Flax Seed Allergy

My daughter has multiple food allergies, including 5 of the "Top 8", but I often feel that her allergies beyond the "Top 8" are the hardest to manage, because we don't have the benefit of coverage under the FALCPA labeling laws.  Having a child with a flax seed allergy (and other non-Top 8 allergies) means calling EVERY company, for EVERY new product we wish to try.  I called a very large manufacturer, once, to ask about possible flax seed cross-contamination, and the representative didn't even know what a flax seed was and asked me, "is that like a sunflower seed?" So, the calls are not always as informative as I'd like, but most allergy-aware companies are able to provide me with the information I need.  My favorite response is, "we don't use flax in our facility." Unfortunately, I don't hear that very often, as flax is a favorite additive for Omega-3s, egg substitution, etc.

Before my daughter was born, I ate copious amounts of flax seed cookies.  I thought I was making a healthy choice, because of the Omega-3s, etc.  (Now, I believe hemp seed has the preferred ratio of Omega-3:Omega-6, but if I had eaten gobs of hemp seed cookies, she'd probably be allergic to hemp seed, now.)

Comparison Chart - Hemp Seed (aka Hemp Hearts) vs Flax and Chia

When researching flax seed allergies, I came across a phenomenal post by Allergy Foodie, where she compiled a great deal of information from her readers about the subject.    

Since that time, I've encountered a new place flax seed has popped up, or down, rather...

Marmoleum flooring - I found this cool new flooring method and got all excited, as it was touted as a super eco-friendly flooring option.  When I went to read about it, I found a website that stated the following:

Marmoleum linoleum flooring is composed of only 5 ingredients: linseed oil, pine rosin, wood flour, pigments and jute fibers. Each of these naturally occurring elements contribute to the unique durability and hygienic nature of Marmoleum.

Linseed is extracted from flax seeds, which are in abundant supply, and contribute to the durable and anti-static properties of Marmoleum. 

Linseed oil is also used in the oil painting arena and those one whose allergic to flax seeds may not have a problem with linseed oil, I'd still rather not line my entire house with the stuff.

On the good news side of things, here are responses that I have been happy to receive from a few companies:  (Always call about your particular allergen profile, and things can change at any time, but this is the information I received, after my most recent inquiries.)

Flax-free manufacturers:

• Authentic Foods - They do not use flax seed in their facility, so all of their products should be flax-safe.
• Andean Dream - Not only are they flax-free, when I asked about milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, flax seed, mustard, peas/pea flour, and sesame seed, they replied, "You can be assured that we do not use any of these ingredients in any of our products or anywhere in our factory. The only item we use that is considered a tree nut is coconut."

Flax-free products:

• Bisquick Gluten-Free Baking Mix - I finally received word from them that this product is not made on the same line with any products that contain flax.  It took them a while, as it's not something they readily track in their system, but I appreciate them taking the time to track it down.  
• Galaxy Nutritional Foods - Go Veggie! Dairy Free Cream Cheese - They have also confirmed for me that no flax products are processed on the same line as this product.
• Enjoy Life Foods - Crunchy Sugar Crisp Cookies - ELF has several products with flax in them and this eliminates many of their other products due to shared line issues.  I must admit, I let out a sad sigh over that, given that this company is super-allergy friendly, otherwise, but these crunchy cookies are not made on the same line as their flax products.  (I know they can't eliminate every allergen and there are probably people out there with millet or buckwheat allergies, who are equally tweaked.)
• Update:  I have since been informed that the Enjoy Life Cookies may have cross-contact with flax.  *sad face*
• Earth Balance Organic Whipped Buttery Spread - Several of the other Earth Balance spreads have flax in them, but the latest response from Earth Balance was, "There is no cross contamination with flax in Earth Balance Organic Whipped spread."  (FYI: The ingredients on their website do NOT match up with what is on the actual product.  There is no pea protein in the varieties that I get at my local Whole Foods.  I don't know why they haven't updated their website, or if the product varies by region...) --I tried this with my daughter and it made her a little itchy/rashy.  I cannot tell for certain if it was the olive oil, or possibly the annatto, which has been another suspect on my list.  

Dealing with a flax allergy can be very tricky, as they seem to want to add it to everything, these days, so we must be very careful and keep an eye out for it in all things, and not just food items. If you're dealing with a flax allergy and know if some flax-safe products that are also safe for those with multiple food allergies, I'd love to know about them!

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Here are some of my other posts related to flax seed:
Underreported Allergic Reactions in the ER 
Anaphylaxis Posing as Asthma 
When Flax Leaves Tracks