Food allergies are some of the toughest ‘normal’ diagnoses to receive. It can shift how to purchase groceries, decide on which restaurants to indulge in, and how you communicate your needs to other people. The current top 8 allergies are: peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, dairy, eggs, wheat, and soon to be 9 which includes sesame. When you’re newly diagnosed there is a steep learning curve to learn what your new normal looks like. Even if you are a seasoned pro, some products you pick-up might surprise you. The food industry uses all different kinds of foods and technologies to bring a product to market and pass their quality standards. So for example, there is wheat in some canned tomato soups. Why would this be in there you might ask? It could be in there for a plethora of reasons only known by the company. That doesn’t make it a “bad” or “good” product, it just simply means you as a consumer have the knowledge and power to purchase what suits your needs. So this week, even if you don’t have food allergies, turn around your packages and read their labels. Be in the know.

If you’re curious to know what products are on our shelves that are free from the top 8 allergens here are some of our favorites:

• Fresh Produce
• Enjoy Life products
• That’s It Bar
• Annie’s Fruit Snacks
• Signature Kitchen Dried Fruit
• Joolies