Failsafe shopping list in alphabetic order within 9 supermarket categories

Always read labels: ingredients change!

  • This list updates those in any of the Fed Up books and the Failsafe Cookbook. We try to make sure the products below are failsafe
  • Mention here is not an endorsement of any particular food or company, nor, obviously, is there any fee paid or collected. It’s here to help you.
  • Please do not use this information as a means of starting failsafe eating until you have read any one of Sue Dengate's books or seen a dietitian.
  • For recent changes and new failsafe products check the latest Failsafe Newsletter. You can subscribe to our free newsletters (email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with ‘subscribe’ in the subject line)
  • For regions and countries outside Australia, your local failsafe group may have a shopping list - see under General category.


In the list below, you can eat anything that doesn’t have a bold warning in the paragraph.

Warning ingredients may vary in the different packs of the same product e,g, Pampas frozen puff pastry in sheets is preservative-free but dispenser rolls contain preservatives; Crisco sunflower oil in large packs such as 15L contains synthetic antioxidant (320, BHA) but is BHA-free in smaller containers.

Mistakes it is important to stick strictly to your supervised elimination diet – 2 mistakes per week or a daily small mistake can be enough to stop the diet from working.

Reader report: I am about to embark on the strict elimination diet for the 3rd time, but I am trying to pinpoint what went wrong the 2nd time round - was consistently bloating but not as severely as normal - versus the 1st time round when I felt fantastic. Using your salicylate and amine mistakes information sheets and the product updates on the fed up site, I have so far picked up the following errors: Coles Pears in Syrup snackpacks (contained pear juice), Simply Wize Crusty Bread (maize flour), Dovedale Rice & Chia Bread (Chia seeds), and the wrong Cenovis multivitamin (Once Daily Women's Multi, contains evening primrose oil). Thanks for all of your help and detailed knowledge, I think I would have been doing many more things wrong in the diet without having the fed up site to look at. - Belinda, by email

You are welcome to contribute to this page - please email me on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and let me know if you want your name to appear as well. My mailing address is PO Box 718 WOOLGOOLGA NSW 2456 Australia. Note * means according to the RPAH Elimination Diet Handbook with Food & Shopping Guide 2009, available from www.allergy.net.au

Cleaning

Air-fresheners, scent-sprayers, None. (No aerosols, no fragrances due to inhaled salicylates; use vanilla flavoured water in a spray bottle)

Fragrances, perfumes, aromas, scents, essential oils, pot pourri, strong smelling herbs, plants and flowers, fragranced cosmetics, toiletries, washing powders and cleaning products, air fresheners, scent sprayers, toilet deodorisers. None (high in inhaled salicylates). Use fragrance free products instead or diluted vanilla essence in water in a spray bottle. See Guidelines on the Use of Perfumes and Scented Products from Toronto University in Canada (Canada is leading the world in this area, many hospitals and educational institutions have low perfume policies) http://www.ehs.utoronto.ca/resources/HSGuide/Scent.htm

Hair care, no perfumed products or aerosols (one teenager used beaten eggwhite for shaping his Mohawk instead of hair gel or spray), see also Shampoo section.

Washing powders & other laundry items

No perfumed products, enzymes or aerosols (no enzymes even if in unscented products; no ironing sprays, soakers, fabric softeners or conditioners)

  • fabric softeners, none - alternative: 1/2 cup soda bicarb dissolved in water
  • ironing sprays, none - alternative: 1 tbsp cornflour (corn starch) stirred into 2 cups of cold water until well mixed; pour into empty, clean plastic spray bottle and shake the spray bottle well before each use
  • OMO Sensitive powder or liquid for top loaders (in NZ the same product is called Persil Sensitive) – thanks to Jenny H. UPDATE: Omo Sensitive: We strongly advise those sensitive to fragrances to smell it every time they purchase the product - “The sensitive/non-fragranced range has had a fragrance in all sizes. THIS IS NOT THE SENSITIVE RANGE THAT IS LIGHTLY FRAGRANCED (down on the bottom of the bottle in in white/pink).  We have the same products here at home in different size bottles and they have very different smells. It could be the reason some people react to it and others don’t” – thanks Melissa. (Sue comment: when I had severe fragrance sensitivity, I could not tolerate the Omo sensitive (non-fragranced) at all. Eventually I learned to do the washing in water only, no added detergents. If the clothes were too dirty, I soaked them in soda bicarb solution before washing).
  • AWARE (Planet Ark) Sensitive laundry powder – thanks to Meg
  • Lux Flakes NO LONGER RECOMMENDED AS THE FRAGRANCE IS TOO STRONG
  • Amway washing powders are failsafe – thanks to Gail
  • Homemade washing powder for top loading washing machines: Use 1/2 scoop Omo sensitive concentrate and 2 tbsp pure soap flakes dissolved in hot water - thanks to Elly
  • Soapnuts (or berries) billed as economical, allergy friendly and environmentally friendly, these nuts from an Indian tree (sapindus mukorossi) contain saponin, a natural soap. Just pop 6-8 shells into a cotton bag (provided) and place in your washing machine. They clean effectively however will not fragrance your laundry. www.soapinanutshell.com.au. thanks to Sue H.
  • Soapberries (or nuts) as an alternative to laundry soaps. Talia from ThatRedHouse www.thatredhouse.com.au demonstrated her organic  hypo-allergenic soapberries product in Adelaide. These can be used for laundry, shampoo and household cleaning. They’re the seed of a tree that ends up in your compost after cleaning your clothes. So far I’ve only tried them in the washing machine, and I love them! - Sue

  • Soapnuts also available from www.livelovebe.com.au - thanks Jody

  • Kylie at SoapNuts Australia www.soapnuts.net.au and www.mydoterra.com/kyliethesoapnutlady/ would love all Australians to use SoapNuts instead of the chemical cleaners that are damaging our waterways, soils and health. Her website has lots of information about how to get the most out of SoapNuts.

Household cleaners

Use only household cleaners that are free of fragrance, aroma, perfume, essential oils , herbs , strong flour or plant smells, air fresheners, scent sprayers, toilet deodorisers and disinfectants, anything in an aerosol pack, spot cleaners, carpet cleaners, (see Factsheet on fumes and perfumes).e.g.

• Air fresheners, none (No aerosols, no scent sprayers)

• Air freshener and toilet spray home recipe: Mix vanilla essence and water in a spray bottle as an air freshener – thanks to Kyria

• McLintocks Vanilla Fresh Fridge wipe & deodoriser: ingredients: ethyl alcohol, water, ethyl vanillin, vanillin - thanks to Jessica

Baking soda, Soda bicarbonate, e.g. McKenzies, use as a natural cleaner, see directions on pack

Dishwashing liquids

Seventh Generation Free and Clear Unscented Dishwashing Liquid http://www.seventhgeneration.com/Free-and-Clear

http://www.shopnaturally.com.au/seventh-generation.html.

Reader hint: Hard to get a hold of, but absolutely fantastic, it is the only truly smell-free liquid and it works brilliantly. Bi-Lo and Woolies are both stocking limited ranges of the cleaning and washing products from Seventh Generation - it would be great if we could get them to stock the dishwashing liquid’. – thanks to Anna

Earth’s Choice lemon (low perfume) – thanks to Robin

other low perfume brands if you can find one

Dishwasher powders

• eg Squeek Auto Dishwash Concentrate is phosphate free and not harmful to the environment, Australian owned and made, available in Woolworths, www.squeekyclean.com.au

Reader review: When I use Finish we can all smell it right through the house but we can't smell Squeek at all. - thanks to Debbie.

• Herbon Dishwashing Machine powder from health food stores www.herbon.com.au

Reader review: Herbon is well tolerated by some exquisitely sensitive kids – thanks to Susie from the failsafe baby group

• Finish Dishwasher Power Powder, from supermarkets

Reader review 1: Finish Dishwashing Powder (not tablet) is next best tolerated by some exquisitely sensitive kids after Herbon dishwashing powder– thanks to Susie from the failsafe baby group

Reader review 2: We recently got a new dishwasher. I made the mistake of using the free Finish powerball tablet that came with it. It stank the whole house out for days, I don't know how anyone can use that stuff.- thanks to Anna

• Ecostore Auto Dishwash Powder www.ecostore.co.nz

Reader review: has a mild citrus smell but is bearable – thanks to Anna.

• Vinegar,e.g. Coles Smart Buy white vinegar, Vin-a-Clean Cleaning Vinegar

Reader review: Vinegar makes a great rinse aid but mind and avoid the smell if you are salicylate intolerant - I find it makes me feel quite ill.- thanks to Anna

Microfibre cloths, e.g. Enjo www.enjo.com.au, many brands from supermarkets

Reader review: . Enjo cleaning products just use the cloth and water - no chemicals whatsoever.– thanks to Susie

Steam cleaners (no smelly chemicals)

          Toilet cleaners (no perfume) e.g.

• Vinegar, good ventilation and a toilet brush

• Harpic White and Shine Bleach Gel with baking soda if first toilet suggestion isn’t enough. Use with good ventilation or if asthmatic get someone else to do it for you – thanks to Donna

Failsafe furniture polish

• Linseed oil

Reader review: Linseed oil rubbed onto furniture or 1/4 cup vinegar with a couple of drops of linseed oil – the vinegar pulls out the dirt from the wood and the oil lubricates the wood so it doesn't dry out. The vinegar should be white distilled vinegar as others could stain furniture. The linseed oil should always be food grade as the oil you buy at hardware stores has synthetic chemicals in it that could stain furniture - thanks to Debbie

 

update January 2019