honey Maid graham crackers to Oscar Meyer hot dogs to Kraft Singles American cheese to Nilla Wafers to Ritz crackers) because most of them are made on shared lines. She said that even she didn't know which were made on shared lines or not, and that she couldn't find out for me.
Has anyone had a better response from Kraft? Until now, I thought that plain Ritz crackers, Nilla Wafers, and Oreos were supposed to be made on dedicated lines. I guess I was wrong??
If this is true, this is really horrifying news. I'll try to call later this week and see if I get the same info. I just cringe at the thought of taking anything else away from my son! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/mad.gif[/img]
Amy
There is a change in our responses from food manufacturers since the FDA hearings last summer. Because FAAN signed off on the industry's petition to the FDA to have voluntary labeling guidelines by the industry, not mandatory ones by the FDA with penalties, they are now unresponsive to our questions regarding dedicated or shared lines.
It sounds terrible that Kraft USA says their products are not safe.
Fortunately, if you are in Canada it sounds much better. Kraft Canada told me if there is any risk of nut cross-contamination it will appear on the ingredient label. Here is my email reply from Kraft Canada.
*** this information applies to Kraft Canadian products only ***
"Thank you for your recent e-mail.
If there is a risk of peanut contamination in the product, then this will be
included in the ingredient line as you have indicated. The BAKER'S
chocolate and Refrigerated JELL-O Products are manufacturered in nut-free
facilities. I hope this helps.
Please visit us again soon."
REF#: 15568755-1
Kraft Kitchens Canada
I spoke with Nabisco/Kraft today and was told that it is critical to read label since no line is necessarily dedicated. They do label that there is a chance of cross contamination if something w/o nuts/peanuts is run on a line shortly after something with these allergens. I understood this to mean that they regarded cross contamination a non-issue after a number of runs with no nut products. I feel like I hit a wall with their products...
I actually have minimized my use of their products to the macaroni in the box, newtons of various flavors, animal crackers on a rare occasion...I think that is it. These items only because we have eaten them for a few years w/o incident. But the school snacks (purchased by the school) often include wheat thins, graham crackers, saltines... although my son has had these on occasion a year or so ago, I am not comfortable giving them to him now, especially because Shaw's provides an alternative product that is nut free. But am I being unreasonable to restrict the school purchased snacks of this nature, even though my sons do not eat them? The chance of a reaction from a potentially cross contaminated item thru a second person seems unlikely, but...What do you all think of this? Is this over cautious?
[This message has been edited by kstreeter (edited April 10, 2002).]
This is the reply that I received from Kraft:
"Thank you for visiting our web site!
While we have some products which run on dedicated lines, most of our lines are designed to be convertible to other products with the appropriate sanitation procedures to ensure a safe changeover.
We take special precautions to thoroughly clean and sanitize all our production lines between product changeovers.
We build these cleaning procedures into our safety systems to make sure there is no carryover from allergenic proteins, for example: when switching from nut-containing products to one without nuts.
We are confident in the sanitation procedures we have in place."
When I called Kraft's of Canada regarding Bakers Chocolate, I was told that the chocolate was NOT made on a dedicated line...
This was a call made several months ago.
Regarding my previous post, I have called Nabisco and Krafts on several occasions and have not always been told that they will note peanuts in the ingredients if there is a chance of crosscontamination.
Basically, I guess you just have to get a comfort level with their faith in their cleaning procedures, if you want to use those products.
Baker's chocolate sounds safe to me. Kraft Canada says if there is any risk of cross-contamination of a product, it will be listed on the label. I was told the two products I was asking about (Baker's chocolate & refrigerated puddings) are both made in nut-free facilities. Here is the reply & reference #:
"Thank you for your recent e-mail.
If there is a risk of peanut contamination in the product, then this will be
included in the ingredient line as you have indicated. The BAKER'S
chocolate and Refrigerated JELL-O Products are manufacturered in nut-free
facilities. I hope this helps.
Please visit us again soon."
REF#: 15568755-1
Kraft Kitchens Canada