Saturday, July 31, 2010

Enjoy Life

In the world of food allergies, there are certain companies that stand out.
And in the world of Corn Allergies, company loyalty seems to reach an all-new high.  We thoroughly read every label, looking for minute additives...and then catch the hopeful words "No Corn".  Of course, we know that these two little words simply mean whatever the company has decided that they mean.  Perhaps that there is no unprocessed corn product.  Or that there is no high fructose corn syrup (Post declared it's Raisin Bran corn free because they use regular corn syrup)  Or maybe it means that they actually, *gasp*, know the origins of all of their products...and not one are derived from corn.
As a corn allergy sufferer, I'm always holding my breath for the latter.
Then there are companies who try, really hard, to understand the dynamics of corn allergy.  Who contact FAAN and work with them.  Continually proclaiming their product to be corn free while the supersensitive of us shiver, shake and break out in hives.  "Well, you see, that's very unusual," is the usual response.
But we asked in advance because we knew this was a potential problem.
You can almost hear the shrugging on the other end of the line.

Fortunately, there is one brand that doesn't shrug it off.  Enjoy Life foods does claim their food to be corn free, as per FAAN's standards.  But they will be upfront and admit in letters and email that if you are very sensitive to corn, the only products truly safe are the Cinnamon Crunch Granola, the Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips and the Boom Choco Boom Dark Chocolate Bar.  (Note:  Only the varieties above are safe to my knowledge.  Always read labels, and contact the company directly about any questions.)  Other products have minute amounts of maltodextrin or xanthan or other corn derivatives. 
While some of my fellow Uncornies scorn Enjoy Life for claiming corn free when they use some corn derivatives, I have to give them credit for patiently walking the middle ground.  They are honest and upfront.  As far as the general public goes, these products are corn free.  And for the majority of corn allergy sufferers muddling through the grocery store, the purer derivatives are safe enough.  It's only for a few of us that there is a problem.
And Enjoy Life is kind enough to answer our questions, offer advice, and encourage us to check with a medical professional before taking any risks.
After 7 years (or so) of experience contacting companies and requesting information, I have to say that Enjoy Life is one of the best companies to deal with.  They are responsive, and seem open.  They are encouraging and do their best to really understand, or at least sympathize with what the food allergy patient deals with daily.
Thanks Enjoy Life!!!

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