From Robyn

May 16 2017

Emily’s Story: A Life Lost to a Food Allergy and a Parent’s Wish

Robyn O'Brien Food Allergies, From Robyn 0

Written by Paul and Catrina Vonder Meulen with an introduction from Robyn O’Brien

Eleven years ago, we received an email from father who had literally just lost his 13 year old daughter, Emily, to an allergic reaction.

Today, May 16, 2017, would have been her 25th birthday. This family has been with us since the beginning of this work.

As we launched AllergyKids on Mother’s Day 2006, I wondered if doing this work would make a difference, but I knew that doing nothing in the face of this epidemic was not an option.

The email that we received from Emily’s father was one of the very first emails that we received at AllergyKids, and it immediately grounded this work in a commitment that we would never shake. Emily died from an allergic reaction after eating at a Subway.

AllergyKids site could not have been up for more than a handful of days when her dad’s email came in. “I wish I had known about you earlier….” he wrote, and then shared one of the most heart-aching stories we have ever received.

I can not begin to imagine the heartache in her family. We have shared her parents’ words here, her sister’s words, and we are sharing Emily’s story again on her 25th birthday.

Emily’s story took hold of our hearts and inspired our mission. In the years since, when we wavered out of fatigue or fear, we kept going because of families like Emily’s. Because we only have one life here, and because too many children and families are now impacted by this condition.

A food allergic reaction sends someone to the emergency room once every three minutes in the United States. In the U.S., between 1997-2010, the number of people with a peanut allergy have more than quadrupled. Emily was more than just a statistic. She was a child that parents lost.

Emily’s story is a testimony of love and courage that has inspired countless others. Her favorite saying was “Live, Laugh, Love.”

And so we wanted to take this opportunity to once again share her story, as it originally first appeared on the AllergyKids site nine years ago, in the hopes that families everywhere can learn how to protect the health of children with asthma and allergies from cross-reactivity and cross-contamination.

As shared by Emily’s parents:

Emily’s Story and Our Message

When Emily was about two years old, Paul gave her a peanut butter cracker, almost immediately she started to fuss and rub at her eyes and start to develop hives. He gave her Benadryl and the allergic reaction calmed down. It was only after Emily’s death and subsequent research that Paul realized that this was when Emily’s immune system started building antibodies to fight off nuts.

After this initial exposure to nuts, Emily’s body developed its own protective warning system. If she came in contact with a food that had been exposed to nuts, she would have a tingling sensation on the back of her tongue, she would immediately spit the food out and then to protect itself, her body would vomit trying to expel whatever the offending allergen was. It was that reaction that made us comfortable with this allergy. She knew what she could and couldn’t eat. If kids brought snacks into school and they couldn’t tell her if it had nuts in it or not, she wouldn’t eat it. If they said it was free of nuts, she would still test it by putting it to her lips and touching it with her tongue. If she didn’t have a reaction, she knew it was safe.

I think you really want to know more of what happened that day, but I needed to let you know why I was so unprepared for what happened on April 13th. Elena (10), Emily and I had gone shopping that day for a graduation dress at a mall here in Cincinnati. After buying her dress (which she wore out of the store) we stopped to have lunch at about 2:50 at the mall’s food court. We decided to have a sandwich at a place that we had eaten before (we considered it a “safe food” restaurant) because Emily, in fact, had eaten this very same sandwich many times before with no problems. Their website even shows that it is peanut-free except for two of their cookies. After having lunch, we walked through a new t-shirt shop where Emily fell, tripping over her shoes, and landing on her bottom. She laughed and got right back up. We continued shopping, going to a store where we were going to get Emily’s ears pierced. While we were in this shop, Emily mentioned that she was afraid she might have messed her underwear when she fell and wanted to check it out. She came back about 5 minutes later, did two puffs of her inhaler, telling me that she felt hot and did her face look red. I told her no, but maybe we should leave. She said that her new dress felt tight and that she wanted to change her clothes. I said fine. She took her clothes and went to the bathroom. Elena and I stayed at the shop looking at “girly” stuff.

A few minutes later, I got a phone call from a girl in the bathroom asking if I have a daughter Emily and that she was having trouble breathing. Elena and I rushed to the bathroom where we found Emily gasping for air. She tried to do her inhaler again, but I could tell from looking at her that this was not good. The whites of her eyes were completely red and her normally pink cheeks were white. I immediately called 911. Emily had enough air to ask two questions. Emily became disoriented and wandered into the hallway. I had her lay down and she passed out. A woman passing by and I started performing CPR while Elena was on the phone with 911. The woman that was helping me said that Emily was O.K., and another woman said she felt air coming out of her nose. To me, Emily was not O.K., she was blue. Then I heard the strangest sound come out her mouth. People later tell me it was her death-breath. 911 had not shown up yet. Emily was taken to the hospital where they continued CPR. I arrived maybe 10 minutes later where the doctors told me they could not get her heart to start. They had finally got the breathing tube in the right spot, but they had given her all the medicine they are allowed to jumpstart her heart plus more, with no success. They were telling me my daughter was dead. It was 4:20. I believe Emily passed away in the bathroom hallway at the mall, which would have been around 3:45.

To answer your questions:

Did she have an Epi Pen with her? If so… Was it administered immediately?

NO, I did not have an Epi-pen with me. Unfortunately, if I did have an Epi-pen with me, I don’t know if I would have known to use it. I thought Emily was having an asthma attack because of her fall. I didn’t know that what was happening to her was associated with food. She didn’t have the tingling on her tongue, she didn’t vomit, it was a safe food (so we thought).

What did she have to eat at the Deli?

Emily had the Sweet Onion Chicken-Teriyaki Wrap. We knew it contained soy sauce. This particular deli did not make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. We still don’t know where the trace amount of peanut came from. Unfortunately, the coroner and the investigator can’t prove anything at this moment, but because her reaction was so rapid and violent, the coroner has no other option but to point to the last meal Emily ate. Somehow a trace amount of peanut cross contaminated the sandwich she had eaten. We are still waiting for lab results – until then the findings are inconclusive.

How quick was her reaction?

We ordered around 2:50 and were done eating about 3:10. My best guess is that around 3:20 is when she started feeling hot and went to change her clothes. I called 911 at 3:26 and I believe she was gone around 3:40. The doctor’s pronounced her dead at 4:20.

Did she have any close calls before her death from reactions to something she had eaten?

NO, she did not have any close calls before this incident. Paul and I were in a comfort zone counting on Emily’s internal alarm system and the fact that she knew what she could and couldn’t eat, while we were blind to the fact that she was still very much in danger. Please understand, Emily was terrified of the Epi-pen and was diligent about asking questions about food preparation and ingredients. She did not want to be stuck with the Epi-pen. That’s what makes this all the harder to understand, Emily was her own advocate.

Your child is at a wonderful age, you can still control what they eat, you are watchful to make sure they don’t put the wrong thing in their mouth, you are their advocate. During this age, you can learn what the symptoms of anaphylactic shock are, you can develop a plan in case of an emergency, and go over and over what the plan is with friends and family so, God forbid, that emergency comes, you don’t think, you react.

As your child gets older, and they become more independent and responsible, don’t relax! According to FAAN, children between the ages of 10 and 19 are at a much higher risk of fatality. It defies logic, because you think now your child is at an age where they know and understand the dangers of their allergies and they will not take a chance. But what you don’t know or think you know is what can take their life so quickly. It is almost as if every time you eat prepared food, your child has a gun pointed at their heart. We don’t want to scare parents, but we want you to be scared, so that you stay vigilant in protecting your child.

I know this may sound irresponsible but please read it for what it is, learning lessons. As a learning lesson, my family would eat shelled peanuts on the couch. When they were done, Emily and I would go into the living room and vacuum the couch and the carpets. I wanted her to understand that she has to protect herself and that she can’t count on others to be as diligent as she had to be. Another time, we were taking a flight to San Diego. At the time, they still served peanuts on the plane. I had Emily wipe down the fold-down tray and arm rests in case the person who sat there before her ate peanuts and the residue remained on the surface.

The most bizarre part of this past 14 years is that I don’t think I understood that Emily could die. I thought she would get hives, swelling, asthma attacks, or really sick, but never in all of my thoughts did I ever think of death. Why didn’t that ever cross my mind? Did I not want to think that was a possibility? I now look at a lifetime of guilt, wondering how I could have done more. Please don’t ever feel you are being too protective when it comes to the health of your child and if someone tells you to relax, tell them Emily’s Story.

Learn more about Emily as the Vonder Meulens share “What We Wish We Knew“, including the potential risk that soy may pose for those with peanut allergy and how anaphylaxis can look like asthma by clicking on What We Wish We Knew as seen on www.foodallergyangel.com.

May 8 2017

Get the Facts on Food Allergies & Share the Data

Robyn O'Brien From Robyn, Food Allergies 0

May is Food Allergy Awareness Month. As millions of families raise awareness of this life-threatening condition, you also have to pause and reflect on the fact that so few of us knew anyone with a food allergy when we were kids.

I didn’t, so eleven years ago, when a plate of scrambled eggs changed my life, I was totally unaware.

That morning, I thought nothing about the blue yogurt I’d put out for breakfast for my four little kids or the plate of scrambled eggs.

Not until our youngest started to fuss. I thought she was tired, so I put her down for a nap. For some reason, which I still can not explain, I went to check on her, and her face was swollen shut. I raced her to the emergency room.

“This looks like an allergic reaction,” the pediatrician said. “What did you feed the kids for breakfast?” And she started rattling off data on food allergies. The condition now impacts 1 in 13 kids, 2 kids in every classroom. A life threatening allergic reaction sends someone to the emergency room in the U.S. once every three minutes. My heart raced as I watched my baby struggle to breathe, and as we got her under control, I wanted to understand what was happening: why do so many American children now have food allergies?

Nothing could have prepared me for what I would uncover.

Before having kids, I worked in the world of finance. I’d been an equity analyst on a team that managed $20 billion in assets. I was the only woman on the team, and I covered the food industry. I understood why the food industry had removed real ingredients from their products and replaced them with fake ones: it drove margins and profitability.

But I’d never thought to ask what all of this was doing to the health of our families.

From 1997-2007, the rate of hospitalizations related to food allergic reactions increased 265%, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Today, the auto-injector device, EpiPen, is now a $1+ billion brand, and its manufacturer, Mylan, has profited enormously from the condition. They have hiked the price of the drug over 500% in the U.S. market to over $600. It sells for about $100 in other countries. In the fall of 2016, families came together to demand action in what is now known as #epigate. Congressional hearings occurred, but families are still struggling to afford the device, even as Mylan initiated a global recall.

If the food allergy community were a state, it would be the 5th largest state in the U.S. by population – right after California, Texas, New York and Florida.

The number of people with food allergies in the U.S. is greater than the entire populations of New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago combined.

The number of people with peanut allergy in the United States more than quadrupled since 1997. And it isn’t just peanuts, milk, soy, corn and other allergies are all increasing at record rates. Genetics don’t change this quickly, so what has?

Researchers reporting in the Journal of the American Medical Association states that the costs of food allergies, from medical care to food to pharmaceuticals is $4,184 per child per year, costing our economy $25 billion, including lost productivity.

To discount this condition in any way is irresponsible.

Thankfully, not everyone is.

Mondelez, formerly known as Kraft, recently acquired Enjoy Life Foods, a well-loved brand in the allergy space.

The plan is to grow it into a billion dollar brand. The company is free from genetically engineered ingredients, allergens and artificial additives.

In the United States, we are quickly learning that our food supply contains a lot of ingredients that simply did not exist when we were kids – from artificial food dyes and artificial growth hormones, to excess levels of pesticides now used on genetically engineered foods (GMOs). But it isn’t like this in other countries, and our own American corporations don’t use these ingredients in the products they sell overseas.

That double standard is tough to swallow.

So are we allergic to food or are we allergic to what’s been done to it in America?

With no labels on things like GMOs in the U.S., the biotech industry is able to claim that there is not a single documented case of these foods ever causing harm. There is no evidence without labels, because there is no traceability – there is just the escalating rates of allergic diseases in our families.

Correlation is not causation, but as a growing number of consumers opt out of these artificial and genetically engineered ingredients, companies are, too. Target, Costco, Chipotle, Kroger, General Mills and Cheerios have responded to this demand for “free-from” food and are producing more foods free-from allergens, artificial dyes, GMOs and artificial ingredients.

It can’t happen fast enough.

A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association says that living in the United States increases your risk of allergic disease “significantly.

“Children born outside the United States had significantly lower prevalence of any allergic diseases (20.3%) than those born in the United States (34.5%),” said the study led by Jonathan Silverberg of St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York.

According to Reuters and Dr. Ruchi Gupta, who studies allergies at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, “Food allergies have increased tremendously,” she told Reuters Health. “We do see people who come from other countries don’t tend to have it.”

So are we allergic to food or to what’s been done to it in America? Especially as other countries take precautions that we haven’t and keep things like GMOs out?

The skyrocketing number of American dealing with food allergies should serve as an alarm to rethink our food.

Food allergies are not a “niche” just as cancer is not a fad.

It’s time to #rethinkfood. The future of our country, our military and our economy depends on it.

May 3 2017

Meet Weston: An 11 Year Old and True Food Allergy Leader

Robyn O'Brien Food Heroes, Food Allergies, From Robyn 0

Every day, we hear from families dealing with conditions like food allergies, Type 1 diabetes, pediatric cancers and so much more. These conditions impact a family on every level—financial, emotional, mental and physical.

We also hear about some pretty amazing kids who decide to become their own advocates.

That’s what happened when we heard from Weston and his mom, Jennifer.

In light of the recent headlines about Mylan’s chairman paying himself $160+ million to oversee the price-gouging known as #epigate, we are thrilled to highlight the story of this boy. He gives us hope for future leadership in the food allergy world.

Dear Robyn, I am the mother of an amazing 11 year old boy with food intolerances When my son was about 4 years old, we discovered he had an intolerance to artificial colors and flavors. When he consumed these ingredients, he would vomit, but he would also get very agitated and angry and out of control, almost as if something was taking control of his little brain. I did a ton of research, and ended up doing an elimination diet where we removed anything that wasn’t a whole food.

After about a week off of processed foods, my son was able to look me in the eye and he was able to control his emotions in an age appropriate way. We slowly added some foods back in to his diet, and landed on petroleum based food additives as the culprit. Since then, he has been off of all artificial colors, flavors and preservatives and life has been pretty good.

We switched from the word intolerance to the word allergy because people listen to that word in large part, I’m certain, due to your work. At the beginning of our food exploration, I was using the word “special diet” or “intolerance” and twice had other parents feed my child brightly colored birthday cakes or treats because they “felt bad for him.” After that, we started saying he is allergic, because people don’t mess around with food allergies.

Weston is an advocate for eating a healthy, non-GMO diet, and has told many of his friends at school that he’s lucky to have his allergy, as it requires him to eat real food instead of chemicals. He has inspired others in his class and neighborhood to adopt a healthier way of eating through his passion for whole foods.

Weston is not only a kid with food allergies, but he also has dyslexia. He has worked super hard to reach a reading level above grade level, but he does still struggle with spelling and handwriting. I tell you this because he wrote you a letter, Robyn, and I’ll attach it to this email, but I’ll also transcribe it for you below.

Weston is working on a project in school where he has to create a website that will inspire others. He chose food allergy awareness. He and I watched your Ted Talk together, and then he did quite a bit of research. He is looking for any data that correlates the rise in food allergies to the use of chemicals and GMOs in our food supply. He is very inspired by you, and wanted you to know what he’s working on. Below is his letter to you.

Dear Robyn, I am creating a website due to an artificial allergy I’ve had as long as I can remember. I’ve learned many facts from my research; including that adding synthetic anything to our food can increase ADHD symptoms, cancer in animals and sometimes cancer in humans. People don’t know this important information, and I bet if they do know, most of them really don’t care. I’m one of the few who care about what goes into our bodies. After learning some of these important facts, I’ve been more passionate than ever to make this world a better place. One step at a time, one bite at a time, the world can be, no WILL be, a better place. Thank you, Weston

Thank you for taking the time to read our story, and Westons letter. We would love to hear back from you and help your cause in any way possible! Thank you for all that you do! Best regards, Jennifer and Weston

May 3 2017

Illegal Conduct: Mylan’s Chairman and His $100 Million Salary

Robyn O'Brien Food Allergies, From Robyn 3

Yesterday, I was contacted by someone in the press to get my reaction to the fact that Mylan’s chairman, Robert Coury, was paid almost $100 million in 2016 and received an additional $60 million in retirement benefits.

The journalist wanted my reaction, given that the company jacked up the price of EpiPen, their signature product, 17 times over the last several years, an increase of over 600%. These price hikes put children’s lives at risk as parents could no longer afford the device.

What did I think about the chairman of this board? I immediately thought of the aftermath of the Well Fargo scandal that spurred investors to build a stronger board.

Mylan’s investors need to build a stronger board.

There are so many inherent conflicts of interests here that it is hard to know where to start.

Analysts attending to the pharmaceutical industry events have spoken to the relationship between Coury and his CEO Bresch, as has other pharma CEOs. Interestingly, Coury was nowhere to be seen last year during #epigate. He sent CEO Bresch out on the frontline to deal with the #epigate furor as it hit, and the stock tanked almost 30%.

Coury oversaw Bresch’s ascension to the top ranks of the company without completing her MBA, leading to one of the first scandals the company faced, before working together to build the monopoly that became Mylan.

As chairman, Coury also oversaw Mylan’s Compensation Committee and what are known as “bid grids,” negotiations with the pharmacy benefit managers that allowed Mylan to keep their competition off of the shelves of pharmacies.

Bid grids directly impacted not only Mylan’s revenue but also their market share. In these negotiations, a company would agree to kick back a certain dollar amount to the pharmacy benefit managers in exchange for locking out their competition. They are now being sued by Sanofi for this anti-competitive behavior and “engaging in illegal conduct.”

Coury also oversaw the ever greening of the EpiPen patent, recently brought to light in a recent class action lawsuit filed against the company.

He also engineered the tax inversion, relocating Mylan’s headquarters overseas in order to avoid paying substantial taxes in the U.S. This was orchestrated as EpiPen’s market share exploded to a 94% monopoly and the price of the device was jacked up 17 times.

Coury also, as board chair, oversaw the fact that American parents were paying over $600 for a device that cost Canadian moms and dads about $100. He put lives at risk, and it is hard to put a number to those costs.

As the #epigate story broke last year, we heard from pharmacists who spoke about crying mothers at their counters, no longer able to afford EpiPens. We heard from mothers who split their packages in two, putting a child who may need two injections at risk. And we heard from families who chose between buying an EpiPen and paying their rent or mortgage or food bills. But without a doubt, the hardest conversations we had were with the parents who lost their children to a life-threatening allergic reaction.

Since then, Cigna announced that they will no longer cover Mylan’s top revenue generator and CVS Pharmacy launched an alternative at 1/6 the price. On top of that, Auvi-Q returned to market in February, and a another auto injector company just filed an IPO to raise the funds to bring their product to market.

When I read about Coury’s pay package, it reminded me of 20 points made last year, as #epigate hit: 20 things you may not know about Mylan, the company that makes EpiPen. These 20 points are why, before pointing the finger at anyone else, the company has a lot to take care of internally. Something that the resigning Coury will neatly side-step.

20 Things You May Not Know About the EpiPen Company

The price of the EpiPen has increased 17 times since Mylan acquired the company in 2007.
Mylan left United States for a tax inversion. It moved its headquarters to the Netherlands to avoid paying higher taxes and to avoid a takeover.
The Dutch maneuver and movement of the company’s headquarters overseas, which transferred a large chunk of Mylan shares to a special foundation called a stichting, also acted as a poison pill that would undermine takeovers.
Senator Joe Manchin (of West Virginia) has a daughter who is the CEO of Mylan.
Mylan was originally a West Virginia company where the Senator is from.
Even Senator Joe Manchin said the tax inversion should be illegal.
EpiPens were about $57 when Mylan acquired it. Today, it can empty pockets of $600 or more in the US
EpiPens were invented in 1977, almost 40 years ago. A patent life is usually 17 years.
Mylan’s profits from selling EpiPens, which they have aggressively, famously marketed, hit $1.2 billion in 2015.
That year, Bloomberg reported that the epinephrine-delivery system represented 40% of Mylan’s operating profits.
EpiPen was developed for the U.S. military for treating exposure to nerve agents in the course of chemical warfare
The top five executives of Mylan pull in over $85 million dollars. The CEO makes about $19 million.
The CEO claimed to have an MBA from West Virginia University despite being 22 credits short of completion.
EpiPen Canada has not raised its prices in any significant way.
In France, two EpiPens cost about $85. Two EpiPens in the U.K. cost 89.99 pounds.
EpiPens in Australia cost about $40 AUD.
EpiPens in the U.S. cost more than anywhere else in the world.
The price of EpiPens in the U.S. is up almost 600%. The CEO’s salary is up 800%.
According to Wells Fargo, Mylan raised prices by more than 20% on 24 products, and by more than 100% on seven products. The analyst who wrote the report warned that Mylan could draw “greater regulatory scrutiny and headline risk” as a result of such price boosts.
The CEO, Heather Bresch, interviewed today for “taking it on the chin,” spoke about her over 90% market share and monopoly before Congress. She is one of the top paid executives in the pharmaceutical industry.

The bottom line is that lives are at risk. Kids are “taking it on the chin,” parents are “taking it on the chin.”

Will Coury sail off into retirement now with his $160+ million pay package and continue to throw Bresch to the wolves?

How does that impact the 1 in 13 kids with food allergies? Some families need as many as 8 sets of EpiPens if they have multiple children with food allergies. They can no longer afford to keep their children safe. It’s hitting parents and taxpayers.

I have heard from a mother who said two EpiPens didn’t save her child. I’ve also heard from Congressmen and countless others whose lives have been directly impacted by Mylan’s price-gouging.

You have to wonder, in the company’s cost-benefit analysis, what is the value Mylan placed on a child’s life? What price elasticity did they discover when Ms. Bresch and her team decided to jack up the price of EpiPens seventeen times? What process did Coury oversee in deciding to jack up the price of seven other drugs in their portfolio over 100% last year?

Maybe perhaps before Coury retires, we will get to see that deck and presentation.

CEO Heather Bresch’s salary was docked in 2016 from $18 million down to $13 million. Maybe Nora O’Donnel was right in that interview earlier this year, and it really is Ms. Bresch who “took it on the chin.” It certainly wasn’t Coury.

It’s hard to stomach this kind of arrogance and greed. And rightfully, families around the country had an allergic reaction when they saw Coury’s pay package. Three board members are resigning this year, one is real estate developer being investigated by the SEC for land deals he did with Mylan.

Too many lives have been lost, too many more are still at risk if this company is allowed to continue to operate without further investigation.

If we’ve seen anything, Mylan’s EpiPen does nothing to quell the inflammation that is greed. And just as federal funding of food allergy research could use a shot in the arm, so could another federal investigation of this company.

Written in memory of Sabrina, Emily, Oakley, Joseph, Gio and the countless other children whose lives have been lost to a life-threatning food allergic reaction.

More information can be found here on their proposed “price cut” and other concerns from families, those in the Senate and business analysts:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/mylan-says-just-cut-price-143319975.html?soc_src=mediacontentstory&soc_trk=fb

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/08/24/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-ceo-behind-the-big-epipen-price-hikes.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/24/upshot/the-epipen-a-case-study-in-health-care-system-dysfunction.html

http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000545619

April 21 2017

Watch and Share: Food for Thought Webinar with Dr. Frank Lipman and EWG

Robyn O'Brien From Robyn, Food Politics, Health 0

I was asked by my dear friend, Dr Frank Lipman to moderate this month’s Be Well Workshop. It featured Dr. Lipman, a NYC-based physician and the founder of Be Well and Ken Cook, founder of Environmental Working Group (EWG).

It was a very important conversation, in which we talked about the correlation between our food supply, the rise of chronic disease and conditions, and the influence that money has had on the science. All experts shared their mutual viewpoint on the issue and encouraged consumers to take action.

“What we are realizing is that the food system from the 20th century cannot feed 21st century families. We are too allergic, we are too diabetic, we are battling too many autoimmune conditions and too many diseases—and we need food that’s free from a lot of the ingredients we’ve been using the 20th century.” —Robyn O’Brien

“I always suggest to eat as close to nature as possible. I have this motto: if it’s made by god, it’s probably good; if it’s made by man, be careful. So I encourage patients and readers to know the source of their food, know your farmer, shop at farmer’s markets, speak to your farmers and encourage them to know their clients’ needs.”
—Dr. Frank Lipman

“Do something that’s going to make you feel successful; make you feel like you are on a winning streak and that might mean just making some slight changes in the produce aisle; more and more choices available in large grocery stores are now organic than before, like potatoes, carrots, spinach, fresh lettuce—all of these are a significant portion of the organic produce supply because of what consumers have done and how farmers have responded.” —Ken Cook

April 13 2017

Tokyo Joe’s: Recipe For Change and a Healthy America

Robyn O'Brien From Robyn 0

Papa John’s Pizza just announced that they are now offering organic toppings on their pizzas.

They aren’t the first fast food chain to get in on the action. Quick service restaurants (known as QSRs) are also making changes in response to consumer demand.

I recently spoke with the CEO of Tokyo Joe’s, Mark Davis. Several families had reached out to share how much this chain is doing for those with food allergies.

Their motto is “Eat Good. Feel Good” and after an hour on the phone with the CEO, it is obvious that they live it.

This team was way ahead of its time. The founder, Larry Leith, who started the restaurant in 1996 was a professional mobile skier and cyclist, living in Colorado.

It was in his DNA to recognize that our food is our fuel and to find the cleanest ingredients possible. Why? It enhanced athletic performance.

His thought? Let’s come up with a menu without fries, without preservatives, that gives everyone a chance to eat and feed their families healthy food at an affordable price.

Their plan was to offer healthy portions at a good value.

As I spoke with the CEO, Mark, it was obvious that these guys live and breathe it. He spoke about their labels: V – for the vegan and dairy allergy community, GF – for those looking for gluten-free options and those with Celiac Disease, and sugar-free. In other words, they are addressing the needs of 21st century consumers.

However, the reason that I reached out to him in the first place is because of how they handle those with food allergies.

As the CEO, shared: “One of the opportunities that we saw, with us being an Asian-concept chain, is that we have several ingredients that are nuts. How do we look at sauces? Menu items? Things that work for everyone?”

His answer was amazing: they invite food allergy families in to ask them about how they clean the line and prepare the foods for those with allergies. But what was more impressive is that he remembered the families by name, both the names of the moms and the names of the kids. He was so proud to forward correspondence he’d received because of how the company chose to address it.

Rather than run from these consumers, they were embracing them.

When I asked how he made it work, he said that they try to hire people and give them the autonomy to help customers that come in. To this CEO what is critical is that it comes back to the team members, that they have buy in and ownership. Everyone is invested in the outcome, not just the executives in the offices in downtown Denver.

So why do these guys get it at such a deep level? Maybe because the CEO has a 6 year old or maybe because he has a college aged athlete who completely understands how food impacts his performance on the field.

Or maybe, because as he shared, “I was a Panera guy for a long time and helped them grow west, Canada. We saw the opportunity to be healthier.”

They cater not only to families and those with food allergies, but also to body builders, pro-cycling, mountain bike team, cancer patients, those with Celiacs and more.

So where are they (besides my hometown of Boulder, Colorado)? They will have 48 stores by year end. They had just 28 stores (all Colorado-based), when the founder sold the company to Gridiron Capital.

Now, they are operating in Dallas (4), Ft Worth, Phoenix, and soon to be Laguna Niguel, California

They tend to flock to warm weather places, beyond Colorado, because they learned that when it snows, “we don’t do as well, because it’s not comfort food. We do well in the sun.” They are good food for those with a healthy lifestyle (or those wanting one).

In light of the recent United Airlines disaster, we spoke a lot about how they give employees at the store level the autonomy to do the right thing.

The CEO also shared that the general managers also get a ticket to Hawaii every year, and the founder’s Hawaii house for a week. That’s some kind of compensation and recognition for work well-done!

Their marketing tends to be grassroots. For example, next week in California, there will be a ribbon cutting, the mayor of Laguna Nigel will join, as will the Rotary Club.

They make healthy food affordable and accessible to those who may not always get it. Not just for their customers, but also, in the early years, Tokyo Joe’s prided itself on hiring “the few, the proud, the fierce, people that couldn’t get jobs other places.”

Their model is a powerful one, so well-positioned for 21^st century families and food trends. As Papa John’s goes organic, I truly hope to see Tokyo Joe’s and others integrate organic into their menu, too.

Why? Because in Papa John’s own words,

“Last year, our research showed that more than 50% of American households purchase organic ingredients. And based on recent trends, about 20% of all produce will come from certified organic farms by 2020. That was telling us something about our customers’ needs.”

When I asked Tokyo Joe’s CEO how he was able to retain and grow such a powerful vision, he said,

“You have to give people something to believe in, something to be part of that is bigger than the job. “

I couldn’t agree more. We are the change.

April 5 2017

Breaking Research: Emerging Science Highlights Serious and Growing Health Risks That Herbicides Pose to Women & Children

Robyn O'Brien Health, From Robyn 0

New evidence presented today at a pediatric research conference in Washington D.C. highlights growing concern over sharply rising herbicide use and risks to pregnant women and children, especially those living in the rural Midwest.

The research comes from two experts that I have known for over a decade and long admired for their courage and tenacity.

I was first introduced to Charles Benbrook, PhD, back in 2006, and to Dr. Phil Landrigan of the Children’s Environmental Health Network as a board member of Healthy Child Healthy World. Dr. Landrigan and I worked together on an advisory council for Governor Cuomo of New York.

So when they reached out and asked for help sharing their latest research, I did not hesitate. Charles Benbrook said, “It won’t be popular in some circles.” The truth rarely is.

Please read and share this important breaking research.

CEHN Research Conference voices alarm over rising herbicide use and risks pregnant women and children

New evidence presented today at a pediatric research conference in Washington D.C. highlights growing concern over sharply rising herbicide use and risks to pregnant women and children living in the rural Midwest.

Key findings and insights from peer-reviewed research conducted over the last 20 years were presented at the biennial 2017 Children’s Environmental Health Translational Research Conference sponsored by CEHN (Children’s Environmental Health Network).

In a panel titled “Will Rising Herbicide Use in the Midwest Raise Reproductive Risks?”, researchers presented new evidence showing that most Americans are now exposed on a near-daily basis to herbicides widely used on corn and soybean fields. This is because of recent changes in when and how herbicides are applied.

One study of pregnant women in an Indiana obstetric practice found glyphosate (aka Roundup) in the urine of over 90% of test subjects. According to the lead scientist, Dr. Paul Winchester, “In our study, which is ongoing, mothers with relatively higher levels of glyphosate were more likely to have shorter pregnancies and deliver babies with lower birth-weight, outcomes that everyone should be concerned about.”

In his presentation at the CEHN Research Conference, Dr. Winchester points out that “Shorter pregnancies with relatively lower birth weights have been linked to lower cognitive ability later in life and higher risk of metabolic syndrome.”

Dr. James Roberts, chairman of the CEHN Board, explained that “Our goal in this project, as in all CEHN activities, is to support and assure the health of children, from conception through pregnancy and birth, and throughout early growth and development.”

Resistant Weeds Driving Herbicide Use Upward

Research shows that the ongoing spread of weeds resistant to glyphosate in the Midwest is triggering intensification of herbicide use. Ten years ago, most soybean fields were sprayed with one or two herbicides. Four or more herbicides will be applied by most soybean growers in 2017, and some of these herbicides will be sprayed more than once.

Herbicide use is likely to continue rising for several years, because the Environmental Protection Agency has recently approved several crops genetically engineered (GE) to resist (i.e. survive) applications of multiple herbicides. These next-generation GE crops are designed to increase reliance on, and use of specific herbicides.

Around 40 million acres of corn and soybeans will be planted in 2017 to new GE corn and soybean varieties, acres that will be sprayed with combinations of glyphosate (Roundup), glufosinate (Liberty), 2,4-D (EnlistDuo), dicamba (XtendiMax and Engenia), and several other herbicides.

Rates of application are also rising sharply for some herbicides. Overall soybean herbicide use will, on average, more than double in 2017 compared to 2001.

In addition, “Until this year, most herbicides in the Midwest were sprayed during a six-week window, but now the heavy herbicide spray season will last at least four months, placing more women and children at heightened risk,” explained science team member Dr. Phil Landrigan, Dean for Global Health at Mt. Sinai Medical School.

As a result, the risk of reproductive problems and adverse birth outcomes will rise among women and children living in rural areas, according to the panelists.

The Healthy Kids project will be a clearing house of information about the connection between herbicide use and health risks. Peer-reviewed studies conducted in rural areas since the 1990s report that the risk of herbicide-induced reproductive problems like spontaneous abortions and failure to conceive are greatest when the heavy, herbicide spray season coincides with the time-period spanning one month prior to conception and through a woman’s first trimester of pregnancy.

The project website: www.cehn-healthykids.org offers extensive information on trends in herbicide use, the role of glyphosate-resistant weeds in driving herbicide use upward, health risks, and public and private sector actions needed to prevent an increase in adverse birth outcomes in the years ahead.

To Schedule an Interview With Science Team Members Contact – Elizabeth Horton, [email protected], or call (207) 838-0084.

Access Research Conference Presentations at – http://cehn-healthykids.org/resources/project-work-products/

See the Herbicides in the Midwest Project Website for More Information – http://cehn-healthykids.org

About CENH

The Children’s Environmental Health Network is a national multi-disciplinary organization whose mission is to protect the developing child from environmental health hazards and promote a healthier environment. Today, CEHN is the voice of children’s environmental health in the nation’s capitol, one that is uniquely informed by a strong basis in pediatric and environmental health science.

To achieve this mission, the Network has had several goals:

To promote the development of sound public health and child-focused national policy

To stimulate prevention-oriented research

To educate health professionals, policy makers and community members in preventive strategies

To elevate public awareness of environmental hazards to children

For more on CEHN’s ongoing projects and activities, see www.cehn.org

fruits and vegetables and soil nutrition

March 20 2017

Dirt Poor: Have Fruits and Vegetables Become Less Nutritious?

Robyn O'Brien From Robyn 0

While reading up on the importance of magnesium, I came across this article from Scientific American.

Because of soil depletion, crops grown decades ago were much richer in vitamins and minerals than the varieties most of us get today. So what does that mean for our health? A lot.

“Modern intensive agricultural methods have stripped increasing amounts of nutrients from the soil in which the food we eat grows. Sadly, each successive generation of fast-growing, pest-resistant carrot is truly less good for you than the one before.

A landmark study on the topic by Donald Davis and his team of researchers from the University of Texas (UT) at Austin’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry was published in December 2004 in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. They studied U.S. Department of Agriculture nutritional data from both 1950 and 1999 for 43 different vegetables and fruits, finding “reliable declines” in the amount of protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, riboflavin (vitamin B2) and vitamin C over the past half century. Davis and his colleagues chalk up this declining nutritional content to the preponderance of agricultural practices designed to improve traits (size, growth rate, pest resistance) other than nutrition.

“Efforts to breed new varieties of crops that provide greater yield, pest resistance and climate adaptability have allowed crops to grow bigger and more rapidly,” reported Davis, “but their ability to manufacture or uptake nutrients has not kept pace with their rapid growth.” There have likely been declines in other nutrients, too, he said, such as magnesium, zinc and vitamins B-6 and E, but they were not studied in 1950 and more research is needed to find out how much less we are getting of these key vitamins and minerals.”

The Future of Food: What’s On Trend and What’s Out at the Industry’s Biggest Show

Robyn O'Brien Food Financials, From Robyn 2

This past week, the food industry gathered at Expo West 2017.

Denise Morrison of Campbell’s and Kathleen Merrigan, former USDA leader, keynoted Expo West, the natural and organic industry’s largest conference. That’s how far we’ve come—the future of food has a new look to it, and it’s decidedly powerful, with some strong female leads.

This year’s food show was packed, with 77,000 of your favorite foodies, funding vehicles and farmers.

The theme of the show definitely had a food+tech angle, with Campbell’s CEO, Ms. Morrison, talking about the incredible game-changing role that technology is having on our health. From personalized nutrition to the number of people checking online for recipes, to Amazon’s massive disruptive impact on the retail sector. Tech is playing a huge role.

Since 2010, 400 startups have received $8 billion in funding across the food eco-system. The space is just getting started. Almost 20% of our GDP is spent on managing disease and health care. Food can do so much of that, once we figure out better nutrition.

And that is what was on display this year. Sugar was out. It’s the new tobacco. Smart investors aren’t adding it to their portfolios.

What was in? Any beverage that is clear, with low to no sugar. These drinks are displacing Coke and Pepsi – from teas to kombuchas (which were on tap, like siding up to your favorite bar). Old school soda is in a death spiral. You wouldn’t want to be in charge of their P&L with the innovation that is happening in this space. You would want to be in charge of acquisitions, because it is the only way the beverage industry is going to grow. Kroger has proven that with their Simple Truth line – their brand that is free-from additives, GMOs, artificial ingredients and more – launched in 2012. Within 4 years, it hit $1.7 billion in revenue.

So what else was happening? The trends included:

Low sugar
Plant-based
Non-dairy
Gluten-free
Non-GMO
Fermented foods
Snacking (it’s an $89 billion market)

The first day, I walked the floor with a friend who is producing Mark Bittman’s podcast and with Mark Bittman of the New York Times. I wish we’d had a microphone on Mark. His running commentary was hilarious. Just because we can invent certain things in the food industry, doesn’t mean that we should.

The question for innovators and entrepreneurs to ask is: Does this heal or hurt my consumer? I’ve shared the data thousands of times, but once again, here it is:

1 in 2 American men and 1 in 3 women are expected to get cancer in their lifetimes.
1 in 3 kids now has allergies, autism, ADHD or asthma
1 in 2 minority kids born in the year 2000 are expected to be insulin dependent by the time they reach adulthood, and 1 in 3 white kids.
2 out of 3 Americans are battling obesity and weight issues in a serious way.

You can’t just innovate for innovation’s sake. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. Sorghum in chocolate? Not sure anyone is looking for that. But a kids’ supplement full of the heart-boosting, stress busting mineral magnesium, like Natural Vitality’s, now that makes sense.

There’s a lot that I loved about this year’s show and some that I didn’t. It very much is beginning to feel like the tech bubble of early 2000, where the space got so hot that everyone wanted in. I remember siting on the desk when those companies rolled through. It was pretty easy to quickly determine who knew what they were doing. The problem back then that I also now see in the food industry is uneducated capital, and people in it solely for the exit strategy.

Mark Cuban says, “Don’t start a company unless it’s an obsession and something you love. If you have an exit strategy, it’s not an obsession.”

No one lives and breathes this more than John Foraker, the head of Annie’s, and this year, he was recognized for his incredible role in the industry with an award. He took Annie’s public, successfully navigated the sale and transition of the company into General Mills, and is now also leading their Cascadian Farms division. He is one of my favorite people to see because his intellect, passion and ambition to change the industry are unparalleled. Cascadian Farms just joined Patagonia and the Land Institute to address soil erosion, greenhouse gas emissions, fertilizer runoff and more with an investment in Kernza, a new grain. When the history books are written on how we fixed our food system, his name will take up many chapters.

The best leaders, like John, know that the space is hot. They also know, like my friends at Back to the Roots, that unless you can manage your supply chain, secure your ingredients and provide transparency to your consumers, you’ve got a short fuse. This space is not easy. The supply chain issues are not easy. The liability is huge.

Transparency is the first ingredient in the recipe to earning consumers’ trust. The CEO of Campbell’s said that, and it is profoundly true.

The age of trying to tell her how to think, what to think, when to think are done. The consumer is thinking all of the time, because she is now managing either a life threatening food allergy, celiacs, diabetes or even cancer in her household. In many cases, she is managing multiple conditions. This puts her need for medications directly in conflict with her desire to invest in better for you brands. Brands like MegaFood are stepping in to help.

Brands like Schar, a gluten free bread company out of Europe get that. The founder, in his 60s, is a scientist at heart, engineering the best possible product for those dealing with Celiac Disease. And while the old school packaging does not convey the love and passion in the brand, make no mistake, it is there.

Brands like Health Warrior also know that they have to secure their supply chain to meet their numbers. If the demand is there but the ingredients aren’t, they’re screwed. So they’ve launched a Kickstarter to shine a light on their sourcing. It’s innovative, transparent and true. This is one of my favorite brands right now. Smart fuel for people getting smart about food fuel.

Creamy nut fillings are beefing up the protein profile of products, from Made in Nature to Clif Bar. High quality peanut butter is very much in. Brands like Good Spread are laying it on thick, raising awareness of malnourishment around the world, with one of the highest quality peanut butters on the market.

Sugar is out. Once we know better, we do better. And companies are shifting away from the white stuff. Investors are, too. If it’s already in their portfolio, fine, but they aren’t adding it. It’s the new tobacco. We now know what it does to our health, and responsible companies and investors are opting out.

What I love most are the alums in the food industry. Those that are constantly evolving, like the guy who founded Pirate’s Booty. He’s back with Vegan Rob’s, a snack line that is both nutrient dense, gluten-free and vegan. Do less harm. He’s so dialed into the industry, he’s someone you can look to as the compass. He knows what ingredients are hot and which ones to avoid. He knows that to be successful, you have to know the answer when asked: Does your product hurt or heal?

You can feel the success of the organic industry by the fact that Campbell’s CEO gave the keynote on the state of the industry. She’s in and had every reason to be on that stage because she broke with the status quo that the Grocery Manufacturers Association tried to maintain, and moved with her consumers, calling for mandatory, on package labeling of GMOs. She spoke about her desire to be the biggest, small food company, one that is a portfolio of many better for you brands. She also spoke about personalized nutrition, leveraging data and apps and technology, spun around and shared that their app, Habit, helped her lose 18 pounds.

There was something so real in that moment—her authenticity said: we are in this together.

We are. We are all Americans before we break into Republicans or Democrats. We are all eaters, before we break into conventional and organic.

Perhaps the most significant issue is the one that my brilliant friend, Matthew Dillon of Clif Bar shared: farmers no longer own their land. In many cases, they are on leases with payments due to landowners who know little to nothing about the soil or land management beyond the balance sheet. That presents an acute problem in financing the growth of the organic industry. Tenant farmers who are not land owners don’t have the financial flexibility needed to make the long-term decisions. So how do we refinance the farm?

Less than 5 million of the over 900 million acres used to grow food in this country are organic. Less than 1%. Kashi is trying to tackle it with a certified transitional program open to anyone. Nature’s Path, with its extraordinary integrity, is trying to do it, too. There is a long list of companies, from Costco to White Wave, with their focus on this. Regenerative agriculture is also a buzzing term in the industry. How do we heal the soil?

But this event needs a call to action around this.

So next year? Let’s leverage the almost 80,000 people on that trade show floor and send a message: with the growth in the food industry coming almost exclusively from this category, we have to finance the farmers’ conversion to organic. From leasing issues, to storage and holding tanks, to delivery of commodities, how do we build that system?

It’s the future of food, and we have to finance the future from the farm to the fork. It’s a line on the balance sheets that we have to get straight.

What isn’t linear is the curve of the heart found in this industry and the passion. Food is sensual, sensory and serves a powerful role in our health. It’s the kombucha on tap on show on the trade show floor – fun and irreverent. It’s the turmeric tucked into snacks and in supplements, tackling inflammation to help you feel better and do more. It’s the liquid snacks out of Garden of Life, protein shakes, organic, certified, B-corps.

There is so much love in this industry and so much passion. A mother protecting her baby, a husband protecting his wife. It’s the rocket fuel.

Companies that take care of consumers the way you’d take care of your own family are winning. If your brand radiates that, you’ve got your rocket fuel for success. Tap into it, foster it.

Food is so deeply personal. We’ve come out of the age of industrialized, processed food, thank goodness.

The future of food is no longer one-size-fits-all. It’s about personalized nutrition and meeting the changing needs of the 21st century family.

March 8 2017

Meet the 17 Women Who Inspire Me on Women’s Day 2017

Robyn O'Brien Food Heroes, From Robyn 0

On International Women’s Day, I just want to give a shout out to the women that I work with on a regular basis and those who have inspired me countless times through the years. There is a sisterhood in this work, and I couldn’t have done this without any of you.

Sara Blakely: The founder of Spanx gave support, quite literally, to women around the world, making strong sexy and sexy strong. Her fearless and passionate leadership will be the story of case studies, books and coursework in business schools for years to come.

Brene Brown: Because vulnerability is the real deal. If for some reason, you missed her TED talk, watch it. Because authenticity is the name of the game, and if you are wearing someone else’s look, drop it.

Jane Goodall: Her kind, steady and beautiful presence in the world of environmental research is so profound that she still sells out stadiums to college kids. She blazed the trail, and her silver ponytail is a vision that I hold onto as I continue into this work. Her lifetime of dedication is an inspiration to millions.

Denise Morrison: The CEO of Campbell’s moved the food industry forward when she broke with the Grocery Manufacturers Association and moved to support mandatory labeling of GMOs in all of Campbell’s products in response to consumer demand. She absolutely knew to listen to her consumers, and we can’t thank her enough for that!

Reese Witherspoon: for giving us laughter, gorgeous, strong female lead roless in movies and full permission to be Type A’s through her Type A Films (not to mention, Draper James).

Molly Ashby: the founder of Solera Capital led early investments in the organic food industry. Her team is primarily women, and they changed the game with an early stake in Annie’s.

Erika Karp: the founder of Cornerstone Capital Group is a brilliant voice in investment research and a systems-thinker like no other. The Cornerstone Capital Group is among the world’s leading voices in the field of sustainable investing and finance. She has been in finance for decades and recognizes the incredible role that women on boards play in the success of companies.

Annie Withey: As the founder of Annie’s, this mom of two simply wanted a simple bowl of mac and cheese for her kids that didn’t contain any junk. Little did she know that these little bunnies would turn around and become a bridge to a better food system. The Annie’s IPO in March 2012 had the biggest opening day gain of any IPO in any industry in almost a year that year, proving that big things can come in little packages!

Maria Rodale: the granddaughter of the founder of the Rodale Institute has been a strong and steady voice in food and farming reform for decades. She has carried on the spirit of her dad’s work, forever reminding us that we are only as healthy as the soil.

Ashley Koff: She’s my partner is crime on our podcast, Take Out with Ashley and Robyn. These game-changing conversations with thought-leaders are changing the conversation in food.

Megan Reamer: This mom of four beats any mom of four I know. She founded Jackson’s Honest in honor of her oldest son whose health rapidly declined at the age of two, leaving her with no answers. That wasn’t good enough, so she built her own solutions using food. Want inspiration? Take a look at her story.

Nicole Dawes: This mom founded Late July for her son who has life threatening food allergies. Want the gold standard in how food companies should label? Late July is it.

Katie Couric: the only time that I ever lost my words was standing in front of Katie. I went blank, speechless, given the enormous impact she’s had in journalism. Her work to bring cancer awareness to the front line, after she lost her husband, is some of the bravest work out there. And her film, Fed Up, with Stephanie Soechtig, brought the massive impact that sugar is having on the health of our country to light.

Liz Claman: this FOX News anchor was a driving, steady and strong force for good on #epigate. She continues to shine a very bright light on the skyrocketing price of drugs, particularly Mylan’s EpiPen, and the impact that it is having on American families and our health care system.

Serena Williams: What a gorgeous example of strength. Enough said, but if you need more, here she is.

Rachel Carson: the woman was way ahead of her time, calling out this pollution of our food supply in her groundbreaking book, Silent Spring. Her tenacity and strength inspire me every day.

Erin Brockovich: Because she gave voice to countless women and environmental advocates and never quit. She has always stood for what this day is all about – embracing our strengths, intellect and gifts to make the world a better place.

There are so many others: Laura Turner Seydel of the Captain Planet Foundation, Gregg Renfrew of BeautyCounter, Debbie Levin of the Environmental Media Association, Leah Segedie for Mamavation, Aviva Romm, my brilliant Yale MD friend, Nicole Smith of Allergic Child, and my 105 year old grandmother in Louisiana, mom, mother-in-law, sisters, nieces and especially my daughters.

Thank you for the lessons, love and the inspiration that you provide every day.