FAQ: Ask Amys

Click the Frequently Asked Questions below for more information about Amy's Kitchen. If you don't see your question here feel free to contact us:

General Product Questions

1. 1. Do you use packaging that can be recycled?
2. 2. I just bought an Amy's Kitchen product. The nutritional information on the box is different than what is on your website. Why is that? Which one is right?
3. 3. I bought your product but accidentally placed it in my refrigerator, and it thawed out. Can I still eat it?
4. 4. Is the plastic over wrap on your frozen products safe to microwave?
5. 5. Do your foods contain MSG?
6. 6. Can I buy stock in Amy's Kitchen? Is Amy's publicly traded?

Special Diets / Allergies

1. 1. What is rennet?
2. 2. What are trans fats? Do Amy’s Kitchen products contain trans fats?
3. 3. Do any of your products contain peanuts?
4. 4. I have several food allergies. Is there a possibility of cross contamination in your facility?
5. 5. What is the difference between 'Lactose Free' & 'Dairy Free'? Are they the same?
6. 6. I am a vegan. Do you have any products that are vegan?
7. 7. I have sensitivities to some spices. You do not list your spices on your ingredient panel. How do I know if the spices to which I am allergic are in an Amy’s Kitchen product?

Vegetarian Links

1. 1. Going Vegetarian
2. 2. Vegan World Wide News

Q. Do you use packaging that can be recycled?

Amy's Kitchen cartons are made from unbleached boards coated with clay on the outside with no polyurethane coating on the inside. These cartons are recyclable at most recycling facilities. Please check to make sure that recycling programs for this type of package exist in your area.
 
Amy's Kitchen believes that it is important to support recycling efforts. We have projects under way at this time to increase the quantity of recycled materials used in our packaging. We also want to make it easier to recycle our packages: to this end, we put recycling information on all of our packages.

Q. I just bought an Amy's Kitchen product. The nutritional information on the box is different than what is on your website. Why is that? Which one is right?

At times, it is necessary to change the ingredient statements or nutrition facts on our products, which results in changes to our packaging. Because Amy's Kitchen products are not sold directly to consumers, there is a delay between the time new packaging gets used and when new packaging arrives in the store. Any packaging changes that occur are reflected on our website as the packaging arrives at our manufacturing facility. Therefore, the information on the website is often more accurate. If you are still unsure about any discrepancies, please contact Amy's Kitchen Customer Relations via telephone or email.

Q. I bought your product but accidentally placed it in my refrigerator, and it thawed out. Can I still eat it?

If a product is accidentally placed in the home refrigerator instead of the freezer, it will probably still be safe to eat as long as the temperature of the product remains below standard refrigerator temperatures (4°C/40°F). However, the texture of the product may not be optimum, and cooking procedures would be different from a fully frozen product.
 
You should never buy a partially thawed product from the store, since it is difficult to determine the exact temperature history of that product and the flavour and texture of the product may not be up to Amy's Kitchen’s high standards. You should use common sense when deciding whether or not to use a thawed product: if you’re unsure, please discard the product.

Q. Is the plastic over wrap on your frozen products safe to microwave?

At Amy’s Kitchen, we make sure that all the plastic films and coatings used in the packaging of our frozen products are safe to use. The concern about the use of plastic films and coatings in food packaging is based on research showing that some plastics, including PVC, have plasticisers in them that could leak into food at low levels. Because of this, Amy's Kitchen requires that all plastic films and coatings used in the packaging of our frozen products be free of plasticisers.
 
At Amy's, the film around each tray (the over wrap) is made of stretched polypropylene. Polypropylene does not contain plasticisers. Our trays are paper and lined with PET, a thermoplastic polymer that is free of plasticisers. Our burrito packages are made of PET with an inner polyethylene film. Neither of these films contains plasticisers.  
 
These measures have been taken to ensure that all of our packaging material is safe for use. As part of our commitment to you and in keeping with our interest in health and safety, we would never provide you food we do not ourselves eat. However, if you prefer not to heat Amy’s Kitchen products in their original containers, our products can be easily removed from their packaging and cooked in glass.

Q. Do your foods contain MSG?

Amy's Kitchen adds no monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavour-enhancer, directly to any of our products. If you are extremely sensitive to MSG, you may want to avoid foods and ingredients that naturally contain MSG, such as Parmesan cheese, soy sauce, tomatoes, hydrolysed vegetable proteins and other ingredients as recommended by your physician. All ingredients are listed in the ingredient statements on our packages.

Q. Can I buy stock in Amy's Kitchen? Is Amy's publicly traded?

While we are flattered that you are interested in our products and the manner in which we conduct business, we believe that we best serve you, our customers, by remaining committed to the values that built our company. To that end, Amy's Kitchen is a family business that is privately owned and operated.

Q. What is rennet?

This is a general term used for the enzyme used to clot milk during the cheese-making process. Although in the past, some rennet came from calves’ stomachs, excellent vegetarian/microbial rennets have been available for many years. Amy's Kitchen insists that no animal enzymes are used in any of the cheeses (or ingredients) that we use in our products. Our suppliers sign agreements to affirm this commitment.

Q. What are trans fats? Do Amy’s Kitchen products contain trans fats?

Trans fatty acids and trans fats are formed when liquid vegetable oils undergo a chemical process called hydrogenation. Hydrogenated vegetable fat is used by food processors because it is solid at room temperature and has a longer shelf life.
 
Recent research indicates that consumption of trans fats from partially hydrogenated vegetable fats and oils can play a role in the development of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other health-related issues.
 
Products made from vegetables, fruits and grains have no trans fats. Because Amy’s Kitchen uses only natural ingredients, there are no partially hydrogenated oils in any of our products. Amy’s uses only finest natural ingredients so that all our products contain no additives, no preservatives, no genetically modified ingredients and 0g of trans fat.

Q. Do any of your products contain peanuts?

Because peanut allergies can be extremely dangerous (and even life-threatening) to a very small percentage of the population, Amy's uses no peanuts or peanut-based products as ingredients in our food.

Q. I have several food allergies. Is there a possibility of cross contamination in your facility?

Amy's Kitchen recognizes the needs of our customers who have allergies or sensitivities to nuts, gluten, certain spices, etc. Amy's always fully discloses all ingredients (except for specific spices used in the product) on the ingredient statement and will answer any questions that will help consumers decide what products they can safely consume.

A wide range of activities and cross-checks are completed to ensure that cross-contamination and/or inadvertent use of the wrong ingredient does not occur in our facilities

At Amy's we take every precaution to ensure that cross contamination of ingredients does not occur in our production facility but we want you to know that this product was produced in a plant that processes foods containing wheat, milk, soy, tree nuts and seeds. Amy's Kitchen does not use any peanuts, fish, shellfish or eggs.

Q. What is the difference between 'Lactose Free' & 'Dairy Free'? Are they the same?

‘Lactose Free’ products are not the same as ‘Dairy Free’ products. People who are sensitive to dairy products are usually sensitive to either lactose (the sugar naturally present in milk) or to the milk protein. Products that are labelled ‘Lactose Free’ do not contain any milk sugar, but they may contain isolated lactose-free milk protein, such as casein.
 
Our ‘Dairy Free’ products do not contain lactose or milk proteins. If you prefer to avoid milk proteins and dairy completely, you should purchase Amy's Kitchen products that are labelled ‘Dairy Free,’ ‘Non-Dairy,’ or ‘Vegan’.

Q. I am a vegan. Do you have any products that are vegan?

Amy's Kitchen products clearly labels the ingredients used in each product to allow customers who desire vegan foods to choose which of Amy's products are useful to them. Additionally, we always want to develop products that satisfy vegan customers and to label them accordingly. Of course, all Amy's Kitchen products are vegetarian, but not all are vegan. Our customers can decide which of these vegetarian products best suit their needs based on the presence of cheese, honey, milk and butter in them. You can easily search for our vegan offerings by visiting our Products page.

Q. I have sensitivities to some spices. You do not list your spices on your ingredient panel. How do I know if the spices to which I am allergic are in an Amy’s Kitchen product?

Amy's Kitchen customers who are sensitive or allergic to certain spices are welcome to call or email us in order to receive more information. Please inform the Amy's Kitchen Customer Relations staff of the products you are interested in learning about and the spice to which you are sensitive or allergic, so they can completely address your concern.

Q. Going Vegetarian

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Vegetarianhealth/Pages/Goingvegetarian.aspx

Q. Vegan World Wide News

Vegan World Wide News

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