A new gadget for "FoodAls" (Food Allergic People)

Happy Winter! 

New gizmos and gadgets are all around us, especially this season. “FoodAls” might be getting a new gadget for their uses. This one could be particularly helpful in giving a high level of confidence to them, since most people in food service know very little about what is in food or the importance of understanding food allergies. I would love to hear your opinions on what you think of this gadget! Will it work? Is it effective? Would you use it? 

A team of researchers from the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science has developed a lightweight device called the iTube, which attaches to a common cell phone to detect allergens in food samples. The iTube attachment uses the cell phone's built-in camera, along with an accompanying smart-phone application that runs a test with the same high level of sensitivity a laboratory would.

Food allergies are an emerging public concern, affecting as many as 150 million people worldwide. Allergic reactions can be severe and even life-threatening. While consumer-protection laws regulate the labeling of ingredients in pre-packaged foods, cross-contamination can still occur during processing, manufacturing and transportation. Consumer laws still don’t protect “foodals” (food allergic people) in restaurants. While laws continue to evolve, the lack of education required in food service is underwhelming. The lack of knowledge about food is even more concerning and generally gives food allergics little confidence in eating out and shopping.  

The iTube was developed to address the confidence of food allergics and in a way gives them the freedom to get out and eat without risking their life or their bodies.  The prototype weighs less than two ounces. It is an attachment for the smartphone, which analyzes food in a test tube and is based on an allergen-concentration test known as a colorimetric assay.
The UCLA team successfully tested the iTube using commercially available cookies, analyzing the samples to determine if they had any harmful amount of peanuts, a potential allergen. Their research was recently published online in the peer-reviewed journal Lab on a Chip and will be featured in a forthcoming print issue of the journal.

Allergen-testing results of various food products, tagged with a time and location stamp, can be uploaded directly from cell phones to iTube servers to create a personalized testing archive, which could provide additional resources for allergic individuals around the world. A statistical allergy database, coupled with geographic information, could be useful for future food-related policies — for example in restaurants, food production and for consumer protection, the researchers said.

The Ozcan BioPhotonics Lab is funded by the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the Army Research Office Young Investigator Award, the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, the Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award and the National Institutes of Health Director's New Innovator Award.
Allergen-testing results of various food products, tagged with a time and location stamp, can be uploaded directly from cell phones to iTube servers to create a personalized testing archive, which could provide additional resources for allergic individuals around the world. A statistical allergy database, coupled with geographic information, could be useful for future food-related policies — for example in restaurants, food production and for consumer protection, the researchers said.
The Ozcan BioPhotonics Lab is funded by the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the Army Research Office Young Investigator Award, the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, the Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award and the National Institutes of Health Director's New Innovator Award.
The Ozcan BioPhotonics Lab is funded by the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the Army Research Office Young Investigator Award, the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, the Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award and the National Institutes of Health Director's New Innovator Award.

To test for allergens, food samples are initially ground up and mixed in a test tube with hot water and an extraction solvent; this mixture must set for several minutes to be properly assessed. Then, following a step-by-step procedure, the prepared sample is mixed with a series of other reactive testing liquids. The entire preparation takes roughly 20 minutes. That is a really long time to wait to eat your food. If it is a hot item, it would definitely be cold before consuming. I hope that analysis window can be shortened. However, if there is a central database, I suppose most food would only have to be analyzed once, assuming all things stay the same with recipes.  When the sample is ready, it is measured optically for allergen concentration through the iTube platform, using the cell phone's camera and a smart application running on the phone.

The kit digitally converts raw images from the cell-phone camera into concentration measurements detected in the food samples. The results will quantify how much of an allergen is present, in parts per million.

The iTube platform can test for a variety of allergens, including peanuts, almonds, eggs, gluten and hazelnuts, Ozcan said. I’m hoping he will incorporate at least the top 10 food allergens but it would be better if he could customize this app so users could input their specific food allergies and it would test for those.

"We envision that this cell phone–based allergen testing platform could be very valuable, especially for parents, as well as for schools, restaurants and other public settings," Ozcan said. "Once successfully deployed in these settings, the big amount of data — as a function of both location and time — that this platform will continuously generate would indeed be priceless for consumers, food manufacturers, policymakers and researchers, among others."

For more information on the Ozcan BioPhotonics Research Group, visit http://innovate.ee.ucla.edu and http://biogames.ee.ucla.edu.

The UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science,

(www.engineer.ucla.edu | www.twitter.com/uclaengineering) 

Contact Food Allergy Gal, click link. 

Make a difference in a Food Allergics Life

How you can make a difference in this holiday season for "FoodAls:"

1. Share your Food Allergy Story- Calling all Food Allergics, those who love them and Restaurateurs: http://kitchenswithconfidence.com/story/ (Doing this will give others a chance to learn from successes and mistakes made in those serving the food allergic.) 

2. Ask every restaurant you visit if they have a special dining menu (gluten free, allergen guide, food allergy friendly menu). If they do, report it on AllergyEats.com. If they don't, let them know how much it would mean to you and/or your family and friends, if they did and let them know there are consultants to help them. 

3. Ask bakeries if they have or plan to carry products safe to your food needs. Everyone should get to eat cake at least once a year, if not an occasional pastry.  

4. In your Grocery Stores, if they don't have specialty items, which you have to shop elsewhere to get, ask them to start carrying your special products or turn them into their websites and let them know there is a consultant who can help them. 

5. Get Food Allergy Cards for yourself or as a gift to your "FoodAl"

a.  http://selectwisely.com/selectwisely/products/cards/food_allergy/fc000003.htm 
This is a great card that comes laminated where you can list multiple allergens (3 on each card) and select what language you want to translate to. These are $15.00 each.

b. https://www.brokerfish.com/food-allergy-translation-cards/#select-your-allergy-type. The only thing missing from this is if you have multiple food allergies, you can't seem to download one card that will help you list them. (These are Free)

6. Label Food at parties. I know these might seem really hard, but by putting a sign in front of certain items that says what ingredients are in the dishes, or even a piece of tape with the ingredients listed, helps guests who might be allergic or avoid eating, know what's in the dish so they can make an educated decision on what to eat, without bothering the host or person who prepared the dish. Sometimes "special/secret" ingredients which might be very creative can be deadly to others. (i.e. peanut butter frosting on a chocolate cupcake.)  

Where to send food service business owners in search of help with food allergies and gluten (sensitivities:) www.kitchenswithconfidence.com or www.ilaraholland.com

Dining out, took me out for 6 days!

One late afternoon while out shopping for shoes with my son, we were both starving. I suggested to Luke we split a burger and fries at a local restaurant. The restaurant was nearly empty as it was an off hour (Always good for a "foodal" (food allergic person), because usually there is more time to explain food allergies and ensure a higher level of safety.

I notified my very nice server that I had food allergies. The menu even stated, "Please notify us of your food allergies." --------------->

I had a lot of faith in this local spot, as they had very good intentions, including offering an Udi's gluten free bun (which under most circumstances is also soy, nut, dairy free, thereby safe for me to eat). The server, while nice, did NOT write down my food allergies and as I was trying to state them, she sort of quickly ran over me without finishing listening. This again goes back to why restaurants need to be certified in order to adequately and safely serve the food allergic and intolerant. 

I only got the first 3 food allergies out, before she stopped listening and began telling me about the items I might be able to have. I was trying desperately to be proactive, by just asking what the contents of the items we were ordering were. She assured me I would be fine. Yes, during the meal, I was fine, with one small little incident with a sauce where I felt flush after eating it, so didn't consume anymore. Then I paid the bill, stood up and BAM! This dizzy feeling came over me, as if I had 2 glasses of wine in a hurry and I hadn't had anything but water to drink. My head was spinning and I felt like I was going to fall backward, as my son and I walked down the street. 
By the time I got home (only a quick 5 minute drive) I could barely stand up straight. My stomach was nauseated, the left side of my throat hurt, I knew I was in a danger zone. I took two Benadryl  knowing I was going down for the count. I didn't have my Epi pens, or I would have done an injection immediately. It got worse. I fell into a deep sleep for 12 hours. The next day moving anywhere but the bathroom was a slow one eye open process. 
This time, my dining out test made me very angry! Furious in fact. I had my daughter call the restaurant to try to get a run down of the ingredients again, but this time all the server could say is, "She had Udi's gluten free bun." (Udi's carries a host of products and buns, not all of which are approved for me, but the bun did look like the one I am o.k. with- I assure you, it wasn't the buns fault or Udi's) She did not give me the ingredients list, or type of bun, she didn't know the answers to most of the questions or even how to respond. I felt a little sorry for her, but not as sorry as I was to face being severely ill.  
Before we start to rule how other things might have caused this, let me state: 
1. My son did not get sick, as he is not allergic to anything, so it was not food poison. 
2. It wasn't the flu (as no one else in my house is sick)
3. I hadn't eaten anywhere else that day or that week. 

I was sick as a direct result of ignorance and negligence. Maybe she knew some of my food allergies, but did she communicate that to the kitchen or just tell them no dairy, no nuts. What about the 7 other allergies. It's day 3, and I'm still ill. My stomach is still going nuts, I haven't been able to eat a proper meal. I have said at least 25 times, "I never want to eat out again."

My review of Tavern on 2, if I was a non-food allergic would be great. The atmosphere is lovely. The presentation was great. The menu selection was certainly creative and full of foodie favorites. The chorizo lamb burger was spicy and full flavored. The fries were tasty. 

My review as a "food allergic:" Unless they are certified in the near future, I will never eat here again, nor recommend it to anyone with food allergies or food intolerance. To me this chorizo lamb burger is the thing that ruined my life for 3 1/2 days. I still woke up this morning with a talking stomach, a half dollar size welt and a dime size welt on my back, nausea and well... I'll spare you the rest of the details. If I wasn't a consultant and the person I am,  I'd sue them for negligence and 3 1/2 lost days of school and work, not to mention the money we spent on the meal and pain and suffering. 

Share your Food Allergic Experiences, below, in comments. What is your recommendation for better dining out experiences?  Have you heard of AllergyEats? 

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Contact Food Allergy Gal about getting your kitchen and staff certified on Food Allergies and Gluten Today. http://centeredtable.com/ 

New Study linking Food Allergies to Pesticides

A New Study was just Released on how Food Allergies and Pesticides might be linked.

Food Allergies are a global issue, with over 150 million people diagnosed.  There is no known cause and no known cure, except strict avoidance. Worldwide, there are 10 top food allergens but over 300 known food allergies/intolerances. This article was released today about a possible link as to why some food allergens might be caused. This is U.S related medical research and might only pertain to Americans, but helpful in further studies. 

The study reported that high levels of dichlorophenols, a chemical used in pesticides and to chlorinate water, when found in the human body, are associated with food allergies. "Our research shows that high levels of dichlorophenol-containing pesticides can possibly weaken food tolerance in some people, causing food allergy," said allergist Elina Jerschow, M.D., M.Sc., ACAAI fellow and lead study author. "This chemical is commonly found in pesticides used by farmers and consumer insect and weed control products, as well as tap water." Among 10,348 participants in a US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2006, 2,548 had dichlorophenols measured in their urine and 2,211 were included into the study. Food allergy was found in 411 of these participants, while 1,016 had an environmental allergy. "Previous studies have shown that both food allergies and environmental pollution are increasing in the United States," said Dr. Jerschow. "The results of our study suggest these two trends might be linked, and that increased use of pesticides and other chemicals is associated with a higher prevalence of food allergies." While opting for bottled water instead of tap water might seem to be a way to reduce the risk for developing an allergy, according to the study such a change may not be successful. "Other dichlorophenol sources, such as pesticide-treated fruits and vegetables, may play a greater role in causing food allergy," said Dr. Jerschow. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an increase in food allergy of 18 percent was seen between 1997 and 2007. The most common food allergens are milk, eggs, peanuts, wheat, tree nuts, soy, fish, and shellfish. Food allergy symptoms can range from a mild rash to a life-threatening reaction known as anaphylaxis. The ACAAI advises everyone with a known food allergy to always carry two doses of allergist prescribed epinephrine. A delay in using epinephrine is common in severe food allergic reaction deaths. Provided by American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology

Read more at: http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-food-allergies-pesticides-blame.html#jCp
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Food Allergy Gal is for hire with ilaraholland.com, providing training and certification of commercial kitchens, specialty menu and recipe development, ingredient sourcing and marketing support for food allergies and intolerances (i.e. gluten). Contact Food Allergy Gal at info@ilaraholland.com. Information on sponsoring or supporting Food Allergy Gal can be found at: http://foodallergygal.blogspot.com/p/sponsorship-opportunities.html