PRESIDENT'S CHOICE® AND NO NAME® PEANUT-FREE PRODUCTS ARE AN EASY SOLUTION<br>FOR FAMILIES WITH PEANUT ALLERGY

Canada's largest grocer grows peanut-free offerings and makes it easy to find in store

BRAMPTON, ON, Aug. 19 /CNW/ - A recent study found that approximately two per cent of Canadian children have a peanut allergy, which represents approximately one out of 50 kids across the country.¹ The safety of these children amongst classmates, siblings and friends is top-of- mind for parents, especially during the back- to- school season. Packing snacks for lunches can be a challenge - but thanks to the President's Choice^® and no name^® brands, finding a variety of kid-friendly peanut-free items is easy - just look for the peanut-free logo on display in Loblaw banner stores across the country.

"Anaphylaxis Canada appreciates the efforts made by Loblaw Companies in developing products to meet the needs of those with peanut allergy. With a growing number of Canadians affected by peanut allergy, their product offering provides choice to those at risk and their families," says Beatrice Povolo, director of marketing and communications, Anaphylaxis Canada.

To ensure peanut-free products are easy for parents to identify, all President's Choice^® and no name^® brand peanut-free products include prominent on-package logos. Loblaw banner stores across the country have displays marked with peanut-free signage, so parents can quickly find snacks suitable for allergic and school-aged children attending "peanut-aware" schools and childcare facilities. Select stores will also feature a distinctive yellow peanut-free school bus display filled with lunch-friendly snacks. Some bakery departments will offer freshly baked muffins, cookies and brownies made at Loblaw's exclusive offsite peanut-free baking facility. These are great ways to find peanut-free products in-store, but reading the ingredient label every time is still very important.

"As Canada's largest grocery retailer and home to many of Canada's leading brands²,  Loblaw recognizes the importance of offering peanut-free products and is working towards further expanding the President's Choice^® and no name^® brands peanut-free lines," says Claudio Gemmiti, vice president of grocery, Loblaw Companies Limited. "Currently, we're proud to offer more than 50 peanut-free bakery, confectionary and snack products and our objective is to eventually offer customers more of their favourite President's Choice^® and no name^® snacks and treats in a peanut-free version."

Health Canada recommends that if you or your child is allergic to peanuts, the best way to prevent an allergic reaction is to avoid all food and products that contain peanut and peanut derivatives. Read ingredient lists very carefully and learn other names for peanuts, too, such as "arachis oil".³  Also, Povolo recommends understanding what precautionary statements mean (i.e. "may contain") and avoid purchasing these items if it includes your allergen. Educating and offering support to others who may be buying on behalf of the allergic individual (e.g. friends, schools, camps) is also important.

"Kids, especially younger ones, may not know or remember to check for peanuts in ingredient lists. Therefore, it's up to parents and caregivers to understand the importance of reading ingredient labels," says Dr. Melanie Makhija (MD, FRCPC, FAAP), paediatric allergist and clinical immunologist.

For those with a peanut allergy, lack of variety, availability and great taste are often a concern. But with Loblaw banner stores in hundreds of neighbourhoods from coast to coast, parents and kids alike shouldn't have any trouble finding new favourites to enjoy. New and existing peanut-free President's Choice^® and no name^® brand products include:

• NEW! President's Choice^® Little Penguins Snack Crackers (Original, Cheddar and Whole Wheat)
• NEW! President's Choice^® Bite Size Granola Bars
• President's Choice^® Blue Menu^®   Wheat Bran Bites (Banana Bread and Maple & Brown Sugar)
• President's Choice^® mini Chefs Honey Crunchy Cubs Graham Cookies
• no name^® Low Fat Crispy Rice Squares

Visit pc.ca for more information on peanut-free President's Choice^® and no name^® products and visit anaphylaxis.ca for more information on food allergies.

President's Choice and no name products are available at Loblaws^®, Loblaw Great Food™,  Zehrs^®, Zehrs Great Food™, Fortinos^®, Loblaw Superstore™, Real Canadian Superstore^®, Atlantic Superstore^®, SaveEasy^®, Freshmart^®, Maxi^®, Maxi & Cie^®, No Frills^®, Provigo^®, Extra Foods^®, valumart^®, Your Independent Grocer^® and more. Product pricing and availability may vary by banner and region.  For more information, visit www.pc.ca. 

About Loblaw Companies Limited
Loblaw Companies Limited, a subsidiary of George Weston Limited, is Canada's largest food distributor and a leading provider of drugstore, general merchandise and financial products and services. Loblaw is one of the largest private sector employers in Canada. With more than 1,000 corporate and franchised stores from coast to coast, Loblaw and its franchisees employ over 138,000 full-time and part-time employees. Through its portfolio of store formats, Loblaw is committed to providing Canadians with a wide, growing and successful range of products and services to meet the everyday household demands of Canadian consumers. Loblaw is known for the quality, innovation and value of its food offering. It offers Canada's strongest control (private) label program, including the unique President's Choice^®, no name^® and Joe Fresh Style^® brands. In addition, the Company makes available to consumers President's Choice Financial^® services and offers the PC^® points loyalty program.

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¹ A population-based study on peanut, tree nut, fish, shellfish, and sesame allergy prevalence in Canada; 2010 Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology

² Source:  AC Nielsen Storeview Brand Comparison

³ http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/allerg/fa-aa/allergen_peanut-arachide-eng.php

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