A quick guide to help friends and family navigate grocery basics and identify (likely) peanut-safe brands. Always double-check labels, as ingredients and allergen risks can change at any time. Always be sure to read the disclaimer at the top. This is a starting resource not guaranteed to be current. Use [CTRL] + [F] to search it.
2. Explore my memoir, Invisibly Allergic: A Memoir of Survival, Advocacy, and Change, for free on Libby App! To find it on Libby, search for the title, use “deep search” if needed, and tap “notify me” so your library can request it.
A quick guide to finding brands free of peanuts, soy, wheat, and sugar (beet & cane). These are foods I’ve found I can be sensitive to, especially when having an autoimmune flare. Use [CTRL] + [F] to search it.
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 perfected, and most of them I’ve heavily tweaked to meet my own needs and make them more allergy-friendly. 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’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, animal feeds, 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 the terms “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
These are signs I’ve used at my workplaces, and they can serve as an example of food allergy signage that can be used. Feel free to print these or make similar versions with your employer that are customized for your own needs. These have been hung up outside of the entrances and exits of the building, as well as in the break room, hallways, and bathrooms. I worked with my internal HR departments to get these enforced by them and reminders sent via email and at company events.
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8 Food Allergy Resources I Use Regularly
Trader Joe’s Phone Line (626-599-3817)
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 TJ’s 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 ingredient 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. 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.
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.
6. Sleep & Anxiety Support Apps
I love to use the Calm 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“.
Two FREE apps I highly recommend are Insight Timer and the Finch for gentle daily self-care, meditations, and overall support.
This food allergy support group is specific to peanut/tree nuts (pn/tn). Facebook (FB) food allergy groups can be really helpful in posing 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 to see others living the same way as me regarding having a life-threatening food allergies.
This website supports individuals who have fallen ill due to various types of contaminated food. When dining out or shopping, consumers, including those with food allergies, deserve the assurance that their food is safe for consumption. Unfortunately, negligence from food providers often leads to severe illnesses or fatalities. The organization ‘Keep Food Safe’ aims to maintain trust in the food we consume. Check out their advocacy site and specific food allergy page I linked with information on active lawsuits, negligence around allergic reactions, and more.
10 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!
Trader Joe’s Product Phone Line (626-599-3817, M-F 9am-9pm EST)
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.
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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.
The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team (FAACT) is a nonprofit dedicated to education, advocacy, and awareness for individuals living with food allergies and anaphylaxis. Their mission is to improve quality of life and health outcomes through accessible education, meaningful support, and research-driven initiatives.
FAACT offers an extensive range of free, evidence-based resources that go far beyond the basics. Their materials cover daily management, cross-contact awareness, emergency preparedness, and navigating food allergies across all stages of life. Their work spans schools, colleges, workplaces, civil rights advocacy, behavioral health, and social inclusion. They also provide training programs for schools, childcare providers, camps, healthcare professionals, and community organizations, along with support networks, virtual groups, and mental health resources.
Through ongoing advocacy efforts and nationwide awareness initiatives, FAACT promotes visibility, inclusivity, and understanding for the food allergy community. They empower individuals, families, and institutions with the tools needed to manage food allergies safely and confidently, helping to create safer environments and ultimately save lives. Under the leadership of CEO Eleanor Garrow, FAACT continues to be a trusted and compassionate resource for the food allergy community. Check out their annual Food Allergy Summit!
The Food Allergy Science Initiative (FASI) is a nonprofit dedicated to accelerating groundbreaking research to better understand, treat, and ultimately cure food allergies. Founded in partnership with leading institutions like the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, FASI brings together top scientists across fields like immunology, neuroscience, and computational biology to uncover the root causes of allergic disease.
What makes FASI especially impactful is its collaborative, fast-moving approach to science, breaking down traditional research silos to drive real progress in diagnostics, treatments, and prevention. At a time when millions of people live with life-threatening food allergies and there is still no cure, this kind of innovation is critical.
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! 
