I discovered True Story sausages at Costco right after we re-introduced meat into our diet and thought they sounded like a great company with some great products.
You can read the package above, but the clean ingredients had me sold and the economics were pretty stellar too (Costco sells them in 3 individual packs of 4 – we store the extras in the freezer).
In winter I used them in stews but P couldn’t really gnaw on them with his little nubbins of teeth. Now he’s a full on machine with his molars doing their thang, so naturally, the possible cross contamination of allergens in their products was something I decided I needed to look in to.
So I wrote to them and here’s their response:
Hi Elise,
Thanks for reaching out to us!Our facility does not process any peanuts but there is one product that contains pistachios. The pistachios are inside a casing and are only cooked here so they shouldn’t have any contact with machinery, but if his allergies are severe enough it’s probably not worth the risk. Additionally, some products made here do contain sesame.Our organic products are always made first thing in the morning after the equipment is thoroughly washed. There is very little chance for cross-contamination, but like I mentioned before, if your son’s allergies are severe, it’s probably not worth the risk.I’m sorry to not have better news for you! If you have any further questions or comments please feel free to contact me.Thanks!
No, the sesame doesn’t necessarily have the same barrier, unfortunately. The plant uses both sesame oil and seeds in various products that are made here and they get more exposure to the equipment than the pistachios. Like I said before, all equipment is always thoroughly washed between product runs and especially at the end of the day, but there is a theoretical risk of cross contamination.Let me know if I can be of any further help!
Isn’t it fantastic how knowledgeable they are about their products though? Wonderful company in my opinion.
People may think I’m being overly cautious in not giving him products like these with SUCH a minute risk, but you really can’t be too careful. In my mind, avoiding all possible allergens now will allow him to “grow out of them” later in life. At least, that’s the goal. It might not work with peanuts and sesame, but I’ve heard plenty of positive anecdotes for wheat, soy, and dairy. So who knows? Maybe he will be lucky! Maybe his immune system needs a rest for now and later it won’t attack food proteins the way it wants to currently.
Full disclosure: I did feed him one of the sausages (prior to getting the company’s response) and he had no reaction. Must’ve been lucky, but I won’t roll the dice again. Since they are pre-cooked, they only need to be heated, so after a quick round in the microwave, I just sliced them and then halved the slices. He was in heaven as he took down the half moons. It’s so infrequent that I can give him pre-made products and I’ll admit I was thrilled by the ease. He ate them while I used the other 3 in the package for our dinner and for a brief second I had a glimpse into what it’s like as a family without allergies.
Anyway, here’s a quick and delicious recipe I made with the true story sweet italian chicken sausages.
Kale sausage and wild rice sauté [gluten free, soy free, dairy free, nut free]
Ingredients:
- 1 cup uncooked wild rice / ~ 2 cups cooked (a few days old is best)
- 1 bunch kale, destemmed and torn into small pieces
- 3 organic sweet italian chicken sausages
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt & pepper
Directions:
If the rice isn’t already cooked, prepare it as you would any other grain. While the rice is cooking, prep the sausages and kale.
Add oil to a large pan and cook sausages til they are bronzed and have some caramelization then add the kale. Place a lid on the pan so the kale steams and once it has wilted down toss it in with the sausage so it gets some of the flavor.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Last add the cooked rice and toss some more. You may need water or white wine to deglaze the pan a bit (I used old wine).
I can see tomatoes and/or onions being a good addition to this but really it was a meal on the fly so I’m just happy it came out as well as it did.
Greens + grains + protein is my go to formula after all!
I love stir fry//sautee meals for quick and delicious dinners!
It’s not overly cautious at all. I completely understand and per our allergist, current research suggests that zero exposure does help in the potential to outgrow some allergens. Given that P (and my little guy) have so many, it sure would be nice to outgrow a few.
I feel you on the ease factor. Making every single thing from scratch can start to wear on you after time.
Thanks for sharing their allergen information!
Yay I love these sausages! So glad to see them on your blog, I always feel like if Elise eats it then I will too haha. Clean ingredient foods at Costco for the win!