Adding To The List Of Unfriendly Consumer Products...

I was flipping through my FAAN newsletter this month, and guess what I saw?  Scotch-Brite scrub sponges with walnut shell in them!  Tissues, sponges...what is next?  According to the studies done, people who are allergic to tree nuts, are supposed to avoid contact with these sponges.  Makes sense!  My question is why is it necessary to add allergens to random products, when there are other moisturizers, or in this case, abrasive aids?  When allergies are rising, why does it seem that there is also a rise of allergen-containing products?

I have a few concerns with this sponge.  One concern is going out to dinner.  I would guess that the odds are not high that a restaurant would buy these sponges to use, but they could.  They could then use them on their dishes, and although the chance would be very small, there is still some possibility of a reaction.  Another concern is eating at friend's houses.  It is more likely that a product like this would be bought by a household I would think.  In that case, if I were to go to my friend's house and eat something, not realizing they used that sponge to clean their dishes (at my age, there are many friends of mine who don't have dishwashers in their apartments), I suppose I could get a reaction and not even realize the source!   

These products seem unnecessarily dangerous.  In that same newsletter, there was a consumer alert from a woman who found almond oil in organic dish soap.  Definitely not a big surprise! This is certainly something to be aware of.  More often than not, sweet almond oil, or something of the variety is used in soaps, shampoos, conditioners, lotions, make-up, and other beauty products.  I just wanted to reiterate this again, because it is important to read the ingredients of EVERYTHING, not just foods!  These examples emphasize the importance of always staying aware!