Multi-grain may make them healthier - but peanut butter makes them deadly.
The content of this article comes through Theresa Marie Green, owner of Allergy Apparel. Theresa is a guest writer for Richmondmom.com and her expertise in allergy prevention is valuable to our readers.
It looks like cereal makers are making it harder for moms, teachers, and caregivers to prevent allergic reactions in children who are deadly allergic to peanuts and more. You may have recently read an article on Richmondmom.com by Theresa Marie Green, owner of Allergy Apparel and mother to a child who is severely allergic to peanuts.
As a matter of fact, Theresa’s expertise is highly valued and she was contacted by Richmond, Virginia’s local news channel WRIC today to speak about the issue from the viewpoint of a food allergy parent.
“The introduction of General Mills’s Peanut Butter Cheerios surprises me and disappoints me as a mom, in general, and as a food allergy mom. We live in a world that is becoming more aware of eating healthy and where shows like The Biggest Loser and Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution have prime time slots. Okay, so General Mills has obviously not jumped on the same bandwagon. Bummer!” Theresa is not alone because lots of parents are concerned about how easy it is for children with allergies to be exposed to things that can cause serious problems, including death.
Not only is it risky that children may share their treats at school or on the playground, it’s also a concern that some kids don’t have to actually ingest the product for an allergic reaction to occur. This is not the first cereal to introduce peanut butter or peanut products to children, but the increased risk of introducing the product to children with allergies heightens concerns. And there are additional risks associated with cereal packaging as Theresa points out in her article, “Peanut Butter What….Cheerios?”
“It is important that we all work together in education and awareness to safeguard the lives of our children,” Theresa emphasizes.
Learn more about the related risks and the safety measures taken by cereal makers to protect children. Theresa includes valuable information about steps we can all take to protect children – whether they have allergies or not. Education can help prevent serious complications of an allergic reaction in children. Writing your legislator to encourage that EpiPens be stocked in all school clinics is another important step, according to Theresa.
Click here for her complete article and recommendations. The more we all know about allergies, the safer all children will be.
