EggNog without the egg!?!

Here's some good news for those us that have had to give up eggs but miss eggnog... and there's some options for non-dairy folks too!

Theme Parks

Parks are listed in alphabetical order. If you have info on a theme park please email us at canieatthere@gmail.com.

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Holiday World & Splashin' Safari
Santa Claus, Indiana
Web Site

Allergy Friendly


Evansville Courier & Press
August 25, 2008

Holiday World being honored for food allergy efforts

Staff report

Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, which has won kudos in theme park circles for its its cleanliness and friendliness and for pioneering free soft drinks and suntan lotion for its guests, has another honor under its belt.

The Santa Claus, Ind., park will be recognized Wednesday in Evansville by the Tri-State Allergy and Anaphylaxis Support Group for "going the extra mile" and introducing an allergen-friendly menu this summer.

Kim Moors, president of the support group, said her board began working with the theme park last year on ways to accommodate food-allergic guests. It's estimated 12 million Americans have food allergies, which can be life threatening.

She said by offering some specialty items, educating its food staff and making ingredient and cross-contamination information available, Holiday World eased the anxiety levels of many families and brought a taste of normalcy to a day at the park.

Holiday World matriarch Pat Koch has a granddaughter who suffers from food allegies.

The support group plans to present Koch with its 2008 Food Allergy Excellence Award on Wednesday during the fifth annual "Back to School with Food Allergies" presentation at Welborn Clinic.

-- Rich Davis

Read More about their food allergy efforts on their Restaurants & Food Outlets page.

Indiana

Restaurants are listed in alphabetical order. If you have info on a Indiana restaurant please email us at canieatthere@gmail.com.

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Holiday World & Splashin' Safari
Web Site

Allergy Friendly

Evansville Courier & Press
August 25, 2008

Holiday World being honored for food allergy efforts

Staff report

Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, which has won kudos in theme park circles for its its cleanliness and friendliness and for pioneering free soft drinks and suntan lotion for its guests, has another honor under its belt.

The Santa Claus, Ind., park will be recognized Wednesday in Evansville by the Tri-State Allergy and Anaphylaxis Support Group for "going the extra mile" and introducing an allergen-friendly menu this summer.

Kim Moors, president of the support group, said her board began working with the theme park last year on ways to accommodate food-allergic guests. It's estimated 12 million Americans have food allergies, which can be life threatening.

She said by offering some specialty items, educating its food staff and making ingredient and cross-contamination information available, Holiday World eased the anxiety levels of many families and brought a taste of normalcy to a day at the park.

Holiday World matriarch Pat Koch has a granddaughter who suffers from food allegies.

The support group plans to present Koch with its 2008 Food Allergy Excellence Award on Wednesday during the fifth annual "Back to School with Food Allergies" presentation at Welborn Clinic.

-- Rich Davis

Read More about their food allergy efforts on their Restaurants & Food Outlets page.

Restaurant Training for Food Allergies

Press Release


Editor's Note: Ask the resturants you attend if there staff has been through this training, if not encourage them to take part. It will make eating out safer for everyone.


Eating Out With Food Allergies is a Challenge, But Everyone Can Do Their Part

FAIRFAX, Va., Aug 25, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Eating Out With Food Allergies is a Challenge, But Everyone Can Do Their Part

With one in 25 Americans reporting a food allergy, restaurants are increasingly likely to have customers who require a special meal. Welcoming Guests With Food Allergies provides tools to train restaurant staff to safely prepare and serve food to guests with food allergies.

"The updated and revised Welcoming Guests guide is an absolute must-have for restaurants and consumers. It manages to be comprehensive while staying user-friendly," said Ming Tsai, chef and owner of Blue Ginger. "Everyone in the food service industry should read this guide - it could save a life."

Available free for download from www.foodallergy.org, this comprehensive program is an updated and revised version of an earlier training program published by the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN). This 60-page guide includes case studies, best practices, up-to-date research, food labeling information, and practical strategies for avoiding cross-contact, as well as suggested procedures for keeping guests safe and steps to prepare for an allergic emergency. Restaurants can use this guide as a basis for their food allergy management programs.

"Studies show that reactions in restaurants are often caused by lack of staff education about food allergy. In a number of situations, the guests did not inform the staff of their allergy. Serving guests with food allergies requires staff education and clear communication between guests and staff," said Anne Munoz-Furlong, Founder and CEO of FAAN. "This training program helps staff achieve those goals so everyone can have an enjoyable and safe restaurant meal."

FAAN originally developed the program in cooperation with the National Restaurant Association (NRA) and its members. According to the NRA, nearly half of the money Americans spend on food is spent in restaurants.

"The National Restaurant Association - and the restaurant industry as a whole - recognizes that food allergies are an important issue and that educating staff is crucial to ensuring proper attention to guests with food allergies," said Sheila Weiss, R.D., director of nutrition policy for the NRA. "We strongly encourage consumers to communicate their food allergies to restaurant staff and discuss concerns and alternatives. Being in the hospitality industry, we want every guest to have a safe and enjoyable experience."

For more information on food allergies or to download Welcoming Guests With Food Allergies, visit http://www.foodallergy.org. A training video for restaurant and food service staff is also available for purchase in English and Spanish.

September is National Food Safety Education Month, presented by the National Restaurant Association. This month-long campaign is held every September and focuses on the importance of food safety education for the restaurant and food service industry, while raising public awareness of the industry's commitment to food safety. This year's theme is "Take Action to Prevent an Allergic Reaction." For more information, visit http://www.servsafe.com/nfsem.

ABOUT FAAN

Founded in 1991, the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) is the world leader in information about food allergy, a potentially fatal condition that afflicts about 12 million Americans, or one out of every 25. A nonprofit organization based in Fairfax, Va., FAAN has 30,000 members in the U.S., Canada, and 62 other countries. It is dedicated to increasing public awareness of food allergy and its consequences, to educating people about the condition, and to advancing research on behalf of all those affected by it. FAAN provides information and educational resources about food allergy to patients, their families, schools, health professionals, pharmaceutical companies, the food industry, and government officials. For more information, please visit FAAN at http://www.foodallergy.org, http://www.faankids.org, and http://www.faanteen.org.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION

The National Restaurant Association, founded in 1919, is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises 945,000 restaurant and food service outlets and a work force of 13.1 million employees - making it the cornerstone of the economy, career opportunities, and community involvement. Along with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the Association works to represent, educate, and promote the rapidly growing industry. For more information, visit our website at http://www.restaurant.org.

Milwaukee

Restaurants are listed in alphabetical order. If you have info on a Milwaukee restaurant please email us at canieatthere@gmail.com.

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In the News....

Here is good article from the Milwaukee Business Journal that talks about local restaurants and how they handle customers with food allergies.

Restaurants cook up ways to accommodate food allergies
August 8, 2008
By Elizabeth Heubeck
http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/08/11/
focus5.html?b=1218427200%5E1682406

How to Take Your Food Allergies Out to Dinner

How to Take Your Food Allergies Out to Dinner
Wall Street Journal
http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/08/06/how-to-take-your-food-
allergies-out-to-dinner/

Horray for Jelly Belly!!

The goal of this blog is, of course, to provide info on eating out with a food allergy, but every once and a while we like to share another experience.

I am currently about six months pregnant and am preparing to do my glucose test to check for gestational diabetes. My doctor gave me a fruit punch glucola drink to take for the test... well, it contains brominated vegetable oil. Whenever I see vegetable oil I am immediately on alert. So I looked it up, sure enough it is made from soybeans. So, since I have a soy allergy, I am hesitant to drink to it (not mention it contains all kinds of other strange ingredients that I've never heard of). I called my doctor and asked, "Is there anything else I can eat or drink for the test?" Her reply: eat 63 Jelly Bellys in 3 minutes.

But, of course, I need to check those for soy too. So this morning I emailed Jelly Belly through the Ask a Question page on their web site. Given my recent experience with Jimmy John's and their contact us page, I wasn't hopeful. But VOILA! within an hour I had a reply from a real person!! Only two flavors of Jelly Belly contain soy - Chocolate Pudding and Dark Chocolate. Jelly Belly's advice: "We have a couple of brown colored beans - Chocolate Pudding, Dark Chocolate, and A&W Root beer, so as long as you stay away from the brown colored beans, you should be alright!"

Thanks Jelly Belly for being so on top of it!!!

FYI... Jelly Belly does have other information on other common allergens on its FAQ page.