It’s time for Part 2 of Allergic Living’s frozen dessert challenge. For this round, contributor Megan Lavin’s sons test out allergy-friendly sorbets.
Recently, the Lavin kids lent their tastebuds to review allergy-friendly ice creams for their mom’s Megan’s Minute video series. That chilly challenge was very popular and eye-opening for Allergic Living followers. So Megan thought it would be fun and helpful to do a second taste test.
This time the focus is on allergy-friendly sorbet options you can find at many grocery stores.
“Sorbet is probably the most allergy-friendly” of ice cream choices, notes Megan in relation to basic ingredients. “So we thought it would be great to try taste-testing those as well.”
Megan divides Allergic Living’s frozen treat contenders into four flavor groups: raspberry, strawberry, mango and miscellaneous. This is a “blinded taste test” – she scooped the allergy-friendly sorbet into plastic cups, so her two boys wouldn’t know which brand they were sampling.
Now, some details on the taste test challenge, Part 2.
Allergy-Friendly Sorbet Contenders
The sorbets Megan selected to compare are free of the Top 9 allergens as ingredients. However, Megan contacted The Frozen Farmer brand because of a warning that their products are “made in a facility that processes milk, egg, soy, wheat, peanuts and tree nuts.” The Frozen Farmer says of their manufacturing facility: “Cross-contamination risk is extremely low due to the heavy sanitization standards that must be maintained to be HACCP and SQF level one-certified.”
The company representative said the warning is on the label simply because the facility is not dedicated allergen-free. (The sorbets are labeled dairy-free and gluten-free.) The representative also said allergen-containing products are produced on different days and mostly on separate lines.
With Talenti, note that they do produce some products with tree nuts, peanuts and milk. While they do not have dedicated lines, they offer this statement regarding cross-contact risk: “Talenti follows a very rigorous allergen quality control plan for the storage and handling of these allergens to ensure that our product contains no unlabeled allergens.” Allergic Living discloses for transparency, knowing food allergy families have different comfort levels when it comes to allergen cleaning and control processes.
On to the sorbet taste-test categories and contenders.
Category No. 1 – Raspberry
The competitors are: Häagen-Daz, Talenti, The Frozen Farmer.
Category No. 2 – Strawberry
Two Frozen Farmer flavors go head-to-head: Strawberry vs. Strawberry Lemonade.
Category No. 3 – Mango
Talenti takes on The Frozen Farmer.
Category No. 4 – Miscellaneous
The Frozen Farmer flavors compete: Peach vs. Watermelon & Cherry.
Tune into the video to find out the Allergic Living judges’ winners. Plus, they include their overall top choice.
Sorbets: Creamy vs. Icy
Megan found it most interesting her younger son, who can have dairy, leaned to the creamier sorbets (Talenti, Häagen-Daz). But her older son, who is allergic to dairy, gravitated toward The Frozen Farmer, which is an icier brand.
“That’s why I’m happy that allergy-friendly brands keep expanding to meet the diverse crowd we are in the food allergy community,” says Megan. “Not all ‘free-from’ people like the same things.”
Megan, who’s known for her AllergyAwesomeness.com recipe website, hopes these two taste-test challenges prove helpful for allergy moms and allergic adults.
As her sons with food allergies know well, “it’s a thrill when you have a limited diet, and you can find new things.”
Related Reading: Allergic Living’s dairy-free ice cream recipes here.
Megan’s Minute Series
Join Allergic Living monthly for a new installment of Megan’s Minute with Megan Lavin, the creator of the Allergy Awesomeness blog, which features great Top-9 free recipes and articles. Follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
Following are some of the previous Megan’s Minute videos:
Taste Test Part 1: Free-From, Nondairy Ice Creams
How to Manage Field Trips with Food Allergies
Self-Carrying Epinephrine at School: Why It Matters
Food Allergy 101: Critical Basics to Know
How to Hire a Babysitter with Food-Allergic Kids
Going to Birthday Parties with Food Allergies
How to Host or Attend Barbecues and Parties
How to Plan Meals with Food Allergies
