My husband Rich and I started doing research on peanut-free items and reading labels on everything we purchased.  We were surprised at how many items either contain peanuts or are made in a plant that also processes peanuts.  Among the dangerous offenders were ice cream, granola bars, cereal, crackers and even vitamins!  Even going out to eat was a challenge.  Did you know that many ice cream shops “double dip” their scoops going from a peanut –free to a nut containing product without properly cleansing the scoop in between?

 We have been able to keep Sarah safe by attending all events with her and painstakingly checking every label each and every time we buy a product because we have found that manufacturers will sometimes change the ingredients for no apparent reason.  Thus, a product that may have been safe last week may not be safe today.  Sarah also wears a medical-alert bracelet and carries an EpiPen. 

 Sarah is five years old now and our anxiety level has increased tremendously with her entrance into school.  There are very few schools in our area that are peanut-free.  Even those that claim to be peanut-free don’t have complete control over what enters the school.  Too many people don’t understand the severity and gravity of an allergic child who goes into anaphylactic shock and perhaps death resulting from peanut ingestion. Thus, they inadvertently send items to school in their child’s lunch box that can cause a child like Sarah harm.   There is no full-proof answer other than extreme vigilance and continuous education.  We strive to educate not only Sarah but also the school and the public at large in the hopes of developing an understanding of the gravity of this issue.

 For these reasons, is why my husband and I decided to create this peanut-free directory as a way of helping other families who share our plight and to give people who know or are in contact with a peanut-allergic child a resource.  In our web site you will find peanut-free recipes, products and educational material.  Please help us ensure that all peanut allergic children are safe at home, at school and any other place they might encounter this deadly culprit so they may have a fighting chance to live life to its fullest.