Going for a Loopy Ride

Okay ... I have an allergy.

Its a food allergy.

Its one that tends to go into food products without even thinking about it. And I didn't realize it was even in there for decades but just lived with the side effects not knowing I was being slowly poisoned by my snack foods.

I'm allergic to fish. Its pretty bad. I can't even go thru the fresh fish part of the grocery store without it triggering my sinuses to protect themselves. I can't kiss my husband if he has had seafood of any kind during the day. And I swear it has to be why I'm allergic to cats.

Well, we had those pork chops yesterday --- btw, its a great recipe, to bad I won't be able to make it for a while until I find one special ingredient, but you have to wait a bit.

I started breaking out in itchy patches about an hour after eating. Annoying as all get out, but figured it was from mosquitoes - after all I had been working outside that afternoon and I suppose I could have gotten some bites but these were soooo small. I put it out of my mind.

We needed to go to the store. We have a thing tonight and I need to make a salad to bring with us. I needed some sesame oil. my what small bottles they are for the price! I also picked up some more soy sauce since I nearly used mine up making the marinade for the chops ... oh and some Worcestershire (thank Gods for spell check) ... and couldn't find a single bottle of fish free stuff.

Here's the rub --- Worcestershire is made with anchovies ... they have to declare it on their labelling under the allergen act by the FDA. So all the bottles, no matter who the manufacturer is, has it labelled nice a big "Allergens: contains fish" or "Allergens: contains anchovies" which while more accurate would fool someone if they didn't know that those are 'fish' by another name (you would be surprised how many people don't know that).

Well, it was a slight allergy so I didn't think anything of it.

Then I had some UTZ 'Pub Mix' last night too. I am very careful to check for allergens in foods when I first get them. If you aren't familiar with it ... think "Chex Mix" with sweet bits and hot bits (its soooo gooood) .... anyways....I woke up this morning broke out all over!

My arms, my legs, my back, my scalp! Yes my scalp!

Only thing that stops the itch is benedryl. Benedryl hits me like a ton of bricks -- I just took it (a single pink pill) about 10 minutes ago and I'm already getting loopy ... you have no idea how tough it is to concentrate to type this.

On the weekends its no issue, I've got the older kids and hubby home to take over while I sleep if off all day ... ALLLLLL DAAYYYYY.

So I took a closer look at the labels. I've been enjoying this stuff for a few months with out much more than itchiness - but I checked the label anyways.

Sure enough it contains Worcestershire sauce. Now I have to admit I realized that Chex Mix used it ... and I should have assumed that UTZ did too ... but there is no declaration of 'fish' in the allergy section. They have nuts, sesame, etc. but no fish!

I'm going to call the UTZ company later (if I can stay conscious for that long) and ask them why it isn't listed since they use the sauce.

I have to admit that since it wasn't declared I had assumed that they were using the 'fish free' version of the sauce ... the FDA allows an allergen to not be declared if it meets two criteria, and it must met them both - not one or the other. and I'm sorry but I'm pretty sure that as a main ingredient to the food item it would not fit one of those criteria.

"Secondly, 21 CFR 101.100(a)(3) allows incidental additives such as processing aids to be exempt from ingredient labelling requirements,
when they are present in a food at insignificant levels and
do not have any technical or functional effect in the finished food."

okay I was wrong -- it doesn't meet either criteria.

Oh yeah ... they are getting a call.