Children with wheat allergies should avoid Play-Doh

It's not only foods containing wheat that your wheat allergic child should avoid, Play-Doh contains wheat and can cause allergic reactions after use.

In the U.S. a recent case has been reported where a wheat allergic child reacted to Play-Doh, the children's modelling product. In this particular instance a two year old was brought to hospital with swollen eyelids and itchy, reddened skin about an hour after using Play-Doh. The symptoms cleared up when she was given an antihistamine.

As a result of this some U.S doctors are recommending that non-food products containing food allergens should contain warning labels.

The Hasbro Company website states:
"The exact ingredients of PLAY-DOH compound are proprietary, so we cannot share them with you. We can tell you that it is primarily a mixture of water, salt and flour. It does NOT contain peanuts, peanut oil, or any milk byproducts. It DOES contain wheat.

PLAY-DOH compound is non-toxic, non-irritating & non-allergenic except as noted: Children who are allergic to wheat gluten may have an allergic reaction to this product."

Malcolm Denniss, Hasbro senior vice-president for quality assurance says: "Hasbro is proactively labelling all Play-Doh products with the wheat notice, beginning in 2004 and now effective for all product produced as of Jan. 1, 2005."