M&M's does anyone know what the "real" risk of peanut exposure is?

[GoingNuts]

I eat pn may contains all the time. I don't typically not eat something because it could contain traces of nuts but I don't share drinks, utensils with my kids. I also am extremely meticulous about not eating anything when I prepare their food.

Ditto.  I eat nut products at work and out of the home as well.  But my kids are almost 19 and 22, and not likely to sit and snuggle in my lap, or let me kiss them. 

OK, forgot the original point. 

I do not keep his allergens in the house, with the exception of some super-dark chocolate that I know he would never touch with a ten foot pole.  I keep it out of sight, but hey, I need my fix. 

I feel like the rest of the world is a mine-field for him, so I don't keep anything in the house that he can't have.  It's just too much of a tease.

And since he'll be coming home from school next week, I'll have to clean out all the contraband. 

[CMdeux]

... and by "clean out" she means.... Yeah.  Scarf-o-licious.   

[GoingNuts]

... and by "clean out" she means.... Yeah.  Scarf-o-licious.   

After all these years, she knows me sooooo well. 

[SkyRibbons]

Read this article.  The mom researched M&M's and found out the pretzel ones are made in a separate facility.  Having said that, even though my dh knows they're off limits, I found a wrapper in her purse not too long ago.  Read her the riot act.  Not in my comfort zone.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/food-labels-wrong-allergic-reactions/story?id=17894439#.UMYaq-Tpe8D

[momtoAidenDeclan]

Read this article.  The mom researched M&M's and found out the pretzel ones are made in a separate facility.  Having said that, even though my dh knows they're off limits, I found a wrapper in her purse not too long ago.  Read her the riot act.  Not in my comfort zone.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/food-labels-wrong-allergic-reactions/story?id=17894439#.UMYaq-Tpe8D

sounds like they'd be safe for TREENUT ALLERGIES, not peanut....

And I agree w/GN - some place in the world needs to be s.a.f.e. and it's our house.  He can grab anything he wants and know it's safe (according to the label, at least )

[luci]

Thank you for your replies.  My main question is what is the risk of peanut cross contamination and how does it occur for M&Ms.

The reason I wondered about it was to help me figure out what the risks were compared to my craving for them.  If the risks of allergic reaction to having them around was low because cross contamination levels were low, then it would be acceptable to me to have them in the house.  Don't know if I'm expressing myself clearly here and really sorry if my muddled writing isn't getting the point across.

I think I'll try to call Mars Inc. after the holidays and get some more info - I can't remember the last time I spoke with them but it may have been 9 years ago so maybe they have had more training.  If I get any useful info I'll post back here.

With respect to my kid's feelings about having candy around that he cannot eat, he regularly sees us not eat sweets that he is enjoying - not because we are allergic, but because we are trying to eat more healthy foods, or just don't feel like eating sweets everyday.  He does not feel that we all need to eat everything that everyone else is eating at dinner (e.g. he and his dad won't eat the beets, brussels sprouts, cabbage, and spinach that I frequently cook and eat, and I don't eat the ceasar salads that I make for them several nights a week). After I started eating some of his safe Halloween candy he asked me not to eat any more of it and I said that the only type of candy I was craving was M&Ms which weren't safe for him.  He said I should go out and buy those and eat them - anything to protect his Halloween stash!  That's when I told him I'd try to investigate whether they'd be safe enough to have in the house.

With respect to having his home be an allergy free zone - we do not have his allergens in the house as a "listed ingredient" although we do have a very few "may contains" or "on shared equipment" products that I handle almost as if it were toxic.  I encourage him to read every label every time.  I don't want him to learn the habit of going into a cupboard and just grabbing stuff and eating it without checking labels first.  I do this because I hope and pray he'll be able to live with other people (maybe go to college, maybe get married and have kids) and then he'll be sharing a kitchen with others so he won't be in control of every food that comes into the house.

Thanks again for your replies - just thought I owed you all an explanation for my question.

[rebekahc]

But people did answer what you asked.  They are heavily contaminated (even according to your prior conversation with Mars).
 
They smell (reek) like peanuts. 
The chocolate is re-used between batches.
It was pointed out that risk is higher in the circumstance you described (in the kitchen with the cook).
An article about the contamination was posted.
But most importantly, safe alternatives were posted (Smarties, Skippers).

I'm sorry you didn't get the response you were hoping for.

[CMdeux]

Never hurts to call them again and get more information, though.   

[Jessica]

Also, the more we call and ask, the more likely (hopefully) they will amend practices and maybe make a safe version. A pipe dream maybe, but I'm always hopeful.

[SkyRibbons]

I remember watching an episode of Unwrapped on Food Network, and they showed how they made M&M's.  It was obvious to me that a wayward peanut M&M could get into a bag of regular M&M's.  Plus, the same chocolate appears to be recycled.

That show explains a lot in general about cross-contamination.

[twinturbo]

"recycled chocolate"

It sounds funny. In a gross way.

[CMdeux]

I remember watching an episode of Unwrapped on Food Network, and they showed how they made M&M's.  It was obvious to me that a wayward peanut M&M could get into a bag of regular M&M's.  Plus, the same chocolate appears to be recycled.

That show explains a lot in general about cross-contamination.

YES!  Single best source for high-impact explanations ever.  I'll never forget my sense of HORROR watching the Annabelle's factory make AbbaZabbas; there's simply NO way that anything else made there could ever-- even with cleaning that lasted a decade or more-- be "safe" for anyone with high sensitivity to peanut.

On the other hand, I've learned that things that I thought would NEVER be safe are made in single-purpose manufacturing facilities.  Like LingLing potstickers.  (Blew my mind, that-- but before everyone gets too excited, they are NOT sesame free; just peanut/treenut and egg free.)

   

[Stinky6]

regular M&M's taste like peanut to me
I certainly have a hightened sense of smell/taste to peanuts
on a plane recently a lady opened some peanuts and I knew in about 5 seconds  (she was very nice and accepted my grapes in trade for her children) - wait...I didn't trade for her children - I traded grapes for peanuts...  ok

but anyway when I eat regular M&M's I am struck how much they taste like peanuts

now - either it is so well known that they aren't safe (for PA people to eat - not the OP's ? I know) OR the PA people who eat them have a high tolerance -  or maybe they aren't that bad - because  haven't heard of many reactions - or any recently from them?

I need coffee

[luci]

We found and tried "Hershey-ets", seasonal in a candy cane shaped container.

Looked like M's but not as tasty to me.  However, these are the safest and cheapest way to have this type of candy around.  We cannot afford to keep Skippers around either money-wise or calorie-wise. I called Hershey's and told them there is a big market for this type of product if they could make it pnut and treenut free and offer it year round.

I emailed Mars about M&Ms and they just emailed back saying I should call (during business hours).
I'll post back when I've had a chance.

[Jessica]

According to a site I looked at, Hershey-Ets has a "made on shared equipment with peanuts" warning.