fredag den 16. december 2022

Fredagsfrustration :: Allergier, intolerancer og ideologier

--- For English  -- Friday Frustrations, Allergies, intolerances and Ideologies -- scroll way down ---

Det er efterhånden længe siden jeg rigtig har skrevet om FODMAPdiæten her på bloggen. Ikke fordi jeg ikke bruger den længere, tværtimod, den er blevet så selvfølgelig for mig, at det næsten virker underligt at skrive om den. Men de seneste par dage har jeg oplevet nogle ting, der har fået mig til at tænke ...

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     For nogle dage siden var jeg på indkøb og overvejede jeg og jeg skulle blande mig en pose bland-selv slik, men jeg orkede ikke at læse mig igennem alle ettiketterne med småt tryk, forvirrende skrifftyper og i underlige vinkler i min søgen efter HVEDEMEL og MÆLK - der godt nok som her er skrevet med store bogstaver eller med fedt, eller unerstreget, eller kursiv, eller ... - og især efter sorbitol der også gemmer sig under E-420 og på ingen måde fremhæves, fordi Fødevarestyrelsen har talt. *)
     Så blev jeg opmærksom på en far, der stod med sine børn og blandede slik. Han formanede gentagne gange børnene til kun at vælge dem med de grønne cirkler på. Jeg kiggede nærmere og så, at der øverst i kanten af hver etiket var en række forskelligfarvede bobler, en med Laktosefri, en grøn med Vegansk, en med Gelatinefri, og en med Glutenfri, tror jeg nok.
     Det vil så sige at det er nemmere at være veganer eller muslim end FODMAP-intolerant når man vil blande slik.

Den anden ting, der skete, var at jeg har sovet meget afbrudt i nat, er rendt på toilettet flere gange i løbet af formiddagen, og at min hjerne føles som om den er pakket ind i vat (Brain fog hedder det vist nok). Og hvorfor? Jo, fordi et af de mærker af karry, vi plejer at bruge, har ændret deres indhold, så karryen nu også indeholder kanel, allehånde og hvidløgspulver. Det er denne sidste ingrediens (et høj-FODMAP-produkt), der er skyld i mine trængsler.
     I nogle andre lande har man en FODMAPmærkning - der vel snarere er en antiFODMAPmærkning. Nøj, hvor ville jeg gerne se den her i landet!

Mærket her forestiller to sammenslyngede F'er der står for FODMAP Friendly.

 - - - - - - - - - - Alt det tekniske - - - - - - - - - -

*) Om både konsistens- og sødemidler står der på Fødevarestyrelsens hjemmeside:

Allergi og overfølsomhed
Konsistensmidler forbindes ikke med allergi eller overfølsomhed.
Specifikt om E-420 / Sorbitol står der:


Stabiliserer og blødgør fødevarers konsistens. Bruges desuden som erstatning for sukker. Må bruges i alle de fødevarer, der generelt må indeholde tilsætningsstoffer, dvs. alle forarbejde fødevarer undtagen drikkevarer. Bruges typisk i is for at undgå udkrystallisering og gøre konsistensen mere blød. Forekommer naturligt i mange frugter, som fx rønnebær, æbler og pærer. 

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Og jeg repeterer lige de 14 "fornemme" allergener, som Fødevarestyrelsen har besluttet, bør fremhæves:
Glutenholdige kornprodukter (hvede, rug, byg, havre), krebsdyr, æg, fisk, jordnødder, soja, mælk (herunder laktose). nødder, selleri, sennep, sesamfrø, svovldioxid og sulfitter, lupin og bløddyr.

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**)
FODMAP er et akronym for Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, Mono-, And Polyols (Fermenterbare Oligo-, Di-, Monosaccharider og Polyoler)

Oligosaccharider: Fruktaner og GOS - findes i fødevarer som hvede, rug, løg, hvidløg, bønner og bælgfrugter.

Disaccharider: Laktose - findes i mejeriprodukter som mælk, bløde oste og yoghurt - jo federe, jo bedre, laktose er vandopløseligt, som alle sukkerstoffer. Og laktose findes i al mælk, det er ikke bedre med gelemælk, fåremælk eller andre pattedyrs mælk.

Monosaccharider: Fructose - findes i flydende honning, æbler, osv.

Polyoler: Sorbitol og alle andre sukkeralkoholer, hvis navn ender på -ol.

Også sødestoffer som inulin og stivelser som carageenan er FODMAP-stoffer - jeg kan bare ikke huske, om de er polyoler eller oligosaccharider. 

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Og så er der krydsreaktionerne med birkepollen, som er den mest almindelige pollenallergi i Danmark.
Her der vigtigste: Gulerod, abrikos, blomme, kirsebær, kiwi, nektarin, fersken, pære, æble, kartoffel, tomat, peberfrugt, ærter og selleri, jordnødder, hasselnødder, mandler, cashewnødder, valnødder, paranødder, pistacier, pekannødder, macadamianød

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Jeg har kigget på tallene. De er omtrentlige, men jeg tror ikke, at de er meget forkerte. 12-15 % lider af en form for pollenallergi, og mellem 60 og 70 % af dem har krydsreaktioner. Hvis jeg stadig kan regne, betyder det, at ca. 10% af befolkningen lider af krydsreaktioner alene med birkepollen. Det er en hel del mennesker, der hver eneste dag kæmper med de små, ulæselige bogstav i indholdsfortegnelserne.

Ca. 1 % lider af cøliaki og 3-4 % af laktoseintolerance. Det betyder, at antallet af "krydsregerende" er omkring det dobbelte. Men i det mindste her i Danmark er allergier og intolerancer ikke fancy. Og derfor beder jeg simpelthen om, at alle ingredienser listes op med pæne, læselige bogstaver.


- - - - - - - - - - PÅ ENGELSK  - - - - - - - - -  IN ENGLISH  - - - - - -

It's been a long time since I've written about the FODMAP diet here on the blog. Not because I don't use it anymore, on the contrary, it has become second nature to me, and it almost feels strange to write about it. But the last few days I've experienced some things that have made me think ...

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A few days ago, I was shopping and thinking about mixing myself a bag of pick'n'mix sweets, but I couldn't stand the prospect of reading through all the labels in small print, confusing fonts and at odd angles in my search for  FLOUR and MILK - which at least as shown are written in either capitals, or bold, or italics, or underlined, or ... and especially sorbitol, which also hides under E-420 and is in no way highlighted because the FDA has spoken. *)

Then I became aware of a father standing with his children mixing sweets. He repeatedly admonished the children to choose only those with the green blops on them. I looked closer and saw that at the top of each label was a row of different coloured bubbles, one with Lactose Free, one green with Vegan, one with Gelatine Free, and one with Gluten Free, I think.

This means that it is easier to be vegan or Muslim than FODMAP intolerant when buying sweets.

The other thing that happened was that I came from a night of broken sleep and a morning spent on urgent trips to the bathroom, plus a severe attack of brain fog. And why? Because one of the brands of curry we usually use has changed their contents so that the curry now also contains cinnamon, allspice, and garlic powder. It is this last ingredient (a high-FODMAP product**)) that caused my woes.

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In some other countries they have a FODMAP label - which is really more like an anti FODMAP label. Oh, how I'd love to see it in my country as well!

The label here depicts two intertwined F's that stand for FODMAP Friendly.

 - - - - - - - - All the technical stuff - - - - - - - - -

*) About both consistency and sweeteners is on the Food Administration's website:

Allergy and hypersensitivity
Sweeteners are not associated with allergies or sensitivities.


Specifically about E-420 / Sorbitol it says:
   


Stabilises and softens the texture of foods. Also used as a substitute for sugar. May be used in all foods that may generally contain additives, i.e. all processed foods except beverages. Typically used in ice cream to prevent crystallisation and soften the texture.  

Naturally occurs in many fruits, such as currants, apples and pears.

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And I'm just repeating the 14 "lah-di-dah" allergens that the FDA has decided should be highlighted:
Cereals containing gluten (wheat, rye, barley, oats), crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soya, milk (including lactose). nuts, celery, mustard, sesame seeds, sulphur dioxide and sulphites, lupin and molluscs.

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FODMAP is an acronym for Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, Monosaccharides, And Polyols

Oligosaccharides: fructans and GOS - found in foods such as wheat, rye, onions, garlic, beans and legumes.

Disaccharides: lactose - found in dairy products like milk, soft cheeses and yoghurt - the fatter the better, lactose is water soluble, like all sugars. And lactose is found in all milk, it's no better with jelly milk, sheep's milk or other mammalian milk.

Monosaccharides: fructose - found in liquid honey, apples, etc.

Polyols: Sorbitol and all other sugar alcohols ending in -ol.

Also sweeteners like inulin and starches like carageenan are FODMAPs - I just can't remember where they fit in.

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And then there are the cross-reactions with birch pollen, which is the most common pollen allergy in Denmark.
Here are the most important ones: Carrot, apricot, plum, cherry, kiwi, nectarine, peach, pear, apple, potato, tomato, bell pepper, pea and celery, peanut, hazelnut, almond, cashew, walnut, Brazil nut, pistachio, pecan, and macadamia nut

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I looked up the numbers. They are approximate, but I think not off the mark by much. 12-15% suffers from some kind of pollen allergy and between 60 and 70 % of those have cross reactions. If I still can do maths this means around 10% of the population is suffering from cross reactions from Birch pollens alone. This is quite a lot of people fighting the small, illegible letter in the tables of contents every single day.

Around 1 % suffers from Celiac disease and 3-4 % from lactose intolerance. This means that the number of "cross reactors" are around double these numbers. But at least here in Denmark allergies and intolerances are not fancy. And that is why I simply ask for all ingredients to be listed in nice, readable letters.

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6 kommentarer:

  1. How I wish that foods were properly labelled.
    I have a sister in law who chooses to eat gluten free. Except when she is in a restaurant and a decidedly non gluten free dessert tempts her. She tells the restaurant when booking that she requires gluten free food. She and people like her make life difficult for people with genuine allergies/intolerances. Restaurants see their behaviour and sadly feel free to take shortcuts and lie a little.

    SvarSlet
    Svar
    1. Gluten free became a health fad, and as you say take away from true celiacs. It's rather demoralizing for the poor cook, who has been standing on his head tp do everything rigth, and then the professed intolerant happily eats from the forbidden fruits.
      And I suspect that most self-diagnosed Gluten-intolerants are really (like me) FODMAP intoerant, because there's lots of those ín white bread and rye bread ;)
      When going to a reaturant (which happens but seldom) I bring lactrase pills (anti milk pills) and eat bread, but not apples, mushrooms, garlic or onions - and most decidedly not any carrots ;)

      Slet
  2. I agree, all ingredients should be listed and easily readable. There is no point listing everything if you need a microscope to read it, or even a magnifying glass. Shopping would take forever! I'm glad I don't have food allergies, just a mild dairy intolerance and a reaction to artificial blue (#133 on labels) which causes me to get an itchy rash if I have too much. No green or blue M&Ms for me!

    SvarSlet
    Svar
    1. Yes. I need a pocket flash light and a magnifying glass to buy pickln'mix sweets ;) It should not be like this I agree.
      BLue E-133 - at least you can see this one. We have very little blue candy, as blue food dye was forbidden in Denmark when I was a young adult. Blue is my favourite colour - and we went to the shop and told that we had Swedish relatives visiting, and wanted to make a blue/yellow cake (Swedish national colours) Then the farmacist searched beneath the counter and gave me a small bag of a blue powder. It was enough for cake icings for years. It is carcinogenic if eaten in larger amounts than 6 kilograms a year! Who ever eats THIS much blue frosting - or blue M&Ms ;)
      I looked it up in Wikipedia and found this
      Blue E-133
      .
      This is really fun, I think. Blue rats indeed!

      Slet
  3. Some manufacturers, in an attempt to keep their exact recipe a secret, don't want to list everything separately, or list many things under "natural and artificial flavors." This means those who have intolerances simply pass up those items.

    It would be nice if every ingredient were listed in plain language and writing big enough to read easily.

    SvarSlet
    Svar
    1. That would be so nice. There's almost no way we can re-create the goods anyway. Our legislation says they have to list everything except for very small amounts like "Spices" and "natural and artificial flavors." I think the limit is below 2 %. Spices is out for me, as this is almost alwau´ys another name for onions and garlic.

      Slet

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I am grateful for all comments, and try to reply meaningfully to all of them.