News & Updates
“FOOD CONTENT ALERTS” ANNOUNCES RESULTS OF GLOBAL SURVEY: “LIFE WITH FOOD ALLERGIES AND SENSITIVITIES”
July 21, 2010
Corn is the new peanut. Major food companies don't provide adequate information for food-sensitive consumers.
July 21, 2010, New York – www.foodcontentalerts.com. Today advertising agency TAXI NYC and Food Content Alerts, the world’s first interactive food management tool, announced the results of the global survey “Life with Food Allergies and Sensitivities.” More than 1,000 survey respondents from anglophone countries U.S., UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia opted into the survey online. The only qualification for participation was that they or someone in their household suffer from a food allergy or sensitivity.
TO VIEW COMPLETE RESULTS CLICK HERE.
Food allergies and sensitivities are a serious and growing problem in developed countries. Experts estimate that as many as 60 million people in the U.S. are affected, either with a personal condition or through a family member, and that this number is increasing every year. The FCA site was launched last October following extensive research and development, and already has considerable Web traffic, users, and social media presence.
“With a critical mass of members and visitors to the site, we thought it was time to learn more about the people who use our tool. As one of the principles of FCA is sharing knowledge, our intention was to share the findings and, in doing so, raise awareness of this important issue,” said Rich Muhlstock, the founder and manager of the site, which was created by TAXI NYC. “Even with all the information available on the Internet, we found that most respondents did not have a single Web destination to search for safe foods.”
The results also showed that food allergies and sensitivities often affect more than one person in a household, with 45% of respondents having two or more allergy sufferers in a single household, while 20% have three or more sufferers. The survey confirmed that the condition has a huge emotional and logistical impact on family life. Sixty-six per cent of respondents claimed that life with food sensitivities was difficult, compared with only 10% that found it easy to deal with.
The range of allergens and sensitivities mentioned by respondents was very surprising, according to Caroline Krediet, Planning Director, TAXI NYC. “While we saw large groups suffering from lactose and gluten allergies, 40% of respondents claimed sensitivity to foods not on the typical list of the most common allergies. This indicates that, as the number of sufferers grows, so too does the list of food agents that affect them. We were surprised to see beef and corn as allergens mentioned by several hundred respondents.”
Feedback on shopping behaviors was also interesting, with 87% of respondents relying on memory alone to select safe foods. “Surely this must be limiting to the repertoire of foods they can include in their diet. We hope this is something FCA can help address,” says Muhlstock. Only a small minority of respondents believed that food companies did a good job labeling their foods. Sixty per cent saw their current practices as inadequate.
Some bright spots for retailers and brands: Whole Foods was the clear winner in terms of favorite stores for allergy-free foods, with Trader Joe’s not far behind. In terms of top “safe food” brands purchased by respondents, Bob’s Red Mill, Enjoy Life, and Amy’s were each mentioned by 10% of respondents. In the top 20 most frequently mentioned brands, General Mills led the pack, followed by Kraft and Kellogg’s.
The survey was fielded from June 1–21, 2010. Respondents were 89% female, with 69% falling between the ages of 25 and 49. More information and detailed results are available at HERE.
FCA LAUNCHES GLOBAL SURVEY
May 11, 2010
We know that everyone’s experiences with food sensitivities are unique and we would like to hear about your personal challenges, feelings and current habits.
Over the next few weeks we’ll be conducting an online survey to better understand this difficult time. Once complete, we’ll share the results publically. Our hope is the results will continue to build awareness amongst manufacturers, retailers and the healthcare industry, of the difficulties families have with living with food sensitivities.
If you’re interested in taking part in the first Food Content Alerts Annual Survey, just click on the link below. Thank you!
LIVING WITH FOOD SENSITIVITIES SURVEY
“FOOD CONTENT ALERTS” ONLINE AND MOBILE SERVICE, OFFICIALLY LAUNCHES
October 15, 2009Enjoy Life Foods, Twinject and Guardian Angel Foods sign on as Charter Sponsors of first of its kind Food Management Tool.
A free online and mobile service developed by TAXI New York (www.taxi-nyc.com), was announced today by Durk Barnhill, General Manager, TAXI NY.
www.foodcontentalerts.com (FCA) provides critical information and personalized data management both at home and on-the-go for the nearly 70 million people in the United States and Canada alone suffering from food sensitivities, including food allergies, celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and those affected by their needs including children’s playmates, teachers, friends, family members and co-workers.
“After extensive research and testing, we’re thrilled to launch this first of it’s kind highly personalized food management tool,” said Barnhill, “charter sponsorships with Enjoy Life Foods, Twinject Canada and Guardian Angel Foods confirm the marketing value of this tool for these companies and their unique products in the food sensitivity category.”
FCA is a free web service designed to help sufferers of food sensitivities (allergies and intolerances) manage the many types of detailed data they need to keep specific ingredients and foods out of their diets. The site provides users with safe, reliable online and mobile tools for creating customized databases, recipe boxes, shopping lists and food sensitivity profiles. In addition to tips on avoiding many foods, FCA helps people discover new food recommendations from others dealing with their same sensitivities – they’re able to share recipes, ingredient updates and other information with the www.foodcontentalerts.com user community.
“There is a growing need for this type of safe and reliable information that is easily accessible through the Internet and mobile phone. The number of people dealing with food sensitivities is growing daily, and we have partnered with FCA for the help it can provide consumers,” said Scott Mandell, CEO, president and founder of Enjoy Life Foods. "Sponsoring this service provides a valuable resource for us to connect with them."
The online and mobile service are accessible worldwide – and following a beta stage include users in the United States and Canada, as well as new user groups in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia.
“I wish this wonderful website was around when my son was first diagnosed,” said Gina Clowes, founder, Allergymoms.com. “It would have saved me hours and hours of time each year, reprinting ‘safe’ snacks lists for family and friends. I know this will be a fantastic resource for allergy parents to share with teachers, relatives, friends and family.”
FCA Launches Forums
October 13, 2009Community Forums is now live on Food Content Alerts. Here’s a place to speak, share ideas, and get advice from people living with similar sensitivities.
Now have access about to everything you need regarding your Food Sensitivities – all in one place. Your safe foods, recipes, shopping lists, and news. Plus talk about what’s on your mind or help others in our forum.
For access, just open your mobile web browser and go to www.foodcontentalerts.com.
FCA Launches Mobile Access
October 07, 2009Food Content Alerts is now available on any web-enabled mobile phone – worldwide.
Access all of your safe foods, recipes and shopping lists from anywhere. Or check the community lists to get a second opinion on a new food. Even find a last minute recipe that matches your profile. And in the US, Food Safety Alerts from the FDA are delivered right to the phone – updated in real-time.
For access, just open your mobile web browser and go to www.foodcontentalerts.com.
FCA Launches Recipes
September 03, 2009"My Recipes" on Food Content Alerts is your very own, completely customized recipe box tailored to your family's food sensitivities.
Now you can add your favorite recipes and easily share them with family and friends and the rest of the FCA community. The more recipes we all contribute, the more chances everyone has to discover new meals, desserts, appetizers and more.
Here's the best part — "My Recipes" ties directly into the rest of your personal profile on FCA so you can have all of your safe foods in one easy to access place. And coming in mid-September, you'll be able to access this information on any web-enabled mobile phone.
FCA Launches Shareable Shopping Lists
August 04, 2009Now sharing safe foods has never been easier. With the new Shopping Lists tool on Food Content Alerts you can quickly and easily send a customized, safe food list to your children's school, camp, or even to your in-laws who have the kids for a sleepover.
"My Shopping Lists" lets you create and manage as many shopping lists as you like and send them to friends or family. Shortly you'll be able to access your lists on any cell phone to make shopping trips faster and easier. This new feature works seamlessly with "My Safe foods", allowing you to easily add any product from your safe food list and create a complete shopping list with just a few clicks.
FCA Launches Country Selector
July 22, 2009Now you can use FCA from anywhere in the world! Today's update allows users to create a profile no matter where you live. Products are sorted based on the country where they were entered so now you can search the community based on either the country you live in or a country you may be visiting.
FCA Site Update — Entering Sensitivities
July 22, 2009Subscriber feedback has been great so far — it has helped us to adjust the way sensitivities are added - making it easier for users to create profiles and search the community.
To add/edit your sensitivities simply go to your profile and click on Food Profiles. Next, select your sensitivity from the drop down menu and click 'add'. Repeat until all sensitivities for that person are listed and click 'save'. If you don't see your sensitivity, click 'Add New Sensitivity' and complete the simple form. We will alert you when the sensitivity has been added.
FOOD CONTENT ALERTS WEBSITE AND MOBILE APP NOW IN BETA
July 07, 2009New Service Addresses Needs of More Than 60 Million Affected by Food Sensitivities.
July 7, 2009 - New York — The millions of food allergy sufferers in North America now have a new tool for managing their food sensitivities — www.Foodcontentalerts.com. A free website and mobile application created by TAXI, New York (www.taxi-nyc.com), Foodcontentalerts.com provides critical information and personalized data management both at home and on-the-go for people affected by food allergies and sensitivities as well as their friends and family.
Nearly 60 million people in the United States alone are affected by food sensitivities, including food allergies, celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity. In fact, food allergies affect everyone at some point — children's playmates, teachers, friends, family members and co-workers.
"We're thrilled to offer an easy-to-use online tool that simplifies the food monitoring process," said Daniel Rabinowicz, president, TAXI Content. "There is a huge need for this kind of safe and reliable information that is easily accessible all in one place online. The number of people dealing with food sensitivities is growing every day. Even if you're not living with a food sensitivity yourself, most of us have a friend, classmate or family member who is and this is an invaluable service to help ensure their food is safe."
Foodcontentalerts.com (FCA) is a free web service designed to help sufferers of food sensitivities (allergies and intolerances) manage the many types of detailed data they need to keep specific ingredients and foods out of their diets. The site provides users with safe, reliable online and mobile tools for creating customized databases, recipe boxes, shopping lists and food sensitivity profiles. In addition to tips on avoiding many foods, FCA helps people discover new food recommendations from others dealing with their same sensitivities — they're able to share recipes, ingredient updates and other information with the foodcontentalerts.com user community.
"I wish this wonderful website was around when my son was first diagnosed," said Gina Clowes, founder, Allergymoms.com. "It would have saved me hours and hours of time each year, reprinting 'safe' snacks lists for family and friends. I know this will be a fantastic resource for allergy parents to share with teachers, relatives, friends and family."
The Foodcontentalerts.com site features include:
-
My Safe Foods: Allows users to create customized lists of "personally approved" foods and email them to friends. A great way to find new recommendations for people on restricted diets.
-
My Recipes: Input your own recipes, discover new recipes, share with others, and add ingredients to a shopping list or share with friends and family.
-
My Shopping Lists: Create and manage multiple lists; update or add items from your safe-foods list.
-
Community Forums: Share ideas with other people suffering from food sensitivities.
-
News Alerts: Receive up-to-the-minute releases from the Food & Drug Administration; or custom information on food allergies, celiac and more.
-
Mobile Access: Many features of foodcontentalerts.com are designed to be available to anyone with a web-enabled phone, allowing users to access their online account to verify that a product is on a safe-food list, check a recipe's ingredient list and more.
"With this beta version, users can experiment with the site, test its capabilities and use tools to customize the service for their needs to help lessen the burden of daily food monitoring," said Rich Muhlstock, general manager of Foodcontentalerts.com. "At full launch users will also be able to access their shopping lists and ingredient information from their mobile phones while shopping at the grocery store."
About FoodContentAlerts.com
Tens of millions of people share a common trait: their special relationship with food and the need for critical information about products and potentially harmful ingredients. Foodcontentalerts.com is a free website and mobile application that helps consumers with food sensitivities manage their personal data. The site lets users organize a world of fragmented information via the creation of a personal sensitivity profile, allows users to search for recipes, build personalized shopping lists and more. Foodcontentalerts.com can be accessed on-the-go via a mobile application. The site and app will revolutionize the way consumers navigate the world of food sensitivities. TAXI, New York (www.taxi-nyc.com), the U.S. office of the renowned Toronto-headquarted ad agency, conceived of and developed the site and app in 2008 and is launching the service in summer 2009. The site is being built in partnership with Stem Communications Ltd. out of Calgary. (www.stemlimited.com)
Contact:
Leasa Ireland
LPI Communications
310.796.1936
leasa@lpicommunications.com
What to Expect from the Beta?
June 26, 2009The term "beta" means our website is still in the final stages of development. Almost everything is working great, but it's possible you might see a few minor problems — so be don't be surprised. And since you're among the first to use FCA, it means you can be a big part of making it perfect. So, if you notice something not quite working, please click on CONTACT US at the bottom of the page and let us know.
What's working? Right now you can register and set up personalized sensitivity profiles for you and your whole family. You can customize your home page with content that's relevant to you. THE BEST PART is you can start building your safe foods list by adding products yourself, or by searching the community safe foods. But keep in mind the site is new; so don't be surprised if the community list isn't that long yet, it will take some time.
