Flavoring is a really tricky issue if you are hypersensitive to nickel, especially since they are so hard to avoid. If a product contains \u201cflavor\u201d, it\u2019s best to assume it\u2019s artificial, i.e., synthetically produced. Although I am not sure why these artificial flavors cause an allergic reaction, I never fail to get one. Maybe food that contains artificial flavoring generally has a lot of other dubious ingredients…<\/p>\n
In any case, I recommend avoiding anything that lists \u201caroma\u201d or \u201cflavoring\u201d without telling you of what kind it is. \u00a0Which brings me to my next point: \u201cNatural flavor\u201d is derived from natural sources, but \u201cnatural\u201d covers a wide spectrum. For example, vanillin can be derived from lignin, which you find in tree bark. Only if a flavor names its source, it also has to contain that source. For example, \u201cnatural apple flavor\u201d has to contain some apple, even if it has been chemically enhanced. Unfortunately, many labels list \u201cnatural so-and-so flavor and other natural flavors.\u201d For me, this is a no-no, mainly because \u201cother natural flavors\u201d often means vanillin. Real vanilla from the vanilla orchid is quite expensive, so most products contain human-made vanillin from other \u201cnatural\u201d sources. All these other sources seem to be really problematic if you are hypersensitive to nickel. I know that if I eat anything containing vanillin, I will see the first red patches on my palms in a matter of days. What I find really frustrating is that you find vanillin in all sorts of other products, such as lip balm, lemongrass tea, multivitamins, even peppermint candy. Makes you wonder\u2026 Luckily, by now there are more and more food products containing real vanilla or bourbon vanilla \u2013 and nothing else.<\/p>\n
Having said that, I never order any kind of dessert or cake in a restaurant unless I have a list of all ingredients. Not only because few people will know there difference between real vanilla and natural flavor, but also because there is another trap: soy-lecithin.<\/p>\n
Soy-lecithin is just as ubiquitous as vanillin, and almost as bad. The good news is that it is usually listed on the label in bold print. A popular ingredient in chocolate and all sorts of candy and ice cream, it is also found in countless other products, such a baked goods. I have no problems with sunflower-lecithin.<\/p>\n
What about chocoholics?<\/strong><\/p>\n With cocoa and vanillin out of the picture, there is not a lot of chocolate left. If you like white chocolate, there is hope: There are certain brands that have no soy-lecithin and contain only real vanilla \u2013 and they are really tasty too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Flavoring is a really tricky issue if you are hypersensitive to nickel, especially since they are so hard to avoid. If a product contains \u201cflavor\u201d, it\u2019s best to assume it\u2019s artificial, i.e., synthetically produced. Although I am not sure why these artificial flavors cause an allergic reaction, I never fail to get one. Maybe food … <\/p>\n