Calling any NZ Mums - help needed on safe eating!

[coral]

I notice that there are a few NZ Mums on here. I am off to your side of the world in the new year and am after any tips on how best to eat safely (dd is anaphylactic to dairy). What's the food labelling like and is there anywhere local I can contact for more information. We went 7 years ago when my sister managed to get a list of all foods which were safe to eat but she cannot now remember where she got this from. Also, how easy is it to eat out when dealing with food allergies? Many thanks for your help.

Coral

hi coral
it's not too bad here, food products must be clearly labeled although many carry the blanket statments, 'may contain nuts' etc (ds has a tree nut allergy). the email address of allergy nz is:
www.allergy.org.nz
they regularly email product updates where ingredients have changed or been mislabeled.
we eat out with ds and have only had 1 disaster (nuts in bread) but we basically avoid chinese food where there may be alot of cross contamination. have to go now but will post website of aus/nz gov body which print food allergy lists later.
hopfully toddlerbob will also see post as her ds has a few allergies.
where are you coming to?

Hi Sibble,

Thanks so much for your message - I've had a brief look at the allergy website which looks really comprehensive. I intend to delve into it nearer the time but have to say I am already more relaxed about the whole food issue!!

If you could post the allergy list website at some point in time I would be really grateful.

We are starting off in Wellington and then hopefully going off to tour around the South Island. Really starting to get excited about it now! I just wish that there was a teleport system to get us over there rather than that horrendously long flight!! Oh well, at least I'm not doing it with a baby this time - I am naively hoping that a 7 year old will be better behaved!!!

Thanks again - Coral

hi Coral, no problem.
The best site is probably:
www.mdf.co.nz - lists known dairy free produce, fast food outlets etc and is regularly updated (with a disclaimer of course).
Toddlerbob is in christchurch so may know of some allergy friendly restaurants if you are heading there. I am in Auckland so not much use, also have 7 week old and 4 year old so my days of eating out are few and far between, sadly.
i know what you mean about the plane journey I am coming home for my brothers wedding in April and am not looking forward to the flight at all. Dr Whos tardis (?sp) is needed.
Good luck and will post again if anything else springs to mind.

Forgot to say, bring at least 2 epipens, in the worse case scenario that you need to use one or lose one, they are really expensive to buy here, presciptions are not free. Have just had to replace DS's as it had expired and it set me back $180, approx £60. We juggle 1 while he is at nursery but will need 2 when he goes to school.

Hi, I'm here. The best information is that which you have already had - the mfd site. Food labelling is awesome, food availability in the South Island is another matter. My advice is to stock up in the large centres at the "posh" supermarkets, you need the one's with organic ranges as a lot of the dairy free stuff tends to be organic to and that's why they stock it IYSWIM.

It really depends on what sort of stuff you eat, meat and veggies are plentiful and all NZ motels have kitchens so you can make your own safe food. There are several breads that don't have milk solids in them and lots of soya milk, but it is all yuk compared to the UK and you will die at the relative price! Remember we are a dairy nation. We eat millions of litres of ice cream annually and have many many cows, the tendency is to slip a bit of milk into everything. When I was milk free for ds there was 1 kind of biscuit (and only one brand) which was milk free - I hope she likes gingernuts!

As for eating out - well ds is not anaphylactic, or at least if he isn't we haven't discovered it yet, and we don't eat out anyway. We have one cafe that we eat at every now and then which has a vegan selection of cakes and will make a dairy free sandwich. Cross contamination would be an issue though unless you call ahead.

Also be aware that no comercial margarine is dairy free which means no sandwiches from shops - but they all put cheese in anyway so not an issue.

Anyhow, I have rambled on more than enough, but please feel free to ask specific questions or CAT me.

Hi sibble & toddlerbob,

Thanks again for the invaluable information. I forget you are a dairy nation - I always think of you all surrounded by hundreds of sheep

My dd has 4 epipens (2 for home and 2 for school) so I think I will bring them all - thanks for the advice sibble. Quite how she will survive on 1 type of biscuit though I don't know and I though she had it bad over here! I can see I will be spending my time baking! My sister has been talking about doing some female bonding and getting a camper van and doing a bit of a road trip so I think that so long as we can get fresh veg and fish dd will survive OK.

One question on the dairy free margarine toddlerbob - is there any which you can buy readily in supermarkets or am I once again looking for the health food shops for something like this. Definitely think I will have to stock up in Wellington before we hit the road!!

DD drinks a lot of calcium enriched soya milk which you can get "fresh" from the chiller cabinet over here. Will not touch the long life stuff. Am I correct in assuming that fresh soya milk will be off the menu over there? If so, I think I might bring some infant soya formula for her which she will still have if pushed. She will drink about a pint of the stuff a day and I don't like the thought of her being without it for a month especially as it is her main source of calcium.

I know there will be at least 100 more questions before I get there!!! It's great to have someone to ask who understands and is in the know!!

Thanks again.

Coral

Hello, I think I misled you on the biscuits, you can get the "free from" type biscuits which are very expensive and are usually free from eggs, wheat and nuts too. Some a re weirdly not dairy free - I think the range must be aimed more at coeliacs.

The fresh soy milk can be purchased from a few supermarkets in Christchurch, and it is unsweetened, so I am not sure that she would drink it anyway. If you want me to check if they have the soy formula you use I can do that.

There is no problem bringing your own biscuits into the country as long as the packets are unopened and you declare them on your arrival form. My mum always brings me loads of biscuits.

I have also remembered that there is a couple of fruit centred baked bars that are milk free, so that's the biscuit count up to 3!

The margarine is called Olivani and it's like Olivio but without the dairy. You can buy it from all but the smallest supermarkets.

There is a great icecream called Lite Licks which I think is nicer than anything I have had in the UK. Some of the flavours come in little pottles so good for a campervan freezer section.

Thnaks for the further info toddlerbob. I thought NZ was really strict on bringing foodstuff in but I will certainly try to bring some biscuits - reckon I will have to declare the epipens anyway so as long as I am already going through the red channel might as well make it worthwhile!!

My DD will drink SMA Wysoy - I know I brought it with me last time I came as this wasn't available in NZ at the time. If you could let me know if it is available yet I would be really really grateful!

Lite licks is already in my notebook of things to purchase!! At least there will be ice cream!

Thanks again. Coral

Wyeth definitely sell soy formula here. We don't have the SMA brand though - it's called Karicare. \link{http://www.karicare.co.nz/\their website.

Terrible link and I meant to say that it's the same manufacturer just totally different brand names. They will be able to tell you if the product is the same though. Looks like it's about $20 a tin.

hi toddlerbob, lol dairy nation, sil/bil are huge dairy farmers, i don't drink milk, eat butter etc, they think i am the weirdest thing to get off a plane and meal times are always a drama!!!

Thanks Toddlebob - I'll check it out.

Coral

Hi from Wellington if you are heading this way. There is a great store called "Commonsense Organics" that stock most basic foods. My son is Wheat, Dairy & Nuts free and i can get a good selection of foods that are already made Eg, Rice bread, 6 varieties of biscuits, wheat free spaghetti & a large selection of ingredients for those who cook/bake. Im not sure if they have shop's in other major cities but will ask & get back to you. P.S. They stock a good range of most other things that fall into that catergory of safe eating and the good thing is is that they have done the homework for you Luck