Allergy News

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(CCNMatthews - Nov. 30, 2006) - The public warning issued on November 24, 2006 has been updated to include additional allergen risk and product information. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning people with allergies to almond protein or peanut protein not to consume the Schar brand Snack - gluten free chocolate wafers with hazelnuts. The affected product may contain almond and peanut proteins which are not declared on the label.

All Best before dates and lot codes of this product described below are affected by this alert.

The Schar brand Snack - gluten free chocolate wafers with hazelnuts, a product of Italy, is sold in a 105 g package bearing UPC 8 008698 005286 on the back panel. On some packages, the UPC on the back panel may be covered up with a sticker. These packages have a white sticker on the front panel which bears a different UPC 8 00869 80528 6. Both the UPC are affected. The package contains three individually wrapped 35 g Snack bars.

Continue reading "Allergy Alert - Undeclared Almond and Peanut in Schar Brand Snack-Gluten Free Chocolate Wafers with Hazelnuts" »

DALLAS - T-H Foods is recalling some crackers that may contain undeclared milk and could be harmful to people with certain food allergies.

The Illinois-based company says its Crunchmaster Sesame Rice Crackers were distributed to Costco warehouses in Dallas and Sumner, Washington.The crackers were packed in a 6-count multipack that includes sesame and cheese flavors. The packages are labeled "Best Before date of Jun082007B."Consumers with questions should contact TH Foods at: 1-800-896-2396.

Copyright 2006 Associated Press

Gut parasites could hold the key to increasingly common conditions such as eczema, asthma and hay fever, according to scientists at The University of Nottingham.

Gut parasites, such as hookworm, have evolved together with their human hosts for millions of years. Over time, these parasites have developed ways of surviving in the human gut by 'turning down' the immune response directed against them, prolonging their survival inside the host.

This reduction in immune response may also have the effect of reducing allergic tissue reactions that characterise asthma and other allergic conditions.

Continue reading "Vietnam study probes the role of gut worms in allergies" »

HANOI, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Some 6.7 percent of Vietnam's 83.1-million plus population suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Over 3 million local people are now infected with COPD, which is mainly caused by smoking and environmental pollution, and the figure is increasing, local newspaper Youth on Thursday quoted Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Xuyen as saying.

To date, Vietnam has spent some nine trillion Vietnamese dong (over 556 million U.S. dollars) on treatment for the sufferers.

Continue reading "6.7% of Vietnamese suffer from COPD" »

RAPID CITY — If you or your family members seem to come down with colds every year at Christmas time, you might want to think about replacing that fresh-cut tree with an artificial one, according to a local allergy doctor.

“If someone is allergic to pine pollen, they will also be allergic to the smell of the pine — both the trees and the greens that you have in arrangements,” Dr. Gerti Janss said. And if you’re allergic to pine, you’re allergic to spruce. “They’re from the same family.”

Pine pollen allergies are common, Janss said, even though people might not realize they have them. Some people suffer when pollen flies in the spring and early summer. Others can’t do woodworking projects with pine boards.

Continue reading "Pine allergies require artificial trees" »

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(CCNMatthews - Nov. 29, 2006) - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Euro-Excellence Inc. are warning people with allergies to almond protein not to consume the Swiss Delice Classique Noisettes brand Fine Milk Chocolate with Whole Hazelnuts described below. The affected product may contain almond protein which is not declared on the label.

The affected product, the Swiss Delice Classique Noisettes brand Fine Milk Chocolate with Whole Hazelnuts, is sold in a 100 g package bearing UPC 7 616501 012478. All lot codes are affected by this alert. This product has been distributed in Ontario and Quebec.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.

Continue reading "Allergy Alert-Undeclared Almond in Swiss Delice Classique Noisettes" »

Allergy sufferers cringe during one of the most celebrated traditions of the winter holiday season - trimming the Christmas tree.

Allergists say itchy noses, scratchy eyes and sneezing during the holidays can have more to do with what is on a holiday tree than the tree itself.

While festive fir trees have thick, waxy pollen, studies have never shown them to cause significant allergic reactions. The real culprits behind holiday sniffles are Christmas tree dust and mold, and the chemicals sometimes sprayed on fresh trees to control pests or reduce needle shedding, says Dan Atkins, a pediatric allergist at National Jewish Medical and Research Center.

Continue reading "Simple steps minimize yuletide allergies" »

Washington University said Tuesday that it plans to use a $7.7 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to establish a new center for asthma research at the university's medical school.

The project was funded Aug. 15, 2006, according to Washington University spokeswoman Gwen Ericson, who said Dr. Michael Holtzman will lead the new center. The center will investigate the causes of asthma to develop new treatments for the disease. It will conduct research specifically focused on how the body's immune system contributes to asthma.

"Normally, immunity is under tight control," said Holtzman, who directs the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, in a statement. "But if the immune response goes too far, it can cause inflammatory diseases like asthma."

Continue reading "$7.7M grant breathes life into new Washington U asthma research center" »