My son “Carter” was born in March 2004. Since that time, and two anaphylactic reactions later, his list of food allergies has continued to grow. He is anaphylactic to egg, peanut, tree-nut, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, poppy seeds and shellfish. In addition, he has a severe latex allergy, as well as a ton of environmental allergies.
This certainly has had an impact on us as a family, forcing us to make some lifestyle adjustments and choices.
Since the diagnosis of his multiple food allergies, not only has eating out become a thing of the past, but we also began to face the reality that purchasing fresh baked goods was simply no longer an option for our family. Although some bakeries are willing to accommodate food allergies, we were always concerned about the high risk of cross contamination with Carter’s allergens.
Our family’s experience with Carter has motivated us to make a difference. I want to ensure my son can have a treat equally as tasteful and eye catching as anything purchased at a bakery some other child might be enjoying next to him. I want to make sure he never feels left out.
Initially I spent a great deal of time experimenting and went through a lot of trial and error in trying to master making dairy and egg free cakes and cupcakes. Once I did, I set out on my next mission, to master the art of cake decorating.
Now that I have mastered making allergen free cakes, cookies and cupcakes, I want to see the smile on every little boy and girl, with food allergies, when they take their first bite.
All of the products we make are free from egg, dairy, peanut, tree-nut, all seeds, as well as the obvious fish and shellfish. This makes the bakery free from seven of the top ten food allergies as listed by www.anaphylaxis.org. You will never find any of these allergens in our facility, therefore no cross contamination. We have completed a great deal of research in order to ensure that all of the supplies that we use in the bakery are made in dedicated factories without any cross contamination of the allergens listed. We have not yet begun to do lab testing of products but will be doing so in the very near future.
What is your experience living with children with severe food allergies?