Notnutz.com
Title
Not Nutz
Description
Yes, as our name says, I’m "not Nutz." I am just a mom with a toddler who has potentially life-threatening peanut and tree nut allergies. Mikayla had just turned two when she had an allergenic reaction to cashews. A pediatric allergist tested and diagnosed Mikayla and her comments left me unnerved. Food allergies affect 6% to 8% of our children and have the potential to trigger life-threatening anaphylaxis shock. Allergenic reactions send 30,000 people to emergency rooms each year and are the cause of 200 deaths annually.
In the months since Mikayla’s diagnosis, I have strained my eyes reading food labels, read countless articles, visited hundreds of web sites, contacted numerous food producers and processors, attended support group meetings and enrolled in political action groups. The data are scarey and protecting my daughter has become my challenging, full-time job. Based on my research, I came to the conclusion that Mikayla will not be gobbling up her Halloween candy, will not have chocolate bunnies in her Easter basket nor will she be eating food prepared outside of our home. There is just too much opportunity for a misstep. Food, however, is an important element of our culture and I hate the social limitations that these allergies place on my daughter.
As a result, I began to make chocolate and other treats at home to provide safe, nut-free treats that Mikayla could share with others at celebrations. The chocolate tastes great and I am now producing it for sale. Recently I have expanded our line to include other nut-free treats processed in nut-free facilities. Ingredients are tested by an independent lab for nut-free integrity and products are sealed to ensure it. So I repeat, I am "not Nutz." I am just a mom with a toddler who is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. I hope that you enjoy our products.
