Food Allergies

The Mclean mantra is ‘keep it clean and lean’.

At Mclean Meats we believe that shopping for allergen free foods shouldn’t be so challenging.

Please read all labels carefully before consuming products. Select Woodstown Farms products (like their holiday hams) contain wheat starch and barley. These ingredients are not safe to consume for people with Celiac disease. Select Mclean products contain trace amounts of mustard which is now recognized as an allergen in Canada and must be indicated on the label.

Most products sold in grocery stores have too many ingredients that are artificial, chemical or unnecessary.

Over 70% of processed foods on stores' shelves contain soy, corn or wheat. Corn products come in powders, oils and liquid sweeteners. These products are also used in most processed foods as an alternative to sugar, as a bulker or as a processing aid. Alternatively, gluten and dairy are widely used in ready to eat meals, deli meats, soups and sausages.

Soy is also commonly used in the form of oil as a food additive. As an example, when you read ingredients that say Hyrdolized Vegetable Protein or 'flavouring' this could mean that the product contains soy. Even some soups, broths or foods with gums added could contain soy.

If you or someone in your family has food allergies to any of these foods, then shopping can be challenging.

The most common food allergies are soy, dairy, gluten, msg and sea food. Some of these food allergies can be life threatening if consumed. Diagnosing food allergies is generally easy because the individual will have a severe or sudden adverse reaction to a specific food. In some instances, some food allergies do not appear until later on in life. For people with severe allergies, avoiding these ingredients is next to impossible when buying multi-ingredient foods. 

Diagnosing food sensitivities is more complicated and usually requires a systematic approach of eliminating 1 food at a time from your diet. Symptoms of food sensitivities can be intestinal or stomach bloating, excessive gas, stomach cramping, low energy, depression, arthritis, rashes or asthma.

Today, consumers are more educated about food related allergies, especially with their children. The number of children with asthma, allergies and food allergies is increasing world wide! Some speculate that allergies are on the risebecause of environmental contaminants and pollution; changes in the food supply; changes in exposures to infectious disease;and other influences that might alter immune system function.

If you or someone in your family has specific dietary restrictions and would like to inquire about our product ingredients please contact Michelle Neilson directly on her cel phone at 1-760-285-4819 or email her directly at michelle@mcleanmeats.com