Halls Cough Drops

Dear Ms. Taveras-Koranda:

Thank you for your inquiry concerning the presence of allergens in products produced by our company.

We are a food company committed to very high standards and we have a clearly defined policy of complying with food regulations. Additionally, we work closely with legislative authorities and other interested parties at all points along the food supply chain to ensure that safe and wholesome foods are provided to our consumers.

Our company complies with all applicable labeling regulations by the Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory bodies in the U.S. In addition, we have implemented an internal food allergen management policy, pursuant to which we have undertaken the labeling of any known allergens in the following categories: cereals (containing gluten and products of these including wheat, rye, barley, triticale, spelt, kamut, and oats, but not corn, rice, sorghum, or buckwheat), crustacea (including shrimp, prawns, crab, lobster, and crayfish), mollusks (including oysters, clams, scallops, and mussels), eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, tree nuts, sesame seeds, and sulfites (greater than 10 mg/kg). Accordingly, we continuously assess our products and update supplier information in order to make new or existing labels accurately reflect the presence of the listed allergens.

We appreciate your inquiry and welcome any additional questions you may have regarding any of our products.

Sincerely,

Consumer Relations


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The Goodness of Garlic

I just got back from another 5-day adventure in the Dominican Republic. It wasn't the best trip, but we made many wonderful memories at my cousin's kitchen table, on the beach in Boca Chica, and on our adventures in Santo Domingo. The radiator in my sister's car died, my boyfriend has an asthma attack, and I aquired a low grade fever/body aches/sinus and GI symptoms. Yesterday I spent the day doing laundry, messing with my pictures, and lounging on the couch. At least I can say my low-grade fever from last night broke today.

I am not sure if my gastroenteritis is from getting into soy (I react to soy like it's gluten) or a stomach bug. I have a little rash, but I also have the aches, stuffiness, and the start of a sore throat. Whenever I am sick, no matter what the malady is, I reach for garlic.

Garlic is great for everything. Allicin is the most well-known medicinal part of the garlic. (There are 70 other parts of garlic that are beneficial.) It's helpful for cardiac (blood pressure, cholesterol, clot prevention), immune system function, cancer prevention, and anti-sepsis. According to James A. Duke, PhD and author of The Green Pharmacy Handbook Herbs for Healing, Louis Pasteur found that garlic juice kills many micro-organisms, such as staph, strep, E. coli, salmonella, candida, herpes, and influenza. If I just sold you on the amazing things garlic can do, make sure it doesn't interfere with any perscription drugs you are taking before upping your garlic intake (raw or otherwise).

Dr. Duke writes in his book that the best (and easiest) way to take garlic is to cut or crush the it into food. By cutting or crushing the garlic, the Allicin is released. Apparently the smellier the better. Today I crushed my garlic onto rice pasta. Last night I crushed it onto rice bread. Since rice is the most easily digestable food, it's excellent for the nausea and GI upset accompianing my "stomach flu."

What else is important when you are sick? Staying hydrated and making sure you have adequate fluid and electrolytes. Today I've been super salting my food. To stay hydrated and naturally treat the tummy upset, I've been sipping on room temperature mint tea. Mint helps settle the stomach, and avoiding very hot or cold foods prevents cramping. I placed three tea bags in a saucepan full of boiling water, added some sugar to taste, and transfered it to the pitcher that's sitting on my tv table.

Sick Day Pasta
* 1/2 a bag of rice pasta
* 2 medium-large sized garlic cloves
* Extra Virgen Olive Oil
* Parmesean cheese (if desired)
* Sea salt

1. Prepare the rice pasta. Don't forget to rinse it with cold water when you strain it.
2. Put the strained pasta back in the pot, and drizzle with EVOO. Crush garlic in a press and add with salt (to taste). Sprinkle with the parm if you are feeling it. Eat slowly!


Sick Day Garlic Bread
* 1 piece of rice bread
* Butter
* 1-2 cloves of garlic (2 if they're small, 1 if they're larger)

1. Toast the bread until it's nice and crispy.
2. Slather with butter.
3. Crush garlic onto the toast, and spread evenly. Enjoy, preferably in bed or on the couch.

Sophistication for When You're Just Not Feeling It.

1 package of chicken
cashews, crushed (we used Trader Joe's honey sesame cashews)
Mrs. Dash lemon pepper seasoning
scallions, chopped
EVOO
lime, cut into 4 wedges
serve with rice and a side salad or veggie of choice

1. Heat EVOO in a skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, season the chicken with a generous amount of Mrs. Dash.

2. Cook the chicken until it's done, about 10 minutes.

3. Serve with your sides. Top with cashews and scallions. Squirt a little lime on top and call it dinner.

Erica's Italian "Slop" aka Pasta-less Italian

I walked into the break room on Monday to the scent of fragrant Italian food. Lasagne? I wondered. The only person in the room was Erica, a nurse I work with who has been on the Atkins diet for months.

"What is that intoxicating smell?" I asked.
"Slop," responds Erica.
I give her a quizzical look. "Slop? What do you mean?"
"Slop," Erica begins in her Rhode Island accent, "is pasta, without the pasta."

I took a few notes and then made it the following night. The extra prepared chicken I threw in the freezer for the next time I need something easy and low-cal Italian.

Erica's Pastaless Italian Slop
about 1 lb of chicken, cut into bite-sized morsels, seasoned with salt and pepper
*1 jar of pasta sauce
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 small pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
1 large crown of broccoli, cut into small bite-sized morsels
1 can of olives (with a few reserved for eating while cooking), cut in halves (optional)
Ricotta cheese
salt & pepper to taste
EVOO

*If you don't have pasta sauce handy, take a can of crushed tomatoes, add 1 big pinch basil, 1 pinch oregano, salt, pepper, and a dash of thyme.

1. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of EVOO in a frying pan for the chicken.

2. While the pan is warming, dumb sauce, garlic cloves, broccoli, olives, and red pepper flakes into a sauce pot. Turn on medium and cover. Be sure to stir occasionally while cooking the chicken.

3. Cook the chicken stir-fry style. When it's finished, the sauce should also be finished. The broccoli in the sauce is the litmus for "done."

4. Serve the chicken smothered in sauce, and add a dollop of ricotta cheese. Enjoy!