A quick guide to brands free of peanuts, soy, wheat, and sugar (beet & cane). I will be updating this as I continue to find new brands. It is current as of 2024! CTRL + F to search it.
A quick guide I created for friends & family to teach grocery store basics & point others to some (likely) safe food allergy brands. This food allergy guide is organized by types of food, and by the store you can often find each brand in. It’s a bit outdated but still is helpful for 2024 for those with peanut allergies.
I update this from time to time as I learn about brands changing, so always be sure to read the disclaimer at the top. This is a starting resource not always guaranteed to be current, as ingredients and allergens in facilities can change by brands daily without notice to the public. Be sure to always check, and double-check, the ingredients and individual food labels.
3. Allergy-Friendly Recipes
In the top navigation bar, you’ll see Invisibly Allergic’s collection of allergy-friendly recipes, curated especially for those with food allergies and multiple dietary restrictions!
All of these are tried & true and recipes I use myself, from scrumptious allergy-friendly recipes to creative food allergy alternatives, I’ve got you covered. I’ll never share a recipe I haven’t tried, and most of them I’ve tweaked a good amount to meet my own needs and make them more allergy-friendly.
My hope is to overtime compile a diverse collection here of allergy-friendly recipes, food allergy recipes, and accommodating multiple food allergies recipes. I’ll often include brands that I have found work for my own needs, to give you, the audience, a starting place. However, try getting creative with supplementing brands and items safe for you, especially if the ones I list don’t work. I’m always experimenting and trying new ways to cook or bake with ingredients I already have in my kitchen at home that are safe for me.
I’d love to get this resource more extensive and updated, but for now, this is what I use to remind myself and teach others around me of hidden places peanut ingredients may be in non-food products such as dish soap, hand lotions, sunscreen, makeup, and more.
My PowerPoint presentation and audio recording are from a workplace presentation I gave raising food allergy awareness & cross-contact awareness in 2019. It covers:
What Is A Food Allergy?
What Are The Most Common Food Allergies?
What Is Cross-Contact?
How To Prevent Cross-Contact
Cleaning Tips To Remove Allergens
Surprising Places You May Find Allergens
Lack Of Food Labeling Laws In The US
Tips To Keep Food-Allergic Individuals Safe, And More!
Feel free to share both the PowerPoint PDF and the food allergy presentation audio recording. In this, I use “cross-contact” and “cross-contamination” interchangeably, but now know that those are very different- here’s an article explaining the two definitions: cross-contact vs cross-contamination.
This is a sign I used at my workplace, and it can serve as an example of food allergy signage. Feel free to print it or make one similar that is customized for your own needs. These were hung up outside of the entrances and exits of the building, as well as in the breakroom, hallways, and bathrooms. I worked with my internal HR department to get this enforced by them.
The #1 food allergy resource I utilize is the Trader Joe’s phone number to inquire about their products via sku # or barcode #. I’m lucky to have a TJs in my city. Occasionally the phone line undergoes maintenance, but overall, it’s been the most helpful resource to understand the food allergy risk-level of food products. Often if I’m having trouble finding a specific peanut-free facility product, I’ll try looking at Trader Joe’s first and call on items.
I’d love Trader Joe’s to print the information for the consumer directly on the packaging, stating clearly what allergens are in the facility, and what allergens are on shared equipment. However they don’t do that, so for now, they have a phone line you can call and talk with a customer service agent about each item before purchasing or ingesting. It’s open weekdays only, from 9am-9pm EST. In case the link above doesn’t work, the phone number is (626) 599-3817. Here is their Contact Page. If due to scheduling I have to go to Trader Joe’s on the weekend, or if the phone line doesn’t pick-up immediately, I’ll occasionally purchase products and then call on them once home and return anything that has my allergens in the same facility. It depends on how badly I need a product.
The free Spokin App is a global food allergy tool that connects you with a social network of other food allergy individuals who can mark places such as bakeries, restaurants, and ice cream shops as safe for certain food allergies. Within the app, you and other users are able to leave reviews and mark individual brands and products as safe or not-safe for food allergens. Spokin markets itself as, “A food allergy app and lifestyle platform on a mission to make managing food allergies and celiac easier.”
The non-profit Food Equality Initiative, also known as FEI, fights for health equity and nutrition access for all. This means they’re fighting for equal access to affordable nutrition, education, and advocacy access. Individual families can apply for services, and once qualified, gain access to subsidized free-from foods.
Check out their Seven Percent Fund, created to raise awareness that black individuals are 7% more likely to have food allergies than white individuals. Additionally, FEI raises awareness that “of the 60,000 food pantries nationwide, only four are fully stocked with items reserved for people in need of allergy- and celiac-safe food.” You can read about the founding of FEI in this EatingWell article. I’ve learned so many important food allergy facts from FEI!
“…of the 60,000 food pantries nationwide, only four are fully stocked with items reserved for people in need of allergy- and celiac-safe food.”
The food allergy blog, Nut Free Wok, was the first allergy blog I found that was really helpful to my own allergy needs here in the US. I’ve linked their “Bakeries & Restaurants” list above, even if it’s not always the most current, it’s great when traveling in the US to use and get an idea of leads for allergen-safe businesses. It’s one of the top online food allergy resources I rely on.
As of 10/5/2022 the link may not be working, I sure hope it wasn’t removed, I’m going to reach out to them about it.
This is not an exhaustive or necessarily current resource, but it helps to understand brands to look out for, avoid, and the types of products to triple-check on, when it comes to medication containing food allergens. This really opened my eyes to the scary reality of many food allergens being present in medicines and now I ask many more questions to doctors and pharmacists about this before taking a new medication.
I love to use this app to help me fall asleep or calm down when in a heightened state of anxiety. Calm also offers a free trial & has an excellent blog with science-based mindfulness and meditation articles such as, “6 Health Benefits Of Meditation“.
This food allergy support group is specific to peanut/tree nut (pn/tn). Facebook (FB) food allergy groups can be really helpful to pose a food allergy question to a large audience. Through food allergy support groups like this one, I’ve learned about safe food products, travel and vacation suggestions, airline experiences, and more! Not to mention it’s reassuring seeing others living the same way as me in regard to my life-threatening food allergy.
9 Food Allergy Resources To Share with Friends, Family, Schools, Employers & Others
A helpful video for non-food allergic individuals to understand what life is like eating with a life-threatening food allergy. This video was created by EAT (End Allergies Together).
Created by Anaphylaxis.Ca raising awareness about trace amounts of an allergen being deadly, and able to be spread by a kiss. I believe they re-branded and became Food Allergy Canada, which is an incredible treasure trove of valuable food allergy resources for all ages.
Specifically, they have a lot of unique food allergy content for teens with food allergies, and professionals in healthcare, food service, and education looking for information about accommodating food allergies.
As this commercial points out, every 6 minutes life-threatening allergies send someone to the hospital. This commercial isn’t new, so I can only assume this statistic is even more frequent now. I really appreciated this commercial because so often the media, such as television and movies, portray food allergy reactions wrong, don’t take them seriously, and will even make them a laughing matter. This is a realistic representation of a life-threatening food allergy reaction. Share this on social media, or with friends and family, to help spread accurate food allergy awareness and anaphylaxis awareness.
Example: Out of these options, which do you think peanuts might be in? Axel grease, cat litter, or bean bag chair stuffing? The truth is, all of these could contain peanuts, and this VeryWellHealth article, “23 Non-Food Places You May Find Hidden Peanuts” does a great job spreading food allergy awareness, and explains each in full to help you fine-tune your mindset around where food allergens could be hiding.
This is a helpful food allergy resource I’ve referenced time and time again because I don’t have the alternative and Latin names of allergens memorized, and don’t want to risk misremembering.
This is one of the first articles I found validating my experience of confusing & misleading food labeling practices. I really like SnackSafely’s resources & their food allergy awareness content!
Again, if you have a Trader Joe’s near you, this is great to give to friends and family and explain what you ask the product line before buying a product there. For example, I don’t eat anything made in the same facility as peanuts from Trader Joe’s, because I avoid cross-contact with peanuts.
In addition to these two parenting guides, I’ve found the Drugwatch website to be helpful for many health issues and topics, as well as finding out about active lawsuits and high-risk drugs & devices. You can check out their full website to see what content they offer, and I appreciate their editorial policy and mission of being transparent regarding ensuring their published content is accurate, objective, and trustworthy.
Top 3 Food Allergy Non-Profits To Follow
CFAAR (Center for Food Allergy & Asthma Research), FAACT (Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team), and FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) are leading non-profit organizations dedicated to advancing food allergy awareness, education, research, and support. These organizations play a crucial role in improving the lives of individuals with food allergies by advocating for their safety, funding groundbreaking research, and providing valuable resources and community networks.
CFAAR is a part of the Institute for Public Health and Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago, and aims to find answers and shape policy around asthma, food allergies, and other allergic conditions. The CFAAR founding director is Dr. Ruchi Gupta, MD, MPH, she’s also the author of the book I’ve recommended on my website time and time again, Food Without Fear.
FAACT is a non-profit organization committed to educating, advocating, and raising awareness about food allergies and anaphylaxis. Their mission is to improve the quality of life and health of individuals with food allergies through education, support, and research. FAACT offers educational resources, training programs, support networks, and initiatives such as the Teal Love Spotlight program to promote awareness and understanding of food allergies in schools and communities.
FAACT plays a vital role in providing crucial education and support to individuals and families affected by food allergies. By offering comprehensive resources and training programs, they empower individuals to effectively manage and cope with food allergies, ensuring a safer environment in schools, workplaces, and other settings. Through their advocacy efforts and initiatives like the Teal Love Spotlight program, FAACT helps promote inclusivity, understanding, and proper management of food allergies, ultimately saving lives and improving the overall well-being of the food allergy community.
Last but certainly not least, FARE is the largest food allergy non-profit organization in the United States, and is dedicated to making the world a safer and more inclusive place for the 33 million Americans living with life-threatening food allergies as of 2023. With a strong focus on advocacy, FARE actively works on both state and local levels to raise awareness, implement policies, and support legislation that protects individuals with food allergies and ensures their safety in various environments.
I attended Courage @ Congress through FARE and had an incredible experience advocating for food allergy policy in D.C. One of FARE’s key initiatives is funding food allergy research, making them the leading private funder in this field. By promoting the development of new therapies, FARE offers hope for effective treatments that can improve the lives of those affected by food allergies. Through their FARE Clinical Network, they are establishing essential infrastructure to foster collaboration among researchers, enabling breakthrough innovations that have the potential to revolutionize food allergy management and care. Here’s a recap and resources shared from the 2023 Courage @ Congress
As an organization, FARE provides a wide range of resources and support for the food allergy community. Their comprehensive website offers educational materials, practical tools, and up-to-date information on managing food allergies, understanding allergens, and navigating daily challenges. FARE also hosts events and conferences to bring together individuals, families, and professionals in the field to exchange knowledge and experiences. Their site has so much, I can’t link to it all here, explore their site for free food allergy webinars and downloadable resources, like their Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan.
Overall, FARE’s main mission is to champion the needs of individuals with life-threatening food allergies. By advocating, funding research, and providing valuable resources, FARE strives to create a world where everyone can live confidently and safely with food allergies. I recommend joining their patient registry & signing up for free to become an advocate in their system if you live in the United States!
Food Allergy Awareness Month FAQs & Other Food Allergy Dates To Know In The U.S.
Is May Food Allergy Awareness Month?
Yes! May 14-20, 2023 was Food Allergy Awareness Week in the U.S., check with Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) each year to find the exact dates of the Food Allergy Awareness Week.
When Is Peanut Allergy Awareness Month?
It is in May & This is the same as Food Allergy Awareness Month— Peanut Allergy Awareness Month is in May each year.
Is there an Allergy Awareness Month?
Yes, May is also known as National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month.
“…there’s no requirement in the United States that requires if a non-food product contains an allergen or allergen derivative that it has to be fully disclosed to the consumer. Unless the item is meant for human consumption, the ingredients list can be much more relaxed and there’s no requirement for them to release the full ingredients list to the public.”
This is one of the first articles I found validating my experience of confusing & misleading food labeling practices. I really like SnackSafely’s resources & their food allergy awareness content! 
FAACT is a non-profit organization committed to educating, advocating, and raising awareness about food allergies and anaphylaxis. Their mission is to improve the quality of life and health of individuals with food allergies through education, support, and research. FAACT offers educational resources, training programs, support networks, and initiatives such as the Teal Love Spotlight program to promote awareness and understanding of food allergies in schools and communities.
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