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Failsafe 111 (September - December 2024)
Failsafe website hugely upgraded Guest Zoom talk by Sue Dengate - Additives and reading labels Increasing allergies due to ribonucleotide flavour enhancers? Restless legs syndrome and diet Diet and sport At The Failsafe Table On the light side Success stories: [1677] – [1680] [1680] One-liners (August 2024) [1679] How to feed a little Pixie (July 2024) [1678] 635: "suffering for 6 years of hives" - Riborash (July 2024) COURAGE AWARD [1677] The 5% labeling loophole claims another victim (June 2024) How do you best explain salicylate sensitivity to those who need convincing? Two people in my family strongly react to amines, but to different foods. How is this possible? Frequently Asked Questions ACCC designated complaints legislation now active Coming soon to a food near you... A dietitian talks about harmful food additives Codex meeting in China feedback Failsafe trekking in Nepal Colours in tattoos increase risk of lymphoma cancer 21% India targets UPFs in latest dietary guidelines Sue Dengate's famous presentation “Fed Up with Children’s Behaviour” Is it really lactose intolerance? Consumer insights from food regulator FSANZ Ultra-processed foods linked to increased risk of early death Antihistamines WARNING, Chocolate reminder, Organic foods WARNING Updated complete list of food additives, with those to avoid highlighted Wein 'electronic mask' back in stock Food Intolerance Resources from RPAH; SPECIAL OFFER on Friendly Food Factsheets: over 100 science-based information sheets on symptoms and additives. See also video resources. See also story collections Thanks to all who contributed to this newsletter. Highlights: Latest blogs: Failsafe website upgraded; Increasing allergies due to ribonucleotide flavour enhancers; Restless legs syndrome and diet; Diet and sport; Recipes: At the Failsafe Table; News: ACCC complaints legislation; Codex meeting in China; FAQ: Hamish - Explaining salicylate intolerance; Research: UPFs linked to early death. Popular reader stories: “Am sooo grateful for you guys ...” [1680] Now read on - Sue Dengate Failsafe website hugely upgraded After 2.5 years of behind-the- scenes work and $4,000 the Food Intolerance Network website has been made much more friendly to mobile phones, where 70% of people now view it, with a refreshed layout easier on the eyes and enhanced security and speed. Pages are being progressively updated too but that will take even more time. Thanks for your patience! If you get a 404 error, please tell us using the link on the 404-error page. Two points to use it faster: Guest talk by Sue Dengate - Additives and reading labels Sue Dengate will be giving a Zoom talk to the Safe Food Campaign New Zealand on Saturday 21 September from 1230-1330 Australian Eastern Standard Time or 1430-1530 New Zealand time. You can register for the associated AGM and this talk at https://www.safefood.org.nz/events/agm-and-talk-on-zoom-2024?utm_source=flyer&utm_medium=in_person&utm_campaign=flyer_agm_2024 Increasing allergies due to ribonucleotide flavour enhancers? Eileen told us of her anguish from 6 years of hives due to flavour enhancers 627, 631, 635: “In 2017 I broke out for the first time in hives and a rash after eating Hot Sauce curry chicken dish … It lasted for 6 months, I was put on antihistamines and steroids … did nothing for my symptoms ... I started a [low histamine] diet, got off all my medication … started to add back normal foods ... for over 6 years I would still get this rash and hives again I would have to do this diet and I still didn’t know what was causing it …" “This year in 2024 in May it happened again I had pimple lumps on my hair line down in my pubic area. It wouldn’t go away it was like it was eating me from the inside out, itched like crazy. I had them like 6 months, I thought I had vulva cancer, and then the hives and rash started again it also caused me to get candida and my doctor thought I had Autoimmune Disease, I went back on the low histamine diet and after 4 weeks all symptoms were starting to go away slowly even the ones down below, so I started to slowly bring back foods and one night I ate a packet of San Remo La Pasta snack Carbonara pasta and sauce single pack and I started to itch within minutes down below, it was like a trigger warning. My husband told me to check what is in the ingredients and that’s when I found Flavour Enhancers (627, 631) and Flavour Enhancer (635). “I looked the numbers up and that’s when I found the word Ribo Rash. I clicked on the website www.fedup.com.au and just wanted to cry. After reading it, I checked everything in my pantry and it was in my beef and chicken stock also in my noodles, it’s in Pizza meat and also KFC I had to email them to find out, it’s in Shapes biscuits and sauces under the name of Yeast Extract, Vegetable Protein Extract. Without your website I would never have known about Ribo Rash or what it looked like - thank you again” A month later she said … “I still haven't fully healed yet even though all the hives are gone … I really feel that 635 has caused me to be intolerant to a lot of things” – Eileen from story [1678] This report followed years of similar stories, often with horrifying photos “I have been trying to identify this cursed rash for years … Surprise, surprise … the packet contained 635 and 621 additives“– David from story [1224] So what is Ribo rash? The three ribonucleotide additives were introduced in1994 to boost the effects of MSG. Unlike other additives, it appears they can sometimes cross the line between allergy and intolerance. As well as the usual side-effects of additives - such as headaches, irritable bowel, behaviour problems - this group can cause what we call Ribo rash, as in the stories above - unbearably itchy rashes. Like Eileen, after suffering from severe Ribo rash, some readers report that they have developed sensitivity to other food chemicals. Even worse, sometimes they develop IgE-mediated allergies that can be life-threatening. It seems that this may even apply to unborn or breastfed babies. We wonder, could these new additives be contributing to the rise in life-threatening allergies? In Australia and the UK, hospital admissions for severe allergic reactions called anaphylaxis increased dramatically from the mid-1990s. Australia is now the allergy capital of the world and experts don’t know why. Allergy is usually a quick reaction to proteins (think peanuts) and intolerance is usually a delayed reaction to chemicals (think additives) BUT … since 1994, our readers have been reporting unusual, often scary, severe and sometimes life-threatening, sometimes delayed, allergy-type reactions – that can sometimes lead to even more severe reactions or new allergies - caused by this new set of additives: flavour enhancers 627, 631, 635. Symptoms of anaphylaxis can include: READ FULL BLOG 1 READ FULL BLOG 2 Allergies “due to an over-boosted immune system”? From our point of view, these additives were introduced in the mid 1990s, when increasing allergies began. These additives are known to boost the immune system, so in theory it is possible they could lead to true (IgE-mediated) food allergies that are basically due to an over-boosted immune system. This was suggested to us by an immunology graduate whose daughter developed a true allergy during two weeks of 635 reactions while her parents, doctors and caregivers tried to work out the cause of her rash. The culprit turned out to be chicken flavoured crackers with flavour enhancer 635 given to her at the childcare centre, causing what we call Ribo rash. By changing her food they could get rid of the rash but in the meantime it turned out she had also developed an allergy to grass….story [483] We know that reactions are related to the size of the dose, and while MSG is not permitted in foods specifically manufactured for infants and young children in Australia, obviously mothers can introduce these chemicals while pregnant and breastfeeding. And ribonucleotides are ingredients in infant formula because they are immune system boosters! Young children seem most at risk, as our many reports show. Researchers say that people with eczema are at risk of suffering from allergies - but is “eczema” their name for what we call Ribo rash? READ FULL BLOG 1 READ FULL BLOG 2 What are restless legs? Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common movement disorder that causes uncomfortable sensations in the legs, usually with an overwhelming urge to move the legs. Symptoms are most likely to occur when sitting still or at night when trying to sleep, thus causing insomnia and sleep deprivation. It is thought about 2% of school-age children and 10% of adults in the US are affected. https://www.webmd.com/brain/restless-legs-syndrome/restless-legs-syndrome-rls What causes restless legs? Officially, the causes of RLS can include iron deficiency anaemia, too much caffeine, alcohol or smoking, and the side-effects of some medications including antidepressants. Food chemicals such as additives and salicylates are not mentioned. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/restless-legs-syndrome What our readers say As usual, people are different, but symptoms can vanish on the diet we recommend. Salicylates and additives are often mentioned including artificial colours, natural colour 160b and MSG. ‘With salicylate reduction ... my restless legs (which I didn’t realise I had … until this diet) reduced dramatically. Sleeping is SO MUCH BETTER …’ - from story [1413] “We have been FS for 4 weeks ... the bed wetting, terrors and restless legs have gone too I just can't believe what a totally different child I have” – from story [1226] “Restless Legs Syndrome was absolutely driving me crazy. If I forced my legs to be still, they would then jerk with even greater intensity. While I was watching TV, my legs were constantly swinging, because of this urge to move them. They were not itchy - it was just like there was something under the skin driving me crazy… American websites about RLS basically fall back onto all sorts of medication, which I do not want to take. Within two weeks of trying the elimination diet, I was able to sit still at night, AND get into bed without fear of tossing and turning all night because of this urge to move my legs. I now know the foods I should not touch - salicylates and additives ... when I eat any of these forbidden foods there is a definite reaction” – from story [122] “Cutting out all artificial and natural food colouring from our daughter’s diet had stopped all her restless legs and muscle pain! Has worked wonders for her!!!” – Michele from story [1254] “Since I’ve stopped eating the fish fingers I’ve had no more restless legs. I’m convinced that it is the 160b causing them. I’ve since eaten the fish fingers without the batter and had no ill effects…" - from story [906] "I cut out salicylates and it’s completely gone away. I challenged salicylates and it came back later that night-super weird !!“ – Lydia from from facebook thread [1644] Diet and sport Children - and adults - like to do well at sport. We have been surprised by how many become exceptionally good at sport when they change their diet – from failsafers aiming for gold to a school sporting team of “normal, healthy children” who came out champions by avoiding additives. Reader stories Andrew Driffield’s quest for gold – equestrian “The most significant change in Andrews's life has been … use of the Fed Up diet and avoiding all intake of natural and artificial chemicals that Andrew reacts to, his mind is clearer, and he is able to control his actions and tempers… Andrew still aims to reach his goal of representing Australia and is hoping for selection onto the Australian Paralympic Team. …” Update: Andrew is now described in the media as “a gold medal-winning equestrian rider who has spent decades trying to get his category back in the Paralympics… not just for himself, but the next generation” – from story [225] and media update https://www.nbnnews.com.au/2024/07/03/going-for-gold-andrew-driffields-journey-from-scone-to-england/ See full blog for more stories about You can always find more recipe ideas at https://www.fedup.com.au/recipes or Failsafe Cookbook At The Failsafe Table continues as a fantastic resource but there is now some news: At The Failsafe Table Aug 2024 #79 has sad news (and some great recipes as always) as Rona bids farewell: This edition is bittersweet... The time has sadly come (after 10 years) for me to bid farewell to At The Failsafe Table Newsletters. Life has just become too full, and my children have grown up, and not requiring to be strict failsafe anymore. I hope that the newsletters have been a blessing and some help to you. Thank you all for your continued support and following over the years. I have thoroughly enjoyed the journey and culinary experience. Links to recipes make it so easy and the website will stay live – thanks again Rona at Domestic Diva Unleashed and her many other contacts! You can find more great recipes at Domestic Diva Unleashed, Cooking for Oscar, Failsafe Foodie, Real Meals and Failsafe Decorated Cakes. Failsafe Thermomix group with recipes and a place to ask questions etc https://www.facebook.com/groups/139914166142279/ I bought a Thermomix a couple of months ago, and absolutely love it. These machines are totally awesome, so pure and clean, and I truly believe that if we’d had a Thermomix years ago when our son was at his worst, it would have saved us a lot of heartache, as well as time and money - Susan. And the very useful weekly meal plan website https://mealsplans.wordpress.com/ People tell us that stories are so useful and positive! [1679] How to feed a little Pixie (July 2024) I don’t know about you, but until very recently, words like Amines and Salicylates, Glutamates and Food Additives were something which didn’t really register on my radar. From day one, our now 5 year old daughter always made sure that the world around her was fully aware of her existence - that she would be the one to lead the way and that all parenting books/advice could not be applied to her. From day one she’s been gorgeous, outgoing, entertaining, highly intelligent, unpredictable, volatile, irritable and oooooh so cranky . Pretty well nothing at all like the child next door. Red cordial, lollies, sugar, junk food, preservatives, TV overload etc are the first things considered when the talk turns to behavior issues. I only gave these a dismissive thought as none of the above have ever been part of our lives. We’ve always made sure that our kids eat a healthy well balanced diet – ie lunch would include Yoghurt, Ham and Cheese Wholemeal Sandwich, raw veggies, dried fruit etc. After endless internet searches, worry filled sleepless nights, many tears and a trip to the pediatrician, we found ourselves on a Low Amine and Salicylate diet that would change our lives forever. Through individual food challenges we’ve learned that most natural preservatives and artificial additives are well tolerated by our little Pixie, but other seemingly harmless foods such as Ham, Bacon (Nitrates), Dried Fruit, Prawns (Sulphites), most mass produced Breads, Crumpets, Commercial Cakes and Biscuits (Propionates aka 282), some Yoghurts (Annato b) send her behavior spinning out of control, sometimes for days after even just a small dose as we discovered with Preservative 282. Other foods however surprised us even more with all forms of MSG and the dreaded food colors not even registering on the “run for cover” scale. Now that we know which particular additives/preservatives to avoid, it is incredibly easy to manage her diet – and there really are only a handful of foods to avoid. Once in a while her mood slides off the scale again but after close scrutiny we usually realize that we’ve been letting small amounts of trouble foods slip through which have then compounded over a few meals. Unfortunately Australia’s food labeling laws have a 5% rule – commercially produced foods can contain any type of additive/preservative without having to be declared on the label as long as the ingredient it is in makes up less than 5% of the end product…. So unless you’re dealing with companies who commit to producing additive/preservative free foods, you really don’t know what you are consuming as anything may have been added under the 5% rule. If you are living with a little Pixie or a little Gremlin, spend some time browsing www.fedup.com.au, you’ll be amazed at the stories and information posted there – Carol, a school-based health nurse, sent this out in a school newsletter in October 2013 and somehow the story didn't make the website until now! (Howard comment: BUT don't forget to ALWAYS READ THE INGREDIENTS LABEL because the food industry's Clean Label Strategy is now to hide many additives as well) [1678] 635: "suffering for 6 years of hives" - Riborash (July 2024) COURAGE AWARD (you can see this story in the first focus article above) (Howard comment: If 627, 631 or 635 or 'ribonucleotides' are in the ingredients, there are also certainly glutamates (MSG) since the ribos boost the effects of glutamates - see more https://www.fedup.com.au/factsheets/factsheets-by-additive/635-msg-boosters-ribo-rash-ribonucleotides-627-631) [1677] The 5% labeling loophole claims another victim (June 2024) I culled all packaged food at the end of last year to help with my aggressive behaviour, suicidal thoughts, weight gain, tantrums, verbal abuse and chronic 24/7 pain. None of the items I culled had any additives or anything weird in their ingredients. I am now pain free after thirteen years. The aggression and other symptoms have also diminished. It is unbelievable how that secret five percent (labelling loophole) in packaged foods caused me excruciating pain to the point I couldn’t walk nor hold down a job for over four years. Anyway, convenience can no longer come before health. I can never eat out (took my own food to a wedding last year), nor buy take away again. BUT, at least I don’t need a walking stick or constant pain meds - Ali. (Howard comment: the 5% labelling loophole says that if an ingredient in a food is less than 5%, then additives in that ingredient do not need to be declared, unlike EU and even China where it needs to be declared! BUT don't forget to ALWAYS READ THE INGREDIENTS LABEL because the food industry's Clean Label Strategy is now to hide many additives as well) Don’t forget, you can search for stories/symptoms or scroll through all current stories. Q: How do you best explain salicylate sensitivity to those who need convincing? A: I've found using aspirin to explain salicylate sensitivity the easiest way and the person nearly always immediately understands as it's a known chemical sensitivity that some people have to varying degrees. Adding in that commercial canned goods had aspirin added as preservative until they were made aware of many people's reactions is then proof enough for most people to respect salicylate sensitivity as real, even though they personally might not have experienced it – thanks Hamish for this clear answer. Q: Two people in my family strongly react to amines, but to different foods. How is this possible? A: Amines can be highly specific because there are different forms of amine in different foods. For instance, the most common one in fish is trimethylamine and this chemical is even measured to see how fresh fish is: the more of it, the older the fish. In chocolate, the bioactive amines are spermidine, phenylethylamine, serotonin, tryptamine, histamine and tyramine. And so on. So one person can eat a whole pawpaw but collapses with a migraine with one square of chocolate, and vice versa sometimes. See more in papers like this https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S096399691000459X This amine specificity is very different from reactions to salicylates, which are generally the same chemical (roughly) across a wide range of foods. So salicylates can add together from several foods in giving their effects if you react to salicylates. That is why it is important to work systematically, preferably with an experienced and supportive dietitian to find out what YOU react to. You can search all or scroll through them all classified as follows: Here are graphics for the 9 most common questions ACCC designated complaints legislation now active This legislation has passed. It allows the Network to make a complaint about key issues impacting consumers and strengthens our role as an advocate organisation in detecting and highlighting emerging issues. Because the designated food regulator FSANZ has proven unresponsive, we think the key issue to take to them is that of ‘Clean labels’ and hidden additives as an emerging consumer issue, detailed here https://www.fedup.com.au/images/stories/CodexEmergingIssues2024.pdf More here https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/designated-complaints-legislation-welcomed But she missed propionates (280-283) probably because they are now usually hidden in unregulated amounts as ‘cultured dextrose/fermented wheat flour’ or similar hidden names Codex meeting in China feedback The Food Intolerance Network advised the Australian delegation of a serious emerging issue for consumers ahead of the international food regulatory meeting held in China in April 2024. Codex Alimentarius is an FAO/WHO organisation meant to protect health and promote trade. We told them yet again that the food industry was responding to regulation by hiding the additives. Industry increasingly hides them as INGREDIENTS under their Clean Label strategy, denying consumers choice and evading checks of levels of additives being used. https://www.fedup.com.au/images/stories/CodexEmergingIssues2024.pdf - but not much happened at all for consumers! READ FULL BLOG Failsafe trekking in Nepal Travel can be difficult if you are food intolerant. If you want a family holiday and your kids are old enough, trekking in Nepal can be relatively cheap, adventurous and very memorable for all of you at a reasonable price. Eating: since the 1990s, instant noodles have become a staple food in Nepal, for meals, snacks and especially breakfast. They are loaded with MSG and MSG boosters that can aggravate symptoms of altitude sickness such as insomnia or headaches. So obviously they are to be avoided, often both the flavour sachets and the noodles. Likewise, garlic soup is recommended to help with altitude but nearly always contains stock cubes so again must be avoided. For breakfast, we prefer to eat oat porridge or, at higher altitudes, a delicious roasted barley porridge called tsampa. Pancakes or freshly made roti or chapati (flat bread from wheat or millet/buckwheat or fried Tibetan bread) with eggs/omlet are usually available. The traditional lunch and evening meal is dalbhat, which is boiled white rice with curried local vegetables most often potatoes, and dal - a sauce made from cooked lentils - which is gluten-free and dairy-free. With a guide who knows what you want, you can make this failsafe by reducing any spices in the curry and eliminating MSG. Pasta is available everywhere, for example, veg macaroni is served just with cooked vegetables, no sauce. Meat is available but we choose not to eat it. Most dairy in trekking areas is A2. Traditional snack foods include freshly made popcorn with no additives or boiled potatoes with a garlic dipping sauce. We also carry our own trail mix and muesli bars from home or Kathmandu. While on holidays and walking every day, we know that we can tolerate more salicylates in unprocessed foods like vegetables and nuts but avoid additives. Our guides know what we want, check the menu carefully, and cook for us if necessary. Meal costs are higher at higher altitudes as the food is carried up by porters or on horses. If you want more tips on what to expect and how to do it and what it costs, READ FULL BLOG Colours in tattoos increase risk of lymphoma cancer 21% India targets UPFs in latest dietary guidelines 2024 Indian dietary guidelines now say “minimise the consumption of high fat, sugar, salt (HFSS) and ultra-processed foods (UPFs)” – a great thing about failsafe is that we have been doing much of this for years. Meanwhile, Australia’s latest guidelines are dated 2013! https://main.icmr.nic.in/sites/default/files/upload_documents/DGI_07th_May_2024_fin.pdf Sue Dengate's famous presentation “Fed Up with Children’s Behaviour” view for free (1hr 12mins). Irene says “ladies show your men the video as they will rarely read the book. Watching an hour of a DVD is more comprehensible to the male brain. That is how I got my husband to finally understand our son’s behaviour and to support what I am doing with him. He now has the book in his van and every spare moment he has, he reads it" - from story [717] Subtitled version in 6 languages (English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Spanish) can also be viewed for free. (The Bonus material of interviews with parents can only be seen in purchased version) Is it really lactose intolerance? 2020: Milk Containing A2 β-Casein ONLY, as a Single Meal, Causes Fewer Symptoms of Lactose Intolerance than Milk Containing A1 and A2 β-Caseins in Subjects with Lactose Maldigestion and Intolerance: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Crossover Trial. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33348621/ Consumer insights from food regulator FSANZ A recent FSANZ survey of 2000 Australian and New Zealand consumers about their attitudes to food safety found that consumers rated nutrition above other food values such as naturalness, convenience and country of origin, and almost three-quarters are putting effort into maintaining a healthy diet. Key findings included that 28% do not have confidence in the safety of the food supply and 30% did not trust mandatory back-of-pack food labelling like the nutrition information panel and ingredients list. 60% mistrusted voluntary front-of-pack labelling such as claims about health benefits. These figures are very similar to those in 2017 https://www.fedup.com.au/sues-blog/one-third-mistrust-food-labels-in-australia When asked “What information do you usually look for in the ingredients list when buying products for the first time?” we were pleased to see that Additives was the highest ranked at 36% of respondents. Those with higher education and from non-English-speaking backgrounds were most likely to choose this issue. In the 2021 FSANZ Stakeholder Satisfaction Survey, we gave our view that FSANZ responds within their narrow view of their remit under the Act, but fails in responding to more complex and emerging issues. An example is the way FSANZ carefully regulates numbered "white powder" additives while ignoring the unregulated addition of exactly the same chemicals as INGREDIENTS by a food industry keen to avoid showing the presence of those same additives on their labels. Ultra-processed foods linked to increased risk of early death A recent 30 year Harvard study of nurses found that those who consumed more processed foods had an increased risk of dying, when compared to those who had fewer servings of processed foods, although alcohol was excluded. They reported that as well as having low nutritional quality, ultra-processed foods may contain harmful substances, such as additives and contaminants formed during the processing. In an amusing spelling error (we hope) “the association between ultra-processed food and morality was quite linear”. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38719536/ and Antihistamines ***WARNING*** Claratyne now contains sulphites which may affect some people but the amount is very small. Chemist's Own contain no sulphites. The active ingredient is loratadine, a non-drowsy antihistamine. Chocolate reminder AVOID chocolate white (high in amines) or brown, cocoa powder, cacao powder, cocoa butter (very high in amines) "I notice a lot of people use white chocolate, so I bought some cocoa butter to test it out on myself because I am highly sensitive to amines. Well I made a fudge and it was delicious. However I did have an amine reaction and within 3 hours it was a really strong reaction. Had to take pain relief for the headache and unfortunately for the family I could do nothing about my vile mood that followed!"– Kersten by email Organic foods ***WARNING*** ALWAYS READ THE LABEL! For instance, this Sunzest Organic orange juice contains the preservative potassium sorbate 202. The manufacturer advised "Sorbic acid is of agricultural origin because it originates from the berries of the mountain ash berry tree and is a naturally occurring preservative". Never mind whether is harvested by virgins under the full moon in the high mountains (and it is not, it almost certainly comes from a factory), it is the same chemical to which many react. "Under the National Standard for Organic and Bio Dynamic Produce a product may be sold as organic if at least 95% of the ingredients are from organic production". Organic standards also allow propionates (for example as fermented wheatflour) despite all the evidence that this is chemically identical to the propionate additives 280-283 to which many react. Problem is that the standards and inspections are developed and paid for by ... organic food manufacturers! The complete list of food additives, with those to avoid highlighted, is kept up-to-date. A small shipment of this rechargeable 'electronic mask' (as one grateful member called it) just arrived See shop Food Intolerance Resources from RPAH at https://www.slhd.nsw.gov.au/rpa/allergy/resources/foodintol/resources.html The following resources have been made available on the condition that they are for personal use only and may not be distributed: NOTE the failsafe shopping lists on www.fedup.com.au is being regularly updated to reflect changes. If using the shopping lists, check for a current date at the bottom of the list. The failsafe sausages list has been updated again. Please email directly with changes, preferably in the format in the list, . People continue to rave about the real flavour of these sausages! The completely revised and updated Friendly Food from RPAH is now available at $38.00 including post and GST from the Food Intolerance Network store If you want some inspiration, try the COURAGE AWARD story collection - 40 pages of brilliance! Most recent story collection: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) (14 pages). Other recent collection doctors and food intolerance and violence and aggression – if anyone wants to help update a story collection (all you need is time and some word processing skills) please email Factsheets provide science-based access to information on added and natural chemicals, on symptoms and support. See full list of over 100 factsheets and remember that you can use the search function to search all factsheets (Information>Factsheets>Search all factsheets) Don't forget that there is great collection of short videos to help answer your questions and understand food intolerance. Dietitian Diet not working as well as you'd hoped? One tiny mistake can make a huge difference. For fine-tuning, see the Checklist of common mistakes. Readers tell us this list is very useful. You can also ask for our Salicylate, Amine and Glutamate mistakes sheets . Online support DVD "Fed Up with Children’s Behaviour” Brochures Newsletters Success story collections Reintroduction guidelines "Thank you so much for the new RPAH reintroduction recommendations. I now understand why when I tried to ascertain my tolerance levels and did as my dietician recommended (try 1/2 a cup of salicylates) that my symptoms returned very quickly. ½ a cup is 100 times ¼ of a teaspoon, and given my scent problems I’m probably highly sensitive. Now I can try again" - failsafer, NZ **WARNING** www.food-intolerance-network.com is a spam website funded by the shadowy “Society for Public Health” about which no information is available. We think it is a food industry spam site and complaints about stealing our name have been unanswered. Use www.realfoodintolerancenetwork.com to find us directly. A video-graphic introduction to food intolerance from one of our Network members (2 mins): Food intolerances, what are they? Thanks to Steph Aromataris www.stepharomataris.com The FAILSAFE Newsletter is available free by email. You can subscribe or unsubscribe here https://www.fedup.com.au/join-failsafe-newsletter-subscriber-list-3 Sue Dengate’s books and DVD, failsafe magnifying card sulphite test strips and ionizing air purifiers are available through the shop on www.fedup.com.au Special offer for USA and Canada: Fed Up With Children' Behaviour (NTSC format) - DVD at $US14.50 - go to http://www.bookch.com and search for "Sue Dengate" Fed Up and the Failsafe Cookbook are now available as an ebook: www.amazon.com for Kindle, www.dymocks.com.au in ePub version suitable for Tablet PCs, PCs, Macs, Laptops, www.ebooks.com in ePub for digital and iPhone/iPad. Sue Dengate’s Fed Up with Food Intolerance - a personal story (Australia USA and many other countries) "Of all your books, your book Fed Up with Food Intolerance is my favourite I just couldn’t put it down" - from Fed Up Roadshow 2015 Look inside
The Food Intolerance Network provides information and support for people worldwide using a low-chemical elimination diet free of additives, low in salicylates, amines and flavour enhancers (FAILSAFE) for health, behaviour and learning problems.
Support community: Failsafers talking to each other. New and updated dietitians.
“Seemingly harmless foods…send her spinning out of control…” [1679]
“Found the word Ribo Rash…just wanted to cry…” [1678]
“Packaged food … aggressive behaviour, suicidal thoughts, chronic pain…” [1677]
05
Restless legs syndrome and diet
There's a recipe index of ANY Failsafe recipes on ANY blog. So far there are more than 1,000 recipes with great photos and ideas all categorised to make it easy to search http://pinterest.com/failsafetable/ 
Finally, Maureen and Delia felt ready to walk into their local supermarket (thanks to The Poke and Anne-Marie in facebook group)
You can scroll through the full text of all stories: for every story we report, there are probably another 10 that cover similar issues. And these are just the ones we get to hear about. Names have been changed to protect privacy.
Success story collections: organised by symptom or by additive keywords are proving the most popular downloads from the website. They'll be added to as time permits.
Frequently Asked Questions are the result of a lot of work by many people. Over 322,000 people have viewed them!
Do you agree this is the priority issue for the Food Intolerance Network or are there others? Ideas please to
Coming soon to a food near you...
Two FSANZ applications upon which the Network has commented have been gazetted without any changes despite our efforts: A1254 - Rosemary extract as a food additive - extension of use (used as an antioxidant) and A1275 - Transglutaminase (‘meat glue’ as a Processing Aid).
A dietitian talks about harmful food additives
Good to see more public recognition of which additives might be harmful. Susie Burrell picks out
https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/tips-and-advice/a-dietitian-s-guide-to-food-additives-and-which-ones-to-avoid-20240426-p5fmwi.html
The body perceives tattoo ink as something foreign that needs to be removed, and tattooing causes an immune response that results in a large fraction of ink particles ending up in the lymph nodes, with knock-on health effects shown in this new study. Aren’t you glad we avoid these unnecessary colours in failsafe diets! https://theconversation.com/tattoos-associated-with-a-21-greater-risk-of-lymphoma-new-study-230826
A 2015 scientific paper on the issue of A1 intolerance being misdiagnosed as lactose intolerance, together with the interaction between intolerances to A1 and lactose, has been cited 149 times in papers by other scientists. Professor Keith Woodford said he would have further important evidence to strongly support what they then wrote in 2015: True lactose intolerance (symptoms stemming from lactose malabsorption) is less common than is widely perceived, and should be viewed as just one potential cause of cows' milk intolerance. There is increasing evidence that A1 beta-casein, a protein produced by a major proportion of European-origin cattle but not purebred Asian or African cattle, is also associated with cows' milk intolerance. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26404362/
https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/life/eat-drink/2024/05/13/ultra-processed-foods-death
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