Canada's largest grocer grows peanut-free offerings and makes it easy
to find in store
BRAMPTON, ON, Aug. 19 /CNW/ - A recent study found that approximately
two per cent of Canadian children have a peanut allergy, which
represents approximately one out of 50 kids across the country.1
The safety of these children amongst classmates, siblings and friends is
top-of- mind for parents, especially during the back- to- school season.
Packing snacks for lunches can be a challenge - but thanks to the President's
Choice® and no name® brands,
finding a variety of kid-friendly peanut-free items is easy - just look
for the peanut-free logo on display in Loblaw banner stores across the
country.
"Anaphylaxis Canada appreciates the efforts made by Loblaw Companies in
developing products to meet the needs of those with peanut allergy. With
a growing number of Canadians affected by peanut allergy, their product
offering provides choice to those at risk and their families," says
Beatrice Povolo, director of marketing and communications, Anaphylaxis
Canada.
To ensure peanut-free products are easy for parents to identify, all President's
Choice® and no name® brand
peanut-free products include prominent on-package logos. Loblaw banner
stores across the country have displays marked with peanut-free signage,
so parents can quickly find snacks suitable for allergic and school-aged
children attending "peanut-aware" schools and childcare facilities.
Select stores will also feature a distinctive yellow peanut-free school
bus display filled with lunch-friendly snacks. Some bakery departments
will offer freshly baked muffins, cookies and brownies made at Loblaw's
exclusive offsite peanut-free baking facility. These are great ways to
find peanut-free products in-store, but reading the ingredient label
every time is still very important.
"As Canada's largest grocery retailer and home to many of Canada's
leading brands2, Loblaw recognizes the importance of
offering peanut-free products and is working towards further expanding
the President's Choice® and no name®
brands peanut-free lines," says Claudio Gemmiti, vice president of
grocery, Loblaw Companies Limited. "Currently, we're proud to offer more
than 50 peanut-free bakery, confectionary and snack products and our
objective is to eventually offer customers more of their favourite President's
Choice® and no name® snacks
and treats in a peanut-free version."
Health Canada recommends that if you or your child is allergic to
peanuts, the best way to prevent an allergic reaction is to avoid all
food and products that contain peanut and peanut derivatives. Read
ingredient lists very carefully and learn other names for peanuts, too,
such as "arachis oil".3 Also, Povolo recommends
understanding what precautionary statements mean (i.e. "may contain")
and avoid purchasing these items if it includes your allergen. Educating
and offering support to others who may be buying on behalf of the
allergic individual (e.g. friends, schools, camps) is also important.
"Kids, especially younger ones, may not know or remember to check for
peanuts in ingredient lists. Therefore, it's up to parents and
caregivers to understand the importance of reading ingredient labels,"
says Dr. Melanie Makhija (MD, FRCPC, FAAP), paediatric allergist and
clinical immunologist.
For those with a peanut allergy, lack of variety, availability and great
taste are often a concern. But with Loblaw banner stores in hundreds of
neighbourhoods from coast to coast, parents and kids alike shouldn't
have any trouble finding new favourites to enjoy. New and existing
peanut-free President's Choice® and no
name® brand products include:
-
NEW! President's Choice® Little
Penguins Snack Crackers (Original, Cheddar and Whole Wheat)
-
NEW! President's Choice® Bite Size
Granola Bars
-
President's Choice® Blue Menu® Wheat
Bran Bites (Banana Bread and Maple & Brown Sugar)
-
President's Choice® mini Chefs Honey
Crunchy Cubs Graham Cookies
-
no name® Low Fat Crispy Rice Squares
Visit pc.ca for more information on peanut-free President's Choice®
and no name® products and visit
anaphylaxis.ca for more information on food allergies.
President's Choice and no name products are available at
Loblaws®, Loblaw Great Food™, Zehrs®,
Zehrs Great Food™, Fortinos®, Loblaw Superstore™,
Real Canadian Superstore®, Atlantic Superstore®,
SaveEasy®, Freshmart®, Maxi®,
Maxi & Cie®, No Frills®, Provigo®,
Extra Foods®, valumart®, Your
Independent Grocer® and more. Product pricing and
availability may vary by banner and region. For more information, visit
www.pc.ca.
About Loblaw Companies Limited
Loblaw Companies Limited, a
subsidiary of George Weston Limited, is Canada's largest food
distributor and a leading provider of drugstore, general merchandise and
financial products and services. Loblaw is one of the largest private
sector employers in Canada. With more than 1,000 corporate and
franchised stores from coast to coast, Loblaw and its franchisees employ
over 138,000 full-time and part-time employees. Through its portfolio of
store formats, Loblaw is committed to providing Canadians with a wide,
growing and successful range of products and services to meet the
everyday household demands of Canadian consumers. Loblaw is known for
the quality, innovation and value of its food offering. It offers
Canada's strongest control (private) label program, including the unique President's
Choice®, no name® and Joe
Fresh Style® brands. In addition, the Company makes
available to consumers President's Choice Financial®
services and offers the PC® points loyalty
program.
________________________________
1 A population-based
study on peanut, tree nut, fish, shellfish, and sesame allergy
prevalence in Canada; 2010 Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology
2
Source: AC Nielsen Storeview Brand Comparison
3
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/allerg/fa-aa/allergen_peanut-arachide-eng.php
