Allergy to baked beans - what to do next?? {{More info added}}

[**Clare**]

So after a good 2 years of a reaction to 'something' we have finally nailed it, we think!! The culprit - baked beans.

Ive known this for around a year now but couldnt say for definate, about a month ago I had baked beans and was trying to get harvey to try them, I had piriton at the ready but wanted to see for sure so I could do something about it.  He refused to try them (From a previous experience Ive realised that he doesnt have to eat the beans just the sauce in them and possibly didnt even need to eat the sauce just for it to touch his skin) So I dipped my finger in an made a game of chase out of it and wiped it on his face, within about 30 seconds the area became red and within a minute his eyes became bloodshot and itchy.

On holiday the boys went to breakfast with my sister one morning, DH went too and I stayed in bed.  DH got Harveys breakfast and put beans on the plate, completely slipped his mind I guess. Matt and my sister said he definately didnt eat the beans but ate something that had touched them, he brought him back to me asking for piriton and his eye had swelled shut, it was awful and happened so quickly.  The whole area around his eye was puffy and he couldnt open his eyelid It was only one eye so we're not sure if he actually wiped it in his eye or what, the other eye was a little itchy but nothing like the left one.

The only time Ive seen him actually eat the beans was a year ago and it wasnt the beans it was a sausage that was covered in the sauce they come in, he was very promptly sick everywhere and was blothchy all over his face, eyes streaming and itchy. 

Anyway, to cut a long story short, what do I do now?!  LOL

[Caroline-Charlies Mummy]

You could do with knowing what it is in the sauce he's actually allergic too.

Tomatoes? Paprika?

[**Clare**]

I have been trying to look for the ingredients online with no luck.  Its strange, he eats heinz spaghetti and spaghetti hoops no problem but not their beans, you'd think the sauces would be the same?! Unless its something coming out of the beans into the sauce?!!

[Spectra]

I would make an appt with your doctor and explain exactly what you did here.  I would ask for an allergy test to be sure.  Before that I would e-mail or call the company who makes the beans and ask for an ingredient list and explain why, they'll get back to you sooner.  Once you have the list then perhaps you can pin-point maybe something else they add to the sauce that could cause a problem, or it could be the beans too.

[**Clare**]

Thanks Melanie! Done both! Next Thursday at 5.50pm! Emailed heinz so will wait to hear from then, thinking its probably the beans though xx

[Spectra]

Well hopefully you'll get some answers at your Dr's appt.  Keep us updated for sure.

[Mydreamcametrue]

Hi there:

You really need to investigate to see what is in those beans.  Do they not list the ingredients on the can?  Also find out what bean is actually in them.

Deft. is a reaction, but to what?

When you know the ingredients, let us know and we may be able to help you pin it down or come up with suggestions to find the culprit. 

Hugs, I know that must have been scary. Wendy

[**Clare**]

Thanks Wendy, the ingredients are on the can but I dont have any cans here! I believe the beans are white kidney beans but I maybe wrong.  Ill buy some next time Im out and have a look, it doesnt matter what the brand he always reacts. Just think its wierd he reacts to Heinz baked beans in tomato sauce but not to spaghetti in tomato sauce, this is why Im wondering if its the beans....

[Mydreamcametrue]

So he reacts to any baked beans in any type of sauce?

If that is the case, deft. sounds like the beans.

I would buy a can though and compare it to the other Heinz products you use.

[**Clare**]

Yep any type, have tried at least 5 different ones. But hes not eating the beans, just the sauce!! But guess something in the beans is coming out into the sauce?? I hate to think what would happen if he actually ate a bean?! Ive told him now that he is to tell people he is not allowed beans on his plate and he has told my sister this (about 10 times!! ) He says he doesnt like beans so thats good!

[Zoey]

Heinz Baked beans - Ingredients
Beans (49%), Tomatoes (27%), Water, Sugar, Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Modified
Cornflower, Salt, Spirit Vinegar, Spice extracts, Herb extract

Heinz Hoops - Ingredients
Tomatoes (47%) Spaghetti Hoops (41%) Water, Sugar, Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Salt, Modified Cornflour, Citric Acid, Garlic Salt, Spice, Herb Extract, Spice Extract, Iron Sulphate, Maltodextrin, Niacin, Vitamin B12, Riboflavin, Thiamin, Potassium Iodide. Spaghetti Hoops Contain Water, Durum Wheat Semolina.

I betcha its the bean starch that leeches out into the sauce.

How about other legumes?  Alfalfa, clover, peas, lentils, peanuts?

[**Clare**]

Thank you Zoey You are a star Hes not allergic to peanuts or peas.  Havent tried the others.

Thank you Stacy, the type of beans came from something on the internet, it said baked beans were usually white beans/white kidney beans/cannelli bean (Maybe I read it wrong)

TBH Im not sure if Im brave enough to trial it.  If its something coming out of the bean into the sauce it must be minimal and the reaction is quite nasty, what would it be like if he ate a whole bean!? His eyes swell, would his mouth swell?! Or would he just vomit?! Its quite a scary thought

[Mydreamcametrue]

If he has reacted to 5 different type of baked beans, then i would try to remember what brand they were and find out which bean exactly they use.  You may find that it is all Navy beans and this is the problem.

I could not even imagine what it would be like if he did eat the actual bean though.

I would also get my Ped to refer me to an allergist.  You may find out he is allergic to other legumes and may have to carry and epi-pen for this exact bean.

[**Clare**]

Funny you should say that as he had a nasty reaction at nursery going back about a year and he didnt have baked beans, it was this mince dish, I wonder if it had the beans in it?!

Regarding the types, I know hes had heinz and then 2 own brands then hes had several reactions at pubs/soft plays before we knew what the allery was and a few at nursery. So i know the brands we've tried, not sure about the others.

Im now thinking back to when he was a baby/toddler, he had reactions frequently and I cant be certain they were all to baked beans, he used to throw up his dinner at least twice a week (Im sure I wouldnt have given him beans more than once a week if that, we rarely eat them) amyway, this was followed by red, itchy blotches all over his face and neck.  The sick was really slimey (Sorry for the TMI) we put it down to a cold or something but could that have been part of the reaction??

[**Clare**]

Hi all!! Ive just had a phone call from Heinz regarding an email I sent them.  Basically I said that he has an allergic reaction to their beans but not to their spaghetti and I wanted to know what was in the beans that wasnt in their spaghetti!

She was really helpful and Ive got these ingredients, so he is allergic to one of these....

Haricot beans
Spirit vinegar
Cassia?
Cayenne/Coyenne?
Clove?

Could hear her very well but I think the last 3 are correct!!

So any idea what the culprit could be?? Im thinking the beans??

Im not good with ingredients but are there other foods that contain these things that I could try him with or do you think its the beans?

Thanks all xxxxx