Grocery shopping with food allergies can be easier with new technology

Judy Seybold, chief nutrition officer for Sifter, shared tips

ByABC 7 Chicago Digital Team WLS logo

Saturday, May 15, 2021

Grocery shopping with food allergies can be easier with new techNew technology can make it easier to grocery shop with food allergies.

There are 85 million Americans who avoid some type of food ingredient. Whether it's because of allergies, food intolerance or avoiding an ingredient because of health reasons, it's difficult to find safe foods while grocery shopping.

That's why so many people with allergies eat the same foods all the time. They fear what might happen if they choose incorrectly. Even a small amount of the wrong food may trigger a reaction.

But the good news is technology has made searching for specialty foods easier, and there are so many good resources to help families manage their lives and day-to-day activities with less worry.

Judy Seybold, chief nutrition officer for Sifter, joined ABC 7 Chicago Saturday with tips.

Allergyhome.org is an educational resource with a selection of tools and forms for parents, teachers or anyone socializing with or responsible for those with allergies.

One favorite to help children struggling with peanut allergies is an episode from PBS Kids' "Arthur" series called "Binky goes nuts!"

When Binky finds out that he is allergic to peanuts, he learns that the best way not to go nuts is to be well-informed and to understand his allergy.

Now, technology can make shopping with food allergies easier. Sifter.shop is the new way to grocery shop when looking to find and buy special products that fit your diet. Sifter is science-backed and allows shoppers to filter products based on hundreds of different attributes, medical diets, allergens, ingredients, brands and retailers. Once you find the product, click and buy from your local retailer. It's a game-changer for anyone with allergies or diet restrictions, and takes the guess work out of shopping.