Friday, January 13, 2012

The Nut-Free Mom Blog

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The Nut-Free Mom Blog

Peanut Allergy News: Peanut Butter Cheerios Controversy Heats Up

Posted: 12 Jan 2012 12:16 PM PST

Peanut Butter Cheerios are causing a stir among parents and not in a good way. The launch of this product has forced parents of peanut-allergic kids to rethink the use of any Cheerios, due to potential cross-contact risk and accidental ingestion. Accidental ingestion concerns are understandable since Peanut Butter Cheerios look so similar to the plain Multi-Grain.

It's a two-layered level of concern and it's not unfounded, despite message boards blowing up with parents saying in essence: "What's your problem? If your child is allergic, don't buy the product." Or "teach your child not to eat unknown foods. It's not up to the rest of us." Believe me, I know and we do--avoid unsafe products and teach our kids what not to eat.

So it's not that simple and as I see it, the problem is two-fold. One, we want to know how the company is handling the new product in relation to the plain or older varieties. How is the product made with regard to separation of allergens--and does this even happen? Informed consumers can then decide if they want to use any of the products because there may be a cross-contact risk.

Two, many parents of younger children are concerned that the new peanut butter cereal product has such a similar look to the plain Cheerios and plain Multi-Grain Cheerios. If you have a child in daycare or preschool, you know what a staple Cheerios are at these places. If people buy the wrong box (the Peanut Butter Multi-Grain Cheerio packaging looks strikingly similar to the regular Multi-Grain Cheerios so mix ups could happen easily) then accidental ingestion can occur. We all know that accidental ingestion can be life-threatening, a sad fact brought home to us last week by the tragic peanut allergy-related death of a little girl in Virginia.

As soon as I learned about Peanut Butter Cheerios (last weekend) I sent an e-mail to customer service. I personally like to receive a company's written statement because it gives me something to refer to in black and white if follow up is needed.

My daughter is allergic to both tree nuts and peanuts. We have used the plain and Multi-Grain Cheerios without problems, despite the existence of Honey Nut Cheerios and Banana Nut Cheerios. My e-mail asked the company about the new Peanut Butter Cheerios and if there is likelihood of cross-contact. I mentioned in my e-mail that I had seen company statements saying that they "guarantee" that cross-contact will not happen and I asked them to explain what precautions they took for this guarantee.

Here was the response I received yesterday:

Hello Valued Consumer:

Thank you for contacting General Mills with your inquiry. In answer to your question, Multi Grain Cheerios Peanut Butter contains PEANUTS. We can say with complete confidence that Multi Grain Peanut Butter Cheerios will not cross-contact with other Cheerios varieties.

Currently, Honey Nut Cheerios, Banana Nut Cheerios, and Oat Cluster Cheerios Crunch contain ALMOND. Only Multi Grain Cheerios Peanut Butter contains PEANUTS.

All other varieties, including original Cheerios, Multi Grain Cheerios, Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, Chocolate Cheerios, Cinnamon Burst Cheerios, Frosted Cheerios, Fruity Cheerios, and Yogurt Burst Cheerios, do not contain nuts.

As always, we highly recommend that consumers consult the allergen listing and the ingredient label on any product they may consume. And for more product information, please see our website: http://www.cheerios.com/products.

I have felt pretty good about Cheerios since we eat them often and they have not caused any issues. But the response above concerns me because they wouldn't address how they are "guaranteeing" no cross-contact.

One of my Facebook readers shared her phone experience with General Mills. Click here to see the thread. Basically, the customer service rep she spoke to admitted (after repeated questioning) that she didn't know how they company processed the new peanut butter Cheerios or what facility was used for the products in question. That is a big part of my decision-making process and it should be. Items produced on or near the same lines present real cross-contact risk.

I know that companies have the right to make whatever products they choose--and I support that freedom of creation, etc. From a personal point of view, I wish that Cheerios would not have introduced a peanut butter product, much less one that looks so similar to the plain. It seems counter intuitive to me as peanut allergies among children have tripled and continue to rise. Cheerios are strongly marketed to babies and young children, so you'd think someone may have at least been ready with a better response to our questions about how the product is being produced with regard to facilities and allergens.

This Cheerios controversy is not the first or last time we as parents will be faced with deciding if a previously safe food is still "safe". I can't even count how many products have introduced peanut butter or tree nuts to their product line since my daughter's first allergic reaction. Dozens. And that doesn't even take into account how many labels now reflect that an item may contain peanut allergens. This isn't my first time at the "safe foods" rodeo and it probably won't be the last. Unfortunately, we have to assume that we will need to be on top of the products we currently buy and we will have to develop criteria on how we choose a product. Sometimes we get a response that helps us choose and sometimes silence on the part of a company speaks volumes.

As much as I would like to be able to provide a blanket statement for everyone, it's up to individual consumers to make these hard choices. We each have our comfort zones with company policies, our own child's allergies and our past experiences with a product. Right now, I don't feel comfortable serving plain Multi-Grain Cheerios to my peanut-allergic daughter. I need more information. She doesn't want them, anyway. She's old enough to decide on her own comfort zones and said she doesn't feel comfortable until we know about the facility and possible shared lines or production.

Companies have every right to produce the products they want to produce and we as consumers have the right to a) question allergy practices for the health and safety of ourselves and our kids and b) to choose to buy other products that are made in allergy-free facilities.

Feeling helpless? Vote with your dollars and your business if you don't feel safe using a product. Let the company know why you're leaving them through a call or e-mail and then strongly support the companies that make products safe for you. Buy cereals made in nut-free facilities, support the peanut-free, tree nut-free, dairy-free or egg-free food companies that are struggling to make it in our economy. I know that these items can cost more, so look for coupons online (many allergy-friendly companies like Enjoy Life Foods and SunButter have online coupons) and ask your supermarkets to stock a wider variety of these allergy-free food companies.

For those of you concerned about Cheerios at preschool and daycare, alert your child's caregivers and other parents to the new Peanut Butter Cheerios product so they know about the risks of mix ups and cross-contact. Use this opportunity to reinforce to your young children how important it is to only eat food that has been okayed by you or a trusted, informed caregiver.

With the information I have right now, I simply don't know the final answer to the Cheerios question. Like you, I already have limited options at the supermarket, but taking chances with cross-contact or accidental ingestion of a product that looks like one but is really the other, is something I choose not to do.

Thanks to all of you who have contacted Cheerios expressing your concerns. Here is a link to their website, where you can e-mail them with questions or comments.

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