So in addition to having a life-threatening peanut/almond allergy, Connor is also allergic to milk. Seems like an easy fix. Give him soy milk. They even make vanilla and chocolate flavored soy milk for a treat. And soy ice cream. Problem solved, right? I wish.
I had planned to keep Connor on his soy toddler formula for a while longer because it was better for him, easier to tote around with us, and I knew it was safe. Only problem is the nearest store that carries it is over 60 miles away. Not so convenient. So I called his allergist and asked if it was okay to switch him over to soy milk, since he is still pretty sensitive to dairy. They said it was fine, so off to the grocery store I went.
Now I myself am a big fan of Silk's chocolate soy milk, so I reached for a carton of their vanilla flavored to try him out on. For some reason my mommy alarms started going off, which prompted me to read the label. I was glad I did when I saw that it may contain almonds because Silk also makes almond milk and apparently there's enough of a chance of cross-contamination for them to put a warning on their label. I'm glad they did, though, otherwise our evening could have been frighteningly eventful.
I put the Silk back and reached for the brand next to it, which was Safeway Organics, distributed by Safeway's dairy brand, Lucerne. The label didn't list any allergens, including soy (hello, it's soy milk!)*I didn't want to take any chances, so I called the customer service number on the side. While circling the store with two kids in tow listening to elevator music while on hold. Twenty, count them, TWENTY minutes later the lady that has placed me on hold off and on while researching this told me that the information was not available to her and she would have to contact the distributor and get back to me within 2 business days. So, what, I'm supposed to camp out with my kids and my grocery cart in the dairy section of Safeway and not give my one-year-old a bottle until you find the information that's supposed to be clearly labeled on all of your cartons? Sounds fantastic. Not!
By this time I am incredibly frustrated, the kids are getting restless, and I still have no soy milk. I return to the dairy case to put the Safeway carton back, after all I'm not going to chance it, and I see this little carton with a sunshine on it, and lo and behold, it's soy milk. I cross my fingers and dial the customer service number, where a cheery gal tells me she doesn't think it's an issue but would like to double check. Less than two minutes later she's back on the line saying she's confirmed that there are no nuts anywhere in their facilities, and then asked if I would like for her to send me some coupons in the mail. She also referred me to their website for more information on their products and where I can find them. I think I've found our solution. Finally.
Connor made the switch to soy milk that night without any problems, gave up the formula cold turkey. I was even able to mix in some Nesquik powder and give him a chocolate milk treat when he wasn't feeling well. We've gone through several cartons already, and thankfully there are at least two different stores in our small town that carry it, so we'll always have a back-up.
In case you're wondering what our miracle soy milk brand is, it's 8th Continent Soy Milk and I have been nothing but pleased with it. Visit their website at www.8thcontinent.com for more information and to find out where you can find their products in your town.
Whew. All this drama in the dairy section makes me want a snack. Ooh, a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup would really hit the spot right now. I'll just grab a few...oh wait, I can't do that. Check please!
*I'm not 100% clear on allergen labeling laws and regulations, but I think if a product contains enough of any of the major allergens it has to be clearly labeled below the ingredients list. There may be exceptions for things that are obvious, i.e. cheese doesn't need a milk label, soy milk doesn't need a soy label, but I'm not sure. Most of the other brands I checked listed soy as an allergen, so if it doesn't list something that I know for sure is in it, I can't help but wonder what else they're not listing, so when in doubt, check 'em out!
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