What A Slacker!

Folks at Hellmanns Not Too Bright

Add comment October 2nd, 2008

Now I am not saying the folks at Hellmann’s are idiots, but then again maybe I am. As I said in my last mayo post that I have been searching for a VERY long time for a soy free mayonnaise and I thought I found it in the Hellmann’s brand Canola mayonnaise especially since their label did not mention there was soy in the product. So I bought it. Only to learn from their website that it does indeed have soy in it. They list natural flavors on the bottle label but explain on the web with parenthesis that natural flavors equals (soy)!

I asked them why the  product did not mention this but rather hid it and they sent me a form letter back which did not address my question about their product label.

Compare their website info against the actual product.

Here is the form letter they sent me:

Thanks so much for writing!

Hellmann’s real mayonnaise has been made with soybean oil since the 1950’s. It was, however, listed on the label as vegetable oil. In July 1979, new FDA labeling regulations became effective and required each type of oil to be declared by name. Therefore, since then, we have listed soybean oil as an ingredient in Hellmann’s mayonnaise and other dressings.

Thanks for your interest!
Your friends at Hellmann’s

Is There a Soy Free Mayo? No Way-O.

Add comment September 26th, 2008

I cannot tell you how hard it is to live a soy free life. Even when your life depends on it.

Two years ago I discovered I was allergic to soy when my Dad gave me a glass of Silk Chocolate soy milk. I really liked the taste, but by the end of the glass my voice was changing and my throat was closing. That was the beginning of the end as far as being able to eat what I want or what I like. Soy is in just about everything from Mountain dew to bread.

At first I just stayed away from the obvious sources like soy milk, protein bars (well anything with protein in the name), tofu and anything in the SoyJoy line. But that wasn’t enough. This year when I was tested again my allergy to soy had increased. So I am now reading all labels (which makes grocery shopping take a very long time) in search of soy free foods. This is not an easy task. If I was a dog it would be easy to find soy free foods, but as a human nearly all food contains soy of some type.

All I ask is for a commercial mayonnaise to be made without any soybean oil or soy source at all. I thought I found one with Hellmann’s Canola Mayo, but unfortunately is has soy in it. The ingredients list on the product itself does not say is has soy, which is why I thought it was soy free (and apparently so do a lot of people – do a search). But Hellmanns.com list the complete ingredients and the natural flavors come from SOY! You have to be leery of those hidden forms of soy that manufacturers feel they don’t have to list on the product itself. I was so excited when I first discovered this product, which has since been replaced with even more disappointment.

Hellmann’s® Canola Cholesterol Free Mayonnaise ingredients as listed on their website:

INGREDIENTS: WATER, CANOLA OIL**, VINEGAR, MODIFIED CORN STARCH**, WHOLE EGGS AND EGG YOLKS+, SUGAR, SALT, LEMON JUICE, XANTHAN GUM**, (SORBIC ACID**, CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA) USED TO PROTECT QUALITY, DL ALPHA TOCOPHEROL ACETATE (VITAMIN E), PHOSPHORIC ACID**, NATURAL FLAVORS (SOY), BETA CAROTENE** (FOR COLOR), CITRIC ACID**, OLEORESIN PAPRIKA, PHYTONADIONE (VITAMIN K).
** INGREDIENT NOT IN MAYONNAISE
+ ADDS A TRIVIAL AMOUNT OF CHOLESTEROL

Guess I’ll have to try making my own soy free mayo. Problem with making my own is all the mayonnasie recipes I found have mustard in them. I am allergic to mustard as well.

First Day Out After No Smoking Goes Into Effect

Add comment September 14th, 2008

We went out to eat for the first time since the new PA ban on smoking went into effect. I have to say it was great walking through the front of the California Bar and Grill without having to deal with all those smokers in the restaurant. It really did make our eating experience so much more pleasant.

Biggest problem I can see with this new ban is that people hover by the door smoking instead of being polite and moving a little further off. So while we were lucky not to have encountered these people on the way in our exit from the restaurant wasn’t as lucky. Upon opening the door to leave we were hit by a cloud of smoke, which of course we had to walk through to leave the building.

Why couldn’t this law have been no smoking period and include not within 50 feet of public doorways?

Yeah PA Adopts a No Smoking Law (sort of)

Add comment September 12th, 2008

PA No Smoking Law went into effect yesterday. Of course this has pissed off a slew of smokers, but as a non-smoker and someone who is actually allergic to smoke I am very happy to see this law finally come to Pennsylvania. Smoking really is a filthy, dirty habit and your lungs will thank the state for stepping in on their behalf.

While this is a statewide ban on indoor smoking across the state there are a few exceptions like bars that have less than 20% of their sales in food and casinos. Personally, I think this should have been wide sweeping and covered ALL businesses. It hasn’t hurt bars in California at all.

It will be great to not have to hang all my close outside after being in a restaurant and knowing I will be healthier without the second hand smoke. No more feeling sick when the smoke from a table of smokers blows across our table (it always seemed like non-smoking sections were still way too close to the smokers).

I have to agree with SharonHerald.com who said, “A complete non-smoking law everywhere would have made it simple. But then again, no one has ever accused our state General Assembly of doing what’s right for the people. They are too often swayed by special-interest groups and campaign contributions.” How true is that?

Allergic Reaction to Perfume

Add comment June 24th, 2008

Every day it seems that my allergies get worse. The other day I had a pretty bad allergic reaction to a co-workers perfume. I have always been overly sensitive to strong smells especially if my sinuses are infected or if my seasonal allergies are in full bloom (so to speak). But this was more than mere sensitivity. My throat felt like it was closing, my voice changed, my breathing became labored and my eyes were burning.

As my symptoms progressed I started to get scared. And I did not have my eppy pen with me. Idiot!

So I called my doctor to see if there was anything I should do. The nurse I spoke with told me I was just sensitive to smells, true but this was more than that. I was having the same type of allergic reaction as if I just ate celery. (That’s right I said celery.)

Thank god my co-worker was out of the office for most of the day so I had a chance to clear the air and start to feel a little better. My voice never did get back to normal until the next day. Overall I felt lousy for the next couple of days.

I am often affected in this way while out shopping. At least then I can leave the building and go home where I can breath. I can’t just come and go at work.

New Dew is Spew

3 comments August 26th, 2007

I picked up a case of the new Mountain Dew flavor Game Fuel over the weekend before having tried it. Big mistake! I liked all the other flavors to date, except the energy drinks. The Orange, Cherry and even Grape were all good, but this one is just not right. It comes in a Halo 3 can called Gaming Fuel and it looks really cool. Don’t let that fool you.

The only way that I can describe the taste is to tell you that it tastes like a cheap Christmas candle smells. It is overly sweet. Another person I asked to try it told me it was really sweet like cotton candy. Probably a better taste people might like over a sweet weird spicy taste like a candle smell, but still not a good quality in a Dew product.

When I saw the package advertise it as an invigorating blast of citrus cherry flavor I made the wrong assumption that maybe they just mixed Code Red [cherry] and Live Wire [orange] together [both great flavors might be good together]. And now I wasted $6 on a case of this stuff that I cannot even give away!

So I tried looking at the ingredients to see what flavors they put in this thing to make it taste so bad and all they list are natural flavors. What are these natural flavors? I might very well be allergic to them and I should be told what they are so I know in case my throat closes on me [I have a slight odd feeling in my throat like when I am having an allergic reaction so there might be something to that statement]. While checking out those very same ingredients I see they add “glycerol ester of wood rosin”. What the heck is that? And what in the world is it doing in a beverage? What purpose does it serve? Anyone? No wonder I thought this drink tasted like a Christmas tree there’s one in there!