In October 2009, at the beginning of the academic school year, the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) launched the FAAN College Network. I confess that this announcement slipped under our news radar, but now that we have heard about it, we thought it was our turn to help spread the word ... particularly as we are heading into the spring, a time when many students are deciding on colleges to attend.

The FAAN College Network is a searchable database with information on who to contact to get answers to your questions about managing food allergies on campus. The database includes College Representatives and Student Ambassadors, who are students already attending school.

Though the number of participating schools in the database is still modest (over 40 to date was the last we heard), it will surely grow with time. Plus, in many cases, the participating schools are truly going the extra mile ...

One of our favorite nutritionists, Meghan Telpner, is hosting a Digestive Healing Retreat at the end of June. Since so many people switch to a dairy-free diet due to digestive issues, this seemed like a worthy event to share with Go Dairy Free viewers. Take it away Meghan ...

"Oh the tummy troubles! Who doesn't have some form or another? Whether you suffer from general digestive upset, have been told you have IBS, Crohn's or Colitis or maybe just a mysterious ailment that acts up completely unpredictably- your challenges will be addressed. You might even be someone who supports or lives with a tummy challenges individuals or perhaps are a health care practitioner looking to broaden your understanding of holistic remedies and solutions...

As many of you have discovered, milk can hide in some very different places, and milk derivatives are used to make a myriad of products, including sweeteners. But, we were recently introduced to a sweetener that is not only dairy-free, but that is also touted to "aid in digestion." SUSTA is a newbie on the market that is fructose-based, but that also contains prebiotics (soluble fiber) along with probiotics (special beneficial bacteria that is released in your digestive tract).  

Though I am not much of a sweetener guru myself, Sarena of The Non-Dairy Queen is, so she gave it a go for us ... "I was pleasantly surprised when I put this little packet in my morning cup of coffee. It smelled sweet, like fruit, and had no strange aftertaste. It really is tasty! So, a sweetener, with only 5 calories and is made from real natural ingrediants? Sounds great to me!" Moving beyond coffee, Sarena also trialed the SUSTA in her morning oatmeal, "I don't usually do "sweet" oatmeal, so this was the real test for me. I loved it. It added a nice sweetness without taking over the flavor." See Sarena's full product review for more details and for a SUSTA cupcake recipe that she created. 

In addition to Sarena's recipe, the people at NXT Nutritionals (the makers of SUSTA), sent over three sugar-free recipes for us to share with you ...

Some last minute announcements have perked up our ears. For all of you who will be attending Expo West, be on the lookout for the following booths and products. And for those of you who can't make it to the show, keep an eye out in stores, as all of these products will be there soon if they aren't already:

Sjaak's is introducing a Vegan 'Milk' Chocolate Hazelnut Bite. They wil be passing out samples at booth #2810 this weekend at the Expo West. Their chocolate products are 100% organic and fair trade.

Earth Balance®, a line of all-natural, healthy, buttery spreads, shortenings and nut butters, will display its signature products (including their new soy-free buttery spread) at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, Calif., Mar. 12-14, at booth #2786. 

Manitoba Harvest is officially releasing their new Organic Hemp Bliss Hempmilk ...