To Mum Mum or not to Mum Mum...

That my friends is the question...  We got the Mum Mum baby teething bisquits/crackers to try and review for you all.  Since this product was for my baby and not for me, I decided to give him the first say in this review.

After many trips to various stores in search of a gluten free, milk free, organic baby teething biscuit, my cousin finally found Mum Mum teething biscuits online at Amazon for me.  The ingredients are japonica rice, sugar, potato starch, salt, all USDA certified organic!  When they arrived I read over the box and saw that they did list "may contain traces of milk" in the allergen warning, but this didn't concern me due to the fact that my son has eaten other things with this type of warning (by mistake) without having any incidences.  Generally "may contain traces of milk" means that the company processes milk in the same plant where something is made and they put a warning so you "eat at your own risk" type of thing.  IF your child is severely allergic to milk, I would NOT recommend risking them eating the biscuits even if it's only "made in the same plant".  *Please see my note at the end after talking with a company representative  My son has eaten them for the last 4 days and has had no issues or allergic reactions. (Again, if he had a SEVERE allergy I would NOT have risked it!!! Your child's health is very important!)

As you can see in the video, he was a little confused by them at first :)  He was content just to use them as a drumstick on his highchair tray.  Food that doubles as a toy is ALWAYS fun!  I had to help him out a bit so he would taste it before I ran out of video space lol!  His initial reation was better than most foods when he tries them for the first time!  Usually he pulls a really yucky face like he's tasting a lemon, but not this time.  He tried to "bite" a piece off.  The texture of the biscuits/crackers doesn't allow for them to break pieces off easily which I was very happy about!  The biscuit seemed to dissolve quickly.  My son made a royal mess once he managed to gnaw down a good portion of it!  He also tried to put the whole thing in his mouth.  This can't be done simply <- very good thing, but I would still recommend that you are ALWAYS in the room watching your child whenever they're eating solid food, especially for the first time! 

After videotaping his trial, I decided I needed to try one to give an objective opinion.  I used my lips to try to mimic a baby's gumming action (NO I did not videotape myself doing this lol).  The only way I could get it to break while "gumming" was to bend it down or up with force.  This is great since most babies will not be able to break off big dangerous pieces!  The taste was very good, sort of like a rice cake but a smoother texture and slightly sweeter.  There is 1 gram of sugar in these teething crackers.  It dissolved quickly and was easy to swallow!  If your child is a normal eater, you probably won't have much of a mess.  My son likes to try to swallow his food whole because it can't get in his stomach fast enough!  This creates a bit of a mess, but still nothing major or out of the ordinary.  I only got one bite before my son was reaching and grabbing for MY bisquit!  I decided to let him finish it since they're technically his anyway :)

One of the nicest things about this product is the crackers are individually wrapped in packs of two for easy transport in a diaper bag, purse, etc!  Now I have something simple to bring on outings!  My son is very aware of food at this point and wants to eat whenever I'm eating.  He also wants to gnaw on things constantly since he's officially teething.  This spares me having to keep him off of shopping carts, restaurant tables, etc that he thinks are better teething toys then the ones I give him!  Thankfully he likes these crackers more!

My only complaints:
1. No stores around me carry these teething crackers! At least I have not been able to find them in any!
    Here's the list on their website
2. They do make a HUGE mess if you have a messy eater like mine! But come off clothes if you use HOT water.
 
Ultimately, you know your child.  If I ever have any doubts about a product, I will not give them to my child.  The fact that they are USDA certified makes me feel more confident that this product has gone through at least slightly more strigent testing.  I have an email into the company requesting information on the milk statement so I can give you a better answer.  This will also tell us how long it takes to get a customer service response ;)  *Note Added: 6/15/11 - Spoke with a gentleman from Mum Mum!  The crackers are produced on the same equipment as milk containing products, BUT they completely clean equipment in between to avoid cross contamination.  Due to the potential risk of missing something, they add the "may contain traces of milk" statement. :) 

If you’ve already tried them or decide to try them, let me know what your thoughts are!
Hot Kid Organic Baby Mum-Mum Original Flavor Rice Biscuit, 24-Count (Pack of 6)