Comments on: Peanut Added to Kids Cereals to Boost Nutritional Content

by: Diane Fascione

Wed, 20 May 2009 04:06:08 +0000

To list peanut as an ingredient when it is NOT an ingredient is to state a falsehood. General Mills should state that the cereal is produced on equipment that handles products containing peanuts. This is why we need clear, federal regulation of these statements. If someone wants to make sure their child who has outgrown a peanut-allergy consumes small amounts of peanut regularly, they might purchase this product believing it contained peanut when, in fact, it did not. This sort of labelling that General Mills is using is “cover your ass” labelling that is definitely not helpful for the food allergic community.

by: Susan

Tue, 05 May 2009 14:45:55 +0000

This morning my peanut/tree nut allergic son opened a brand new box of Lucky Charms. We’ve eaten this cereal for years. Upon him finishing his bowl of cereal, a hive developed on his face. It was treatable with Benadryl and hopefully won’t return. I called General Mills to tell them, and what I found out made me really mad. They will list the top 8 allergens on the label as an ingredient if there is even the slightest possibility that one of them could be in there (cross contamination included).

They don’t, however, list if the product was “made in a facility where peanuts/tree nuts are present”. I questioned them further because I wanted clarification and she again indicated that even if a product is made in a facility where the allergens are present — if they do not share the same manufactoring equipment they do not label the product to indicate that it was “made in a facility”. I told them that I thought it was very irresponsible of them and that until they changed their practices, they’ve lost a customer in me. I’m not willing to gamble with my child’s life.

I just wanted to pass that information along to everyone — I trusted them for years. Now that I know this, I can’t say that the trust is still there.

by: NWmom

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 18:30:16 +0000

Personally, I am ECSTATIC about there being peanut flour in some of your cereals. I have a tree-nut allergy child who is coming up negative in peanuts now, and I am looking for foods to have himeat with peanut flour.

Parents, GM is doing what they should be, and in fact are being *extremely* careful. There are still Chex options for nut free cereals. Just don’t eat the others rather than ban the whole company!

I am an allergy parent, and thank you GM for making a food with peanut flour. Having my child eat this is actually HELPING him.

by: More Chex cereals are now gluten-free (but watch out for peanuts) | Sure Foods Living - for celiac disease, gluten intolerance, and food allergies

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:52:57 +0000

[…] While these new cereal options are great for the gluten-free crowd, people with other food allergies beware! Strawberry Chex and Cinnamon Chex list soy, milk and peanut on their labels. Back in October of 2008 when Allergy Moms’ Gina Clowes wrote about General Mills putting peanut flour in their cereals, the Director of Consumer Affairs for General Mills responded with: “Each variety of cereal (or any product in the grocery) should be looked at as unique. Rice Chex cereal is made in a facility that does not process peanut ingredients and is, therefore, not labeled as containing peanuts. It is also gluten-free. The Strawberry Chex cereal, while containing Rce Chex cereal as a component, is blended in a facility that also processes products that contain peanut flour. Even though we don’t use peanut as ingredient in Strawberry Chex, we include it on the ingredient list due to the possibility of cross contamination and the severity of peanut allergies. We then highlight peanut as an allergen in bold print at the end of the ingredient information on the package. […]

by: Marci

Sat, 17 Jan 2009 10:22:09 +0000

I have allergies to all kinds of nuts I was tested for, as well as corn, among other allergies. Corn is never listed on ingredient labels. It makes it difficult for me to know what is and isn’t safe. I agree the labels need to be more clear and that I wish products that don’t contain peanuts would simply be made in separate facilities so the many people with allergies could still enjoy a bowl of cereal safely. I know I will personally never be able to eat most cereals because of the corn, but I hope my comment at least aids in the effort to make them safer for others.

by: Kendra

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 02:28:30 +0000

I noticed peanut flour as the last ingredient in Booberry, not that I’d buy this regularly for my PA daughter, but I was hoping to share some of my childhood memories with her. I don’t understand the point - if it’s the last ingredient, it’s the smallest percentage, so what would be the big deal in just dropping it? It wasn’t a x-contamination warning.

by: kelly

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:44:11 +0000

Thanks Jeff for the response. According to his reply it looks like Rice Chex is made in a peanut free facility and that is what their CS reps indicated to me. I will continue to buy rice chex as it is a ceral we can enjoy with my peanut, egg, dairy and soy alleric son. I am glad they take to time to label correctly. I would rather have a maybe labels and avoid it all toghether than to take a risk.

by: nutrimom

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:56:31 +0000

I am thinking that if enough people send a letter to General Mills urging them to rethink their idea. perhaps they will respond more appropriately? As large a company as they are, they (I would assume) have a dietician on staff that should be able to give them healthier suggestions that they could use. I agree with the previous comments that allergies are ALWAYS on my mind with my child and no matter what someone else tells me- ultimately, it’s not their child who could possibly die from a small mistake. I think if General Mills is this worried about creating helathier cereals that they should market a better, healthier line in lieu of Coco Puffs, etc. We have enjoyed Rice Chex also but from hearing this, we will be strictly on Erewhorn GF cereals.

by: Kiki

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 03:47:09 +0000

I had heard that manufacturers were using peanut flour because it was less expensive than regular flour, not because of nutritional value.

by: laura

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 02:52:38 +0000

My son has allergies to peanut, milk, egg and has celiac as well. I was so very happy when Rice Chex went gluten free and I called to confirm no chance of cross contamination with foods my son is allergic to. I was assured that there was no possibility of peanut, milk or egg in this product. So I feed it to my son and in fact we eat a lot of this cereal. I was thrilled to find a safe cereal for my son that does not cost 5 or 6 dollars and that the rest of the family likes as well.

Now reading this blog I am second guessing myself. I am going to have to do some more research on this product before I continue to buy it for my family. But, this is another reminder that with food allergies I can never let my guard down and never ever assume. Things change, I know. My main job is to keep my son safe and the fact that General Mills has actually made a gluten free cereal and has responded to this blog and has given me postive food allergy responses in the past is exactly why I am not crossing them off my list yet.

Dealing with food allergies is something that never leaves my mind. I feel I have a pretty good handle on the gluten free foods, but food allergies cause extreme anxiety in me. I will find out where Rice Chex is made and what other foods are produced there as well, and find out where the other Chex cereals are made and post another blog with that info.