A Message From The President

                           

Like a growing number of our population, I am allergic to peanuts and tree nuts and have been since I was a child. My allergy is so sensitive that I am unable to try most bakery products — even the smallest amount of residual nut can send me to the hospital. Most of the reactions I have suffered have been due to inadvertently touching some peanut or nut residue and then touching my mouth or eating something by hand like a bagel or slice of pizza. The point of contamination may have been as unthreatening as a door knob that had recently been touched by someone who had eaten peanuts.

Prior to becoming a dedicated nut-free facility, we used what we called "Peanut Butter Protocol" at Little Rae's Bakery. With the dedicated efforts of our staff of bakers, I successfully lived through 12 years of producing peanut butter cookies, walnut scones, and other nut-filled goods, and have eaten our other products daily (mostly Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies). However, even with strict precautions, there was always a chance that some cross contamination could occur.

Why nut-free is nice

Being nut-free provides a safe option for those who currently have to go without baked goods. Our products are welcomed not only by those with nut allergies, but also those who want to bring goodies to groups or events where just one person might have a nut allergy (increasingly common in schools).

We still employ the highest standards for our products and service but without the threat of nuts wrecking someone's day. Our policies for operating a nut-free bakery include allergen-free statements from all our ingredient vendors and a "No Nuts Allowed" policy in our facility for our employees and visitors.

What does the FDA have to say?

The FDA does not have a certification program or set of standards to declare an establishment as "nut free". They are working on it and I will happily contribute to its development when the time comes. The only requirement now is that what we say be true.

Eating our stuff

The nut-free status only applies to our packaged products. This is because once our unwrapped products are delivered, the way they are handled and displayed is out of our control. Each pastry case, serving utensil, plate, or cutting board is a potential contact point for nut residue, which is what prevents people with allergies from buying unpackaged pastries.

When you see our products beautifully displayed in a pastry case at one of your local cafes, proceed with caution! There could be goodies from another bakery that uses nuts, which means the whole case will be contaminated.

Just ask

If you frequent a cafe that sells our products, ask the manager if they would stock a few wrapped items for you. They might just do it!

Personal responsibility

As always, the allergic person must take responsibility for taking precautions to keep themselves or child safe from contamination. We cannot guarantee that our food is 100% safe from nuts as there are far too many variables in the world. Please call or write our bakery if you would like to know more about how we operate.