Friendly's prepackaged dessert rolls

[MandCmama]

Their web site doesn't state what their "may contain" labeling policy is. I'm specifically interested in their Whattamelon roll, which does not contain either boys allergen. 

[GoingNuts]

Given how many nut flavors Friendly's produces, I wouldn't touch it.  But then again, we don't do any supermarket ice cream, only certain soft serves or my homemade.

But dang, I've always wanted to try that, LOL.

[becca]

I have not called, but I do know a family locally who claims to have inquired about the Friendly ice cream birthday cakes.  The mom is a pediatrician, and they discuss allergies with me regularly.  They seem pretty tight.  They told me the ice cream cakes were nut safe, and the packaging cautions something ot the effect they are not responsible for any allergens that might be in added decorations after manufacturing.  Meaning, if you, or a party place uses it and adds decorations, etc...  I have not taken the plunge myself.

I do know there are nuts on the Jubilee roll.  So, maybe a cross contamination risk.  Did you call the company? 

[MandCmama]

I did call. The person I spoke with was probably the most allergy aware CS rep I have ever spoken to. After they run a flavor with any of the top allergans, they break down the line, clean it, sanitize it, and test it.  Given that my boys don't seem to have a terribly low threshold ( we eat Oreos and chips ahoy), we did try it. They boys loved it and we had no issues. 

[YouKnowWho]

I think Carvel must share the same facility in regards to cakes because they have both a similar statement and I got a similar answer.  Basically they said the only cross contamination that would happen is if we chose to have the cake decorated in the grocery store. 

DS2 had one with no issue.  But I was loathe to bring it up here do to differing opinions on what is safe.

[becca]

Differring opinions are fine and good, as long as the background info is shared as to why it is not considered safe.  Such as, "I called and they said this..."  It is not helpful when people just say, "I heard that was not safe", and has no explanation.

Thanks for sharing that info MandCmama!  That is very useful. 

[MandCmama]

YKW- that's why I didn't post that we ate it.  Sometimes I feel like a bad mommy with a loosey goosey comfort zone, lol 

[becca]

MandCmama, I think different people do have differring thresholds to react.  My dd does eat many brands of storebought ice creams and has never had a reaction to ice cream.  Given what you have shared about Friendly, I would allow it.  I think putting effort into cleaning and testing is reasonable effort to be safe.  It works for my comfort zone. 

[YouKnowWho]

True but I have been jumped on because I posted about a product that I felt comfortable using for my child that others didn't feel to be safe, kwim?  Here and on our local board.

We don't have Friendly's locally (which is weird since they are in the states north and south of us) so I had no information to offer on this dessert roll.  I would love to have one personally because growing up it was my wish to have one of those for my birthday cake but they only make them in summer.

It was the information on the cake that sounded familiar to me in regards to Carvel cakes.  I posted similar information on our local board about it and chaos ensued.  But many of them don't allow storebought ice cream at all which I do with certain brands and flavors.  Bigger horrors?  It wasn't safe for DS1 but I gave him something that he loves that wasn't safe for DS2.  Which is whole nother argument that has been had at this board and on others. 

[becca]

Maybe we need to comfort zone talk again.  Slight differences do not mean neglect or carelessness. 

[MandCmama]

Becca, in a way I'm glad there's a learning curve to living with FA. If I knew what to ask when I first called, we'd be living much more restricted lives than we do. My boys both seem to do fine with lines that are cleaned between runs. We are two years out from our last reaction. If that changes, I'm sure our comfort zone will too

[GoingNuts]

Our comfort zone is what it is because DS reacted to Haagen Dazs supermarket ice cream that was on a supposedly cleaned line.  Honestly, it has been about 12-13 years since then and my gut feeling is that his threshold has changed; he no longer has all the "mystery"/contact reactions he had when he was younger, but we're comfortable living this way.

Perhaps if he takes the component test next year, the information we get from that will make a difference.

WRT Carvel, it's been ages since I've looked at one, but didn't they used to have a "may contain" warning for the crunchies?