A Preview of The Free From & Allergy Show 2016

So 8th-10th July... got it in your diary yet?? If so, why not?? 

It's the weekend of the London Allergy and Free From Show!!

A lot of stuff about the London Allergy Show remains pretty much the same for me, whichever day I visit. This is because one of the main reasons I go is to hunt down new dairy free and gluten free products, and stock up on old favourites - especially those that aren't so freely available locally. I go armed with cash, and a shopping trolley, knowing that there will be show bargains to be had - my trolley is always full to over-flowing by the time I leave to go home. 

The Allergy Show is held over three days (8th-10th July, this year) in Olympia, London. Usually, Saturday is my best bet.

However, this year, for me, it's different. It matters quite a bit, to me, which day I go, as I'm desperate to get along to hear Dr Adam Fox speak in the Learning Centre. In previous years he spoke on the Saturday, but this year he's speaking on the Friday, at 2pm. 

AGH! A school day!! Now that Kiddo is at school, THAT is going to be a little bit tricky!

I'm not saying the other speakers aren't worth listening to (the rest of the The Schar Learning Centre Programme can be accessed here), but... he is definitely my favourite!!

Why? Well, in case you don't know who Dr Fox is, he is a Consultant Peadiatric Allergist par excellence - a BIG allergy guru, definitely worth listening to. Pearls of allergy wisdom flow from his mouth at quite some speed, so if you're planning on attending his session, come armed with pen/paper, hey even a dictaphone - you won't want to miss a thing. And get there early - quite a number of people had to stand around the edge last year, as there wasn't enough room to listen.

Dr Fox's talk was packed!

Dr Fox's topic this year is Active Management of Food Allergy - current thinking in the specialist treatment of food allergies. WOW! What a subject! Which allergy parent doesn't want to know how best to manage their child's food allergy?? 

Also speaking on Friday, but in 'Speaker's Corner, is Alice Sherwood, author of 'The Allergy Free Cookbook.' I would be really interested in hearing her speak about Ten things they should tell you about Allergies (but hardly ever do). Her talk is scheduled for 2.30 pm - unfortunately clashing with the aforementioned Dr Fox *groans*.


Other highlights I'm expecting to see, are:


1. Shopping 

I know I've already mentioned this, but it is important - shopping for food, food and more food! Especially free from treats, I'm particularly partial to those! ;) 

I will definitely be looking out for Ms Cupcake's stall, as well as favourite brands such as Lovemore, Barkat and Eskal, to name but a few.

A former Allergy Show haul!

See the current exhibitor list here.


2. Allergy Adventures 

There will also be a kid's zone manned and created by Hailley - an inspirational, energetic, creative, wonder woman who almost defies description! There will be crafts, storytelling and a trail to follow. Surprisingly, she (and her loyal band of volunteers) are unpaid for this, so show her some love, buy her merchandise and nag your local school to book her!

Hailley in action - story telling!

For, not only is Hailley an author, who has written several books for children about food allergies (see here), she is amazing at spreading the word about allergies in schools - for which she has devised a series of free allergy workshops for schools (which you can find here). Not only that, she has also created several videos with fun free from recipes for children (see here) as well materials designed for allergy departments in hospitals, to help their young patients deal with being in clinic. 



3. And also...

There is also a chance to see free from cookery demonstrations (but usually I run out of time/energy for these). 

This year the Allergy Show is also co-locating (sharing the space) with the 'Just V Show', which is space reserved for Vegan and Vegetarian stands (some of this will be free from, some not) and the 'Love Natural, Love You Show', which basically is about organic/green clothing, skin and beauty products. there is a bit of fluidity between the 'different' shows, although they are basically exhibiting in the same hall - many dairy free products were located in the Vegan section, like this Violife stand:

Note last year, the Vegan are was carpeted in a lovely shade of pink!

On the day bring:

Your Ticket - it's free, to attend, but you still need your ticket to get in. You can download and print your free tickets by following this link. Otherwise, it's £10.00 on the day, with children under 16 allowed in free.

Light clothing - the exhibition hall is basically like a greenhouse.

Comfortable shoes - you'll be on your feet a lot!

Food/drink - if you're worried about finding enough safe stuff to eat - especially important for those with multiple allergies. There is going to be a 'Free From Cafe' on site, but that doesn't mean they'll cater for everyone!

Money - preferably cash - changes hands more easily.

Shopping trolley - you'll be carrying away more than you think!

Eyes - keep your eyes peeled to make sure you stay safe - read labels & ask questions before you eat (usual rules still apply). Remember many stall holders employ staff who might not know their products as well, or who (even though, ironically, it is an allergy show) might not have a good understanding of allergies/cross-contamination etc. especially if they are there for the Vegan show.

Wits - the space is being shared with various stands, some of which I'd avoid because they offer unproven alternative intolerance tests/remedies. They are there because they've paid for their space, just like everyone else, but .

Game Plan - familiarize yourself with speakers/exhibitors list, by looking at the website before you go, so that you don't miss a thing. In fact this year, I may well download a floor plan and chart a course, just to make sure I don't miss anything!


Getting there:

Train - The train station is right by the exhibition centre, if you're coming by train.

The train station couldn't be much closer!

Car - there is a car park, but it can be a bit tight in there!



And finally...

if you can't make it to London, well good news, there are other venues for the Allergy Show throughout the year:

Liverpool Exhibition Centre 5th-6th November, 2016

Glasgow SECC 11th-12th March, 2017


Please note: 

This post is not an advert. I have not been paid to write this post. I am not sponsored in any way, even by advertising. I do get free tickets - the same way as you can, by clicking the link. All views expressed are my own (unless I've asked for The Hub's or Kiddo's).


Related posts:




The Allergy and Free From Show 2015 - a retrospective



Shopping with Food Allergies in the UK

Why my child is NOT a 'fussy eater' - food aversion and food allergy

'Fussy eating.' Have you ever heard that phrase? 

Yes? 

Well I have and I hate it! 

It's the hidden condemnation, the stigmatization that accompanies the phrase that I really hate the most. The assumption is that as a child you're trying to get attention, or 'get away with' something, or that as a parent you haven't been strict enough. As far as I'm concerned, although this could be the case, in some circumstances, this kind of stigmatization really ought to be stopped!!

There's a reason why (in our house) most dinners come with cooked carrots!!

For us, it all began at a really early age. 'Baby' was just beginning to wean. It was difficult to put her down and get on with things. I didn't like to cook with her in a sling, in case she got hurt, so cooking food was altogether a tricky matter. 

To begin with, I relied a fair bit on bottled baby food, until one day I decided to take on the task off cooking her food from scratch. I dutifully boiled up and mashed some carrots (not without resistance from 'Baby' I might add). She, being hungry, by the time I'd finished, happily accepted the first mouthful, then she took the next a little more slowly... and then she stopped. 

It's amazing how much a six month old face can tell you! She looked incredibly dismayed. Big tears rolled down her cheeks. This was not what she was after! And she steadfastly refused to take any more! Me, inexperienced, panicky, immediately felt the pressure and tried to perform the 'firm but fair mummy' trick. No, no, no, she wouldn't take it. Her mouth was firmly sealed shut. That was that. Angry, confused and... humiliated even, I eventually gave in and found her something else to eat - after all I couldn't let her get hungry, could I??

Some people might think that's where I went wrong and that I caved too quickly. But I honestly couldn't see how a six moth old could be 'trying it on'. And as we continued to wean she appeared happy to try all kinds of food, but then things went into reverse - her tastes started narrowing down and bit by bit 'Baby' became a lot more selective. 

If only (and not for the first time) I knew THEN what I know NOW... I think quite a few things could have been a lot easier for both of us!

1. A lot of food advice seems to be hung up on everyone getting their five - now SEVEN - a day. Good advice for healthy adults. Not quite as necessary for babies, whose diet should be higher in fat than fibre. If you're fed this message when your kiddo is struggling to eat one a day, where do you go from there??

2. Some people are super sensitive to taste. I watched a programme about this once. I so wish I'd recorded it and tracked down the expert they interviewed. She explained how some people can detect taste in a way that others can't. She called them 'super tasters'. I believe she found they have more taste buds than the rest of us. 

I can't remember the detail, but do remember that this struck a real chord with me at the time, in connection to 'Baby'.  If I try to 'hide' something in her food, she's on to it! She can also detect different brands of food. She's a lot better now, but at one time, she narrowed herself down to ONE type of sausage - no other sausage would do. So every time we had sausages it had to be that brand or she wouldn't eat it!

3. 'Fussiness' over food can work as an early warning system for allergic children. The Hub's nephew, somewhat older than 'Baby' is allergic to nuts. He also is very sensitive to tastes. Once he even detected that some food we were eating in a restaurant was a bit off. It turns out that food allergy often goes hand in hand with food aversion - there's some kind of detection system that operates with saliva in the mouth. It's a kind of protective response. I learned this from a Paediatric Allergy Consultant on Twitter (George du Toit @goallergy) who tweeted: 

Amazes me that infants can correctly ID many of the foods they r allergic to, typically precedes verbal skills.

and:

Oral mucosa is packed with allergen & toxin recognition cells, designed to protect us, generate early warning signals 

Du Toit included a link to this article. I find this both fascinating and also incredibly helpful - recognition that there is link between food allergies and food aversion. I know this is a common topic among children without allergies as well, but many food allergic children definitely have that problem. And who can blame them? After all, food actually CAN and sometimes DOES hurt them!

4. Getting heated about food refusal can make things worse! Negative emotions can actually embed the problem deeper. The best thing you can do is remain calm and take the pressure off - insisting that the child eat something they really can't stomach adds to the anxiety in the child and can lead to shut-down.

At the end of the day you want a child to enjoy eating their fruit and veg. The danger of making them eat it under duress, is that they will eat it when forced, but will not learn to enjoy it. Then, instead of developing a healthy habit for life, they will not eat fruit/veg. when there is no longer anyone around to make them.

5. Avoid introducing sugar (including natural sugars) too soon. It turns out a lot of baby food manufacturers add fruit juice to their veggie mixes - which obviously sweetens them and makes babies more likely to eat them. Although it may seem like a trendy fad (to be avoiding sugar) it makes complete sense to me, with the food journey we've been on. It's much harder to reverse a bad habit, once it's begun.  I am convinced that allowing 'Baby' to eat biscuits contributed to her food refusal - just you try explaining to a nine month old why she can't have another biscuit!! The same thing goes with chocolate! No one had to teach MY kid how to like it!!

Some 'Do's':

1. Keep offering food, you'd like them to eat, even if they have previously refused it.

2. If something is refused, don't give up on it, but just leave it for a while (like several weeks, I find, 'cos 'Baby' has a very good memory) before reintroducing it... again and again and again, if you have to. I've heard it said that it takes 20 tastes to move from liking to disliking a food. In 'Baby's' case I think it's more like 200, but we are beginning to see results!

3. Model good eating behaviour: 

• Everyone in the family sit down and eat together, round a table.

• Try not to appear 'fussy' yourselves. (Yes, most adults I know have things they are 'fussy' about eating (i.e. sprouts), so why do we condemn young children??) Don't go the other way though, with too much, 'Oh this salad is soooo yummy!' Kids just won't believe you!

• Provide and eat with your little one the things you'd like them to eat. This has been tricky for me, as not being able to eat such a wide variety of raw fruit and veg. (due to OAS) has meant that I haven't been able to model this too well for 'Baby'.

4. Eat in company where you can - particularly with peers. Children like to copy their friends, and also show-off what they will eat, when their friends won't, so this can be a handy little trick, to have up your sleeve. Obviously this also means that the others around the table need to be eating things that your little one CAN eat. With multiple allergies I appreciate this could be slightly more tricky.

5. Offer variety, if something is refused don't argue, threaten, or create a fuss, just allow the child not to eat it. Try to provide some of what you know they will eat, alongside things you suspect they won't.

6. Avoid talking negatively about your child's eating habits in front of them - this could also reinforce negative responses to food. For example, if they continually hear you say, 'She won't eat this,' or 'He's just fussy,' then it's not going to help matters at all and could be self-fulfilling.

7. By all means present food attractively, nice plates, cutlery etc. but don't expect this to result in a miracle cure overnight! 'Baby' was so suspicious of food that even if I made a face on the plate, she's spot a bit of fruit/veg. a mile off and refuse to even try it - all that careful food prep. for nothing!!

Presentation can help - I dressed up her pancakes to get her to eat them, but she wasn't completely averse to these, just slow!

8. Resist pressures from well-meaning friends/family. Avoid eating with those who put the pressure on!

9. Ask for help. Explain your approach to family/friends so that they can 'fall-in' with your approach. If it gets really bad, see if your GP will refer you to a dietitian for back-up. 

Some 'Don'ts'

1. Don't blame the child.

2. Don't 'take on' the guilt trip - either from yourself or others. I knew I'd tried to introduce things the right way. I've tried threats/bribes all sorts, but NONE of these worked. 

3. Don't give up. It may take a while - a lot longer than some other peoples' kids, but it can be done. And by the way, most kids go through this to some extent or another.


Our breakthrough

Surprisingly for me, the biggest break-through came when, finally, last year, I went to see the GP. It had got to the stage where Kiddo was not wanting to go to school, because she was feeling pressure to eat things that were making her gag and to finish everything on her plate. 

I has also realised that the Kiddo had all kinds of other sensory sensitivities, involving light, sound, touch, being underwater etc. some of which we had conquered, some of which we were working through and some of which remain on our 'to do' list. These are often associated with autism, but there is no way Kiddo is autistic, but I wondered if they were linked to her so-called 'fussy eating' somehow. Feeling a bit out of my depth, I decided to see a local GP.

The GP listened carefully to everything I said and agreed to refer us on, but crucially, she told me and my child that she thought I had been doing all the right things. She told me she had three kids. All of them had been raised the same way but that one of them, for no obvious reason, was exactly as I had described Kiddo, with all her sensitivities and food aversion. 

Then the GP told the Kiddo, that it'd be good if she could keep trying things - she didn't have to keep eating them if she didn't like them, but just give them a try. That really clicked with the Kiddo and from that point on she has often been heard to say, 'Can I just give it a try, Mummy?' even with foods that she knows she has refused before! Some things she has cautiously continued to eat, others she hasn't...yet! But I know now for sure that we have now 'got the ball rolling', so to speak.

Suddenly, she wanted to try strawberries, again, and... finally liked them!

I think this approach worked for us for three good reasons:

1. It gave me confidence because it reinforced the conclusion to which I had already come - it wasn't the Kiddo's fault, or my fault and that piling on the pressure just wasn't working.

2. It gave Kiddo the confidence that Mummy was doing the 'right thing'. That might sound strange to you, but at the time, school was giving very different messages about food and a few other things. This was 'mixing up the messages' for her and making her doubt my wisdom!

3. It gave the Kiddo the confidence to try again and know that it was okay not to complete something - that nothing bad would happen - which actually freed her up to experiment.

Huzzah!!! 

Onwards and Upwards!!

Further Reading:

Do you make this mistake at the dinner table?

'Picky eaters' will not starve themselves, but problem or resistance eaters might

When feeding therapy becomes aversion therapy

Feeding problems in infancy and early childhood: Identification and management

I love this last one, for 'keeping it real'...

What a pediatric dietitian feeds her kids for dinner

Super little Swedish Supermarket - shopping free from in Sweden

I have to admit, research for our trip to Sweden was not high on my agenda prior to travelling. I was much more thorough last year, when we went to Switzerland. THIS year end of term Nativities, gift buying/wrapping etc. got in my way, so I was more than a little relieved to find that the resort supermarket, just across the car park from the ski lodge, in which we were staying, had a pretty amazing selection of free from goodies - especially considering it was right out 'in the sticks'! I mean most Tesco Extras would struggle to keep up with the product selection in this one and it was a quarter of the size of our nearest store at home!! ICA I take my hat off to you!!

ICA was the only supermarket for miles!

Just take a look at this Free From aisle...

Looking goood!

And it didn't end there!

Dairy Free Heaven

I have to say, the variety of dairy free items was mind-blowing! I'd heard that Oatly had a whole load of products that are not available in the UK and I was able to see them for myself. 

In the chiller...

In the fridge section there were lots of Oatly products, including Creme fraiche! Unfortunately I could only look - being gluten free as well, I was unable to try them out and 'Baby' was unlikely to switch from her favourite 'Giraffe' milk, just to satisfy MY curiosity!!

There was even Oatly ICE CREAM...

Note: More than one flavour!

There was also Swedish Glace - labelled, in Sweden, as 'Tofuline'. 'Baby' loved this one, which I've not seen before - it was chocolate with a ripple of chocolate sauce.

Tops with 'Baby'!

Alpro products were also in abundance, alongside lots of 'Laktosfri' or lactose free products - which sadly are no good for milk allergies! Although, that said, some of the gluten free products labelled 'Laktosfri' were also cow's milk protein free, but just not labelled as such (grrrr - pet hate)!

Lots of soya-based alternatives, not so much of anything else, apart from the Oatly

There was, however, a very good selection of dairy free milk but no 'giraffe' milk (Alpro junior soya milk), so I'm glad we brought 'Baby's' with us in our suitcase! However there was a soya milk drinking chocolate, which she loved, so we bought a small flask to heat some up and take it to the slopes for her.

Just some of the 'long life' dairy free milks available!

Point to note: Watch out for anything labelled 'Eco' - that's the term used for organic - any organic dairy free milk won't be fortified with calcium.

Watch out for 'Eco'

The Hub also spotted a dairy free cheese! 'Sheese', however, is made from soya, so no good for me. We bought some for 'Baby' but she was definitely NOT a fan! Unfortunately, there was no other option. :(

It was the ONLY dairy free cheese!

And, to top it off, The Hub also found a dairy free potato gratin! It might sound a bit strange to you, that I found this exciting, but it just goes to show how much the Swedish Free From market reflects the tastes of the Swedish population - it turns out that potato gratin is big in Sweden, so for any dairy free Swedes, this would be just right! However, it was not for me - it was made with oat milk!

A traditional Swedish favourite!

As for butter, although there was a specific dairy free substitute (which we didn't discover at first), we used Becel. In the UK, this would be unsuitable, but in Sweden, for some reason the recipe was dairy free!

Gluten Free Heaven

Gluten free products were also much in abundance in this little supermarket. This is just as well, as the Swedish clearly love their bread and their pastries! Some of this was located in the Free From aisle, but also, funnily enough, in the freezer! This was where we found a dairy and gluten free chocolate brownie cake by Fria. It soon turned out to be no good for me, but 'Baby' LOVED it!

I allowed myself a little taste and it WAS yummy!

I could have had these! If I could have had a dairy free ice cream that was suitable for me. 'Baby' had the benefit and loved them.

Love the free from symbols!

There were also these gluten free 'cornetto' style ice creams - but no good for us, as they weren't dairy free, merely lactose free *sigh*. 

Great for the gluten free

So with all this dairy and gluten free goodness floating around, I should have been in 7th heaven, but alas and alack... no! 

The main issues for me, was that the dairy free alternatives were often made with things I couldn't have, like oat or soya or cashew. Similarly, a lot of the gluten free food, by Schar and Semper, contained soya and/or milk (BOO HISS). The Fria goodies, which are gluten and dairy free were made with 'gluten free wheat starch', which did not appear agree with me either (so watch out if you're wheat free), so most of the Fria goodies were a no-go for me as well, however, there were one or two things that I could have - like these gluten, dairy, egg and soya free frankfurters:

What a find!

Some of the Semper cookies were also okay for me, like these Pepparkakor (gingerbread biscuits - which are a Swedish Christmas necessity)!

'Baby' loves these two!

I was also able to find a good gluten free pasta (yippee)! So, it was a good job that (with my more complex dietary needs) I brought my own cereal, bread and a little cake. However, if you were just gluten or dairy free, you'd be fine!

Reading Labels

Allergy labelling can be a bit variable at the best of times - different companies can highlight allergens differently. In Sweden, allergens are generally highlighted in bold, just as I would expect to see them in the UK. Sometimes this would be reinforced by symbols or phrases on the front of the packet too. The only thing is, I soon discovered that reading labels was to be a little trickier than I thought. 

Here certain phrases have been flagged up on the front of the packet

Unlike our experience of shopping in Switzerland (where an English translation was often included in the ingredients section), most of ingredient labels were written in Scandinavian languages (none of which do I happen to possess the slightest  grasp). Fortunately, quite a few of the phrases I needed were very similar to English and/or German, so that was a bit of a life saver! And as for the rest, I just have to thank Google Translate and The Hub's mobile quick-draw! Good job there's a good Wi-fi connection in resort! (PHEW!)

We found ourselves learning certain phrases pretty quickly!

Handy vocabulary:

Ingredienser - ingredients 

Allergener - allergens
Mjolk - milk
Mjolk-protein - milk protein
Mjolkpulver - milk powder
Skummojlkspulver - skimmed milk powder

Mjolkfri - milk free

Fri fran mjolk - free from milk
Laktos - lactose

Laktosfri - lactose free
Smor - butter
Yogurt - yogurt
Gradde - cream
Ost - cheese
Gluten - gluten

Glutenfri - gluten free
Vete - wheat
Vetemjol - wheat flour

Glutenfri vetestarkelse - gluten free wheat starch
Havre - oats

Soja - soya
Soja-protein - soya protein

Sojalectin - soya lecithin

Kan innehalla - may contain

Related Posts:

Shopping for food allergies in the UK



Self-catering in Switzerland?? What you need to know when shopping Free From...



Travelling with the dairy free 'Baby'

100 Chefs - Why I'm not bovvered...

Heard the one about the 100 'top chefs'?

Well, just in case you haven't heard, a letter purportedly from '100 top chefs' to the Daily Telegraph bemoaning the recent new law passed by the EU - which is meant to ensure that those who sell food products in the UK know what is in the food they're selling and can communicate it effectively to those who wish to know! 

In the UK, the required information doesn't actually have to be written down - it can be provided verbally, but actually, in a busy restaurant, it's probably much easier for waiting staff to give out an annotated menu or similar - to save them from repeating themselves, as much as anything else, but also to save mistakes being made!! In fact, this has been standard practice in most chain restaurants, for some time!

This menu is from Zizi - note it says: 'Ask us for an allergen menu.'

Apparently, according to these 'chefs', knowing what is in their food is an outrageous breach of their creative process and will cause their food businesses to fail. Hmm! I'd beg to differ! If this is the way they a section of their customers, I rather think their lack of customer care may be the issue they need to address! They are in the hospitality industry - hospitality involves making people feel welcome, doesn't it? Maybe it would help if they read this article (via Lucy's Friendly Foods) and take a leaf out of this chef's book, or take note of what Tom Kerridge has said about the subject (see here)!

When I first heard about the article, I must admit I was cross. Then I re-examined the list, to see whose restaurants I should be avoiding in the future (well they obviously don't want my custom). However, none of them own a business anywhere near me, and, call me a Philistine if you like, there were only TWO people on the list that I'd ever heard of! 

Where was Jamie Oliver, Marcus Wareing, Gordon Ramsay, Rick Stein, Raymond Blanc?? You know, people I've heard of??

This was confirmed for me by Chef Hermes. Most of the people on this list aren't even chefs - he says they're just business owners. Riiiigght... so we're stalling their culinary activity then, are we?? Bad reporting by the Daily Telegraph, methinks!!

Anyway, it's a bit too late for all the protestations really, isn't it? I fail to see what they're hoping to achieve - apart from getting everyone's backs up! It's already law, it was passed unanimously, and there's nothing they can do about it! And they will be fined if they don't comply! 

I was quite interested to hear from various quarters that it actually turns out that the letter is backed by a political organisation who is anti EU. It's funny 'cos in many ways I think I am and have been anti EU. However, I've now discovered one reason why I LOVE the EU. I am really glad of the law passed about food allergies. I wish in fact that the EU had gone further. I wish they had given food allergies the same level of consideration as disability - this was debated the other year and rejected. I don't understand why. No one chooses to be allergic! Do they? And yes, in many ways it is disabling! It definitely has restricted our movements and choices. SO I think knowing what is or isn't in our food, is quite the least they could do, in the circumstances.

Should you wish to know who one hundred signatories are, they are listed here. 

As they do not wish to care about listing allergens, you might not wish to visit their establishments - if you can actually find one of them, to avoid, that is!!


Update:

Had to laugh! This morning we had a newsletter via email from the Ebury (where it turns out we have once eaten, and whose proprietor is on the 'list'). It advertises gluten and dairy free dishes and states the following (under a large heading 'Food Allergies'): 

Changes to food labelling laws that were introduced in December 2014 will help provide allergen information to our customers in a clearer and more consistent way. Head chef at The Ebury, Bernard Dumonteil, is very concious of the new regulations and can provide a detailed list for all dishes on the menu. This list is readily available so anyone with an allergen problem can dine in safety at The Ebury. Please ask you waiter for further information.

Couldn't make it up, could you?

By the way, they were off my list of places to go anyway - my gut wasn't great the day after!

Update 2:

Laughing, 'cos Thomasina Miers clearly still doesn't realise written information/spreadsheets are not required to communicate information regarding allergies!! You can read her blog post, by following this link.

I have formulated a response, but am not sure whether it will be posted, so I've reproduced it here:

I was interested to read your comment but must admit to being slightly confused! Nowhere, as far as I’m aware, do the new EU regulations stipulate that spreadsheets be used, to communicate information regarding allergens – in fact it’s quite the opposite. It actually states that information can be provided verbally. SO I would have thought that there’s no reason why your staff cannot provide the same information in the same way as they did before!

Personally speaking, I love it when restaurants CAN provide information in spreadsheet form, as a multiple allergy sufferer, I just find it easier to cross-reference information. And also I am concerned that information spread by word of mouth, could lead to staff forgetting things and making mistakes. It also saves a lot of toing and froing from staff, when they’re not sure and have to consult a chef. Even better, I love it when restaurant websites can provide the information I’m after, as we often look online first, before deciding whether it’s worth contacting a restaurant in the first place.

Finally, I have to say, I know the comments made to the press by Thomasina Miers have upset a lot of people, who have welcomed the new EU legislation. It will take some while to rebuild trust. I for one, am less inclined to provide custom, where it appears an establishment regards me and my problems with food as an issue. I thought the hospitality industry was there to make people feel welcome. Thankfully, there are a lot more establishments who don’t seem to have a problem providing for people with allergies, and these are the ones we to whom we shall give our customer loyalty.

Related posts:

Show me the menu!

Let her eat cake! - On Inclusion for Food Allergy Kids and Free School Meals

'Baby' has been eating a LOT of fruit recently. Good! Good! She's been so reluctant to do so, up until now. Problem is, it's not because she enjoys it very much more than she used to...

What she'd really like to eat is chocolate cake.

Chocolate cake is normal in our house (although not every day, I hasten to add). We love chocolate, we love cake, we love the two together. Daddy likes it, Mummy likes it (more than is good for her) and so does 'Baby'!!

A Genius dairy and gluten free cupcake. Who would know that it's free from??

Now, picture this: 

I've just picked up 'Baby' from school. As I'm loading her and all her school stuff into the car she nonchalantly ponders aloud, 'I don't suppose we have any chocolate cake at home??'

Me (thinking that she's remembering the cake she's had in the past few days, as a result of her first school cake sale) replies guardedly,  'we might have.' 

I'm also thinking of the two Genius chocolate cupcakes that I bought in Sainsbury's the other day, which I squirreled away in the cupboard - well, you know, they were on offer! However, I don't want to give in to her request too easily - as (obviously) too much of a good thing isn't, always a good thing!

'Can I have some, when I get home?' she asks. 

'Maybe, ' I reply evasively, 'we'll see when we get home.' I'm being evasive, as she is a little sugar monster and it's hard getting her to eat healthy foods - sugar and chocolate are such a draw! I now rue the day I ever first gave her some, 'cos now she evaluates every food as to whether she enjoys it as much as she does anything sweet or chocolatey!

Sure enough, as I'd hoped, by the time we've done Waitrose and got home, she's forgotten. 

'Yippee!' I rejoice quietly inside.

A few hours later, Daddy comes home, and a few more vital facts of her day slowly emerge - the ones that she neglected to tell me earlier. Chief among them, is the fact that everyone else had chocolate cake for dessert, at lunch, today... and she didn't. 

The alternatives? Yoghurt or fruit.

'Baby' doesn't like yoghurt (they stock dairy free Alpro yoghurts at her school) and 'ain't that keen on fruit. Consequently she had no dessert today. Hence that request for chocolate cake.

Now, as an adult, I might wryly think to myself, 'Oh well, I don't need those extra calories anyway.'

'Baby' is four. She DOESN'T think that way. 

She sees chocolate cake, so naturally she wants chocolate cake. What kid wouldn't? At home, if anyone was having chocolate cake, she'd be having chocolate cake too!

I WISH I'd given her that chocolate cake.

She DID get a choice of dessert tonight. Mummy guilt kicked in, so she had LOTS of yummy choices.  But my heart was silently sobbing (okay, I may have been a bit pre-menstrual at that point) - for a little girl who loves chocolate cake and couldn't have any, even though everyone else did.

Thing is, this 'ain't the first time - the other day, it was a teacher's  birthday and that teacher shared cake with the class.... well... all except 'Baby' - she was given a digestive biscuit. 

Better than nothing, I suppose! But it's not the same, is it??

I'm guessing this probably won't be the last occasion that something like this happens.

Now maybe you're thinking I should be pleased that 'Baby' is eating ore healthily - all that fruit!! Well, yes, that is good, BUT... 'Baby's' had a LOT of extra vile tantrums recently. I thought we'd got over the worst of these - once things settled down, after our move. Up until now, I thought she was tired out by the long day. Casually, I've asked the around the other mums, but unless they're lying, not so many extra tantrums there! It could still be that she's tired...

But now I'm wondering whether these tantrums are a sign of something else. I'm beginning to think that maybe she is becoming more aware of the difference between herself and everyone else in her class is coming into focus - the effect of milk was buffered at home - we all eat pretty much the same. It's not quite the same at school!!

At 'Baby's' school EVERYONE has dinners. No opt out. I thought I was (almost) fine with that. As an ex-teacher, I completely agree with all the benefits of children sitting down and eating a healthy, balanced meal together (as long as you can ensure it's healthy and balanced, of course - I'm still not convinced that all free school dinners are). However, it's hard trusting someone else to feed your kid safely, when not even your own parents can manage it!! Especially the whole cross-contamination thing!

My reservations were overcome when I was assured (before she started school) that they already have children with milk allergy in the school and consequently always do a dairy free alternative of what everyone else has. 

Excellent news!! 

Clearly, however, they DON'T always have a dairy free alternative... NOT ALWAYS! I know they can do her cake - they did it, just the other week. So why not today? 

The school has been very good in many ways - much better than most, but then we're paying for her education - we opted for that course because the local primary quite clearly weren't au fait with allergies! When I raised the fact that 'Baby' has a milk allergy, at our local allocated primary school,the Headteacher said, 'Well she can have packed lunches, can't she??' 

At which point we decided to look elsewhere. 

Me, knowing that this particular school had been rated 'outstanding' by OFSTED, and that this Headteacher was very experienced and that school lunches were supposed to be provided in every school for all infants starting from the term when 'Baby' would enter school (see here), was speechless!! Never mind the, What will they do at milk time, to make sure that none is spilt? What will they do when they do cooking in class?? questions that were already raging in my mind!!

Thoughtfully, the school where we have sent 'Baby,' provide her soya milk served in a bottle almost identical to everyone else's - only a different coloured lid and her name mark it out as different from the others. They've also given her soya ice cream, when everyone else had 'normal' ice cream... It s unfortunate that this is not the norm in all schools.

BUT, the thing is, I believe that inclusion HAS to be consistent. It's good that they have a lot of stuff nailed, however, the occasions where inclusion is neglected, to my mind, equates to exclusion - these occasions are the ones which the child (and the parent) ultimately remembers!! 

And what does it DO to the child?? Long term...??

'Baby' HAS been very tempestuous recently.

Maybe it's a feeling of being different, left out, excluded, insignificant, that's exploding in completely irrational, hot, fierce, outbursts that can go on for an hour or so. After all, it would make ME feel cross, wouldn't it you?? I find it interesting that as one *report that covered the pilot studies of free school meals noted, the thing with Reception-aged children like 'Baby' is that they are reluctant or even unable to speak up - to advocate for themselves... 

It's too true! And not just concerning food allergies - 'Baby's' even been too timid to tell them when she's missed the toilet!! So much so, that she's walked around with wet underwear, until it's dried by itself!! At least one little friend has done the same!

And I am cross - for her! And for all the other little (or not so little) kids to whom this kind of thing also happens. 

I DO wonder what these kind of occasions do to 'Baby's' little soul... I don't want her to become angry, a 'victim,' or an 'outsider'...

PLEASE! Let her eat cake too... or let them ALL (unless they're allergic to it) eat fruit and yoghurt!!

(But NOT kiwi fruit 'cos that's a very common allergen and I can't eat it!!)

*apologies for the lack of a reference here - I know I read it in one of the reports, but cannot now ,for the life of me, find it!