Full of ingredients - a rant

[lizwilliams]

Here's something that really hacks me off. You have a recipe for something - in this case, pesto - which has been made in its country of origin for years. It's just basil, parmesan, pine nuts and possibly garlic. I'm not sure of the original ingredients, but I'm damn sure it didn't originally contain potato or brazil nuts, like the pesto with which T has just inadvertently poisoned me.

I'm allergic to brazils - it's some kind of protein reaction, IIRC - and realised what was in my supper the moment my mouth and throat started burning and blistering. I have an adrenalin pen, but didn't have to use it: because I didn't eat much of it, I'm not too bad now. I check contents lists for brazils, and I have friends who suffer very seriously from egg and nut allergies (not some vague 'intolerance', but life-threatening conditions), as well as from other complaints in which unexpected ingredients can make their lives hell.

Honestly, it makes me want to make even more of what I eat from scratch - I already do that a lot. But what is this shit in our food - this for-cheapness-sake adulteration of things? I'm starting to sound like some Victorian fulminating against sawdust in the flour. I'll shut up now.

Comments

[spytfire.livejournal.com]

Ugh. I know too many friends who have to pay very close attention to what they eat. Some of them did start making everything they eat from scratch because of experiences similar to yours.

How frustrating!

[lizziebelle.livejournal.com]

I often see pesto made with walnuts, which is silly really because lots of people are allergic to walnuts. I'm not quite allergic to them, but they make my tongue tingle, and not in a pleasant way.

[greeneyedkzin.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm off walnuts for the duration. Same reason. And when I go out, there are lovely salads with walnut oil or walnuts in them. Easily avoided.

Some of the -real- allergies, though, like eggs or a lunch partner's bad celiac hassle...

Never hesitate to ask in a restaurant. Ask TWICE because sometimes they won't know and won't trouble to find out.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

Never hesitate to ask in a restaurant. Ask TWICE because sometimes they won't know and won't trouble to find out.

I pay a lot of attention to the overall attitude of the restaurant. If it's the slightest bit of a problem, then I drop back to a safe position (eggs over easy, or a plain hamburger patty) and thank them for trying to find out (even if they don't.) The places that try to help know I'm not going to walk out with the entire party--I'm grateful they didn't do something to poison me.

I actually love walnuts, and make my pesto with pine nuts and a couple walnuts tossed in--or did until I found out a friend is allergic to walnuts. Now I don't mix them in anything, and clean the pan after working with them. Even walnut oil can set off a confirmed walnut allergy.

[fjm.livejournal.com]

We could save more people by outlawing the general use of peanut oil in food processing than any anti-drugs law.

Did you know that Body Shop sells brazil nut lipsalve? I'm astounded they haven't been sued.

[ramblin-phyl.livejournal.com]

Try an allergy to the animal casein in dairy products. Not life threatening but it sure does destroy my digestion for days on end.

I read ingredients religiously. It's a lot easier to be sugar free than dairy free. I _have_ to make most things from scratch to keep my body balanced.

Glad you are okay. Nuts of anykind are a nasty one.

Phyl

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

I read ingredients religiously. It's a lot easier to be sugar free than dairy free. I _have_ to make most things from scratch to keep my body balanced.

Ditto. Haven't had any frozen meals, or even prepackaged meals, in years. Did find a chicken broth I can use, thus saving me a day's work, and a tomato soup in a carton (no dairy) that is good.

Did you know that they're not required to put something on the label if a) it's less than 3% or b) they didn't make the "sub-ingredient"? As in, there's chicken broth in the item--but THEY DIDN'T MAKE THE CHICKEN BROTH. So they're required only to put "chicken broth" on the label.

And manufacturers are not only fighting labeling, they want to loosen it. I hate the current atmosphere/government...

[ramblin-phyl.livejournal.com]

The people who really have a problem are the ones who are allergic to MSG. "Natural Flavorings" can contain MSG without any further warning.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

The people who really have a problem are the ones who are allergic to MSG. "Natural Flavorings" can contain MSG without any further warning.

I'm careful about that one, too...

[hoosier-red.livejournal.com]

Okay, that's just wrong, and I don't even like pesto. I'm glad you were able to stop before the life-threatening symptoms set in, and may I suggest one hell of a strongly worded letter to the manufacturer?

[autopope.livejournal.com]

I have, on several occasions, experienced the joy of dealing with the consequences of Feorag eating something that, unbeknownst to either of us, contained egg products. It's not an allergic reaction as such and isn't life-threatening, but when the side effects of the plain old-fashioned dietary intolerance include vomiting and diarrhoea, I tend to curse the parties responsible ... especially as, after peanuts and wheat, egg occupies the #3 position in the dietary allergies pop charts.

[zhai.livejournal.com]

It's extremely aggravating, especially when the ingredients aren't disclosed. I'm lucky in that my one anaphylactic allergy (sulfites) is pretty easy to avoid, but my husband is violently allergic to wheat gluten, and the crap is everywhere. We make nearly all of our food from scratch and almost never go out because of it. One of the recent unmarked culprits was a container of PARMESAN CHEESE from Hannaford. Don't ask me what wheat was doing in cheese, but the small amount he was using on his rice pasta was making him sick and took us about a month to track down...

[camies.livejournal.com]

For some reason (profit?) the manufacturers can't stop arsing around with simple recipes. Not life-threatening but a certain supermarket's take on olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing includes for example dijon mustard. I put olive oil and balsamic vinegar on a salad, and that's what there is. It doesn't need anything else.

[caskared.livejournal.com]

I hear you
-Coaliac cas

[ianmcdonald.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to work out the economics of replacing pine-nuts with expensive-to-shell-and-transport Brazil nuts... And potato? Is this Pesto Boliviano? If it ain't broke don't fix it. I agree with the tingly-tip-of-tongue thing re walnuts, but I still eat 'em.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

But what is this shit in our food - this for-cheapness-sake adulteration of things?

Don't ever look and see what cheap "butter cookies" are made of--you will be appalled....

I am SO with you on this. I can barely go out with friends to dine, because one gal gets very stressed over my allergies and inability to eat out. But when it's ask questions or increase 4 dress sizes overnight (wheat) have intestinal problems (corn) or yeast problems (milk) and then there's blood sugar response--or shellfish (OMG)--

I can hate my body or give it what it wants. I am becoming a gourmet chef out of desperation. But I really feel for people who are just trying to find a product "they" haven't monkeyed with. I complained about someone suddenly putting corn syrup in their sweetener-free product (a regular product for me up until that time) and somehow it ended up my problem, and how dare I complain?

Then "they" put corn gluten in my cats' food, and tell me it's an excellent source of protein. Right. Totally. But NOT FOR OBLIGATE CARNIVORES. Switch cats' food Again.

I hate brazil nuts. I promise to never knowingly serve you any.

[soon_lee]

My sympathies. I'm 'lucky' in that my life-threatening allergy is to wasp stings; I'm unlikely to get fed a wasp by mistake.

BTW, congratulations on making the Arthur C. Clarke shortlist for "Banner of Souls".