Mom Cooks Up a Line of Treats for Children With Food Allergies
Posted on: Monday, 14 August 2006, 06:00 CDT
WINDHAM, N.H., Aug. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- For the parents of children with potentially life-threatening food allergies, finding a snack that their kids can safely enjoy can be a daunting task.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060814/NYFNSG02 )
Just ask Jill Robbins. A clinical psychologist and mother of a nine year-old boy, Robbins had trouble finding snacks that her son could eat after he was found to be allergic to a number of foods at the age of 18 months.
So she started experimenting in the kitchen and eventually came up with Gak's Snacks (http://www.gakssnacks.com/), a new line of ready-to-eat baked treats including chocolate chip cookies, brownie chip cookies, and apple coffee cake.
The snacks are made by Robbins in a dedicated baking facility, and contain no peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, eggs or dairy.
"Kids with food allergies ought to be able to have safe treats they can eat in school and at social events that involve food, just like everyone else," says Robbins.
The Gak's Snacks website also sells a cookbook authored by Robbins, along with the allergen-tested ingredients families can use to bake safe snacks and desserts at home.
According to the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, a national advocacy group, food allergies are a growing public health and safety concern. Scientists estimate that food allergies affect about 2.2 million school aged children and 1-2% of adults nationally (about 12 million people).
FAAN also reports that food allergy reactions result in over 30,000 emergency room visits each year. Nearly 200 people die in the U.S. annually from anaphylactic reactions to foods, the group says.
Robbins says that her treats can be enjoyed by anyone, whether or not they have food allergies. They are certified organic, Kosher pareve, vegan, whole grain, and contain no cholesterol or trans fat.
"Many of our customers purchase their first treats because someone in the family has a food allergy," says Robbins. "But soon everyone in the family is enjoying them because they taste so good."
In addition to being sold at http://www.gakssnacks.com/, the cookies are being distributed in a growing number of school systems and stores in the Northeast. The cookies were recently served at the peanut-free day camp run by the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060814/NYFNSG02AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Gak's Snacks
CONTACT: Ward & Company PR for Gak's Snacks, +1-617-247-8797,mward@wardpr.com
Web site: http://www.gakssnacks.com/
Source: PRNewswire
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