Uber Eats forgets – and then remembers – that food allergies are no joke

Key takeaways:

• The commercial originally included a joke about a man with a peanut allergy.
• Food allergies significantly impact quality of life.
• Physicians can support patients in navigating these challenges.

Last week, a preview of the planned Uber Eats Super Bowl commercial, “Don’t Forget,” sparked condemnation from the food allergy community regarding the depiction of an adult having an allergic reaction to the ingestion of peanut butter.

Thankfully, in a show of support of the food allergy community, Uber Eats removed the segment from the commercial. Still, this event serves as a reminder of the seriousness of food allergies.

As the medical director of a specialized food allergy clinic, I see the heavy burden that food-allergic patients and their families carry every day. This publicized trivialization of a chronic health condition, disguised as humor, is also closely timed with the tragic death of Órla Baxendale, age 25 years, who ate a mislabeled cookie.

Taken together, these events could have far-reaching impacts on the emotional well-being of food allergy patients and their families.

Zahida “Rani” Maskatia

Even without these triggering items in the news, food allergies have a profound impact on patients. Studies over the last decade show that food allergies have a negative impact on quality of life and that children with food allergies and their caregivers have higher rates of anxiety and depression. Between 19% and 60% of food-allergic children have been targeted with bullying. This is a huge burden on the 32 million food-allergic people in the country and their estimated 50 million caregivers and family members.

There are significant misperceptions in the general public regarding food allergies and the impact they have on food allergy families. The term “allergy” is often misapplied to food sensitivities and even food preferences, which likely contributes to the lack of understanding of the potential severity of food allergies, some of which are truly life-threatening. Therefore, sometimes when caregivers request accommodations for their child’s safety, they are met with resistance, apathy and occasionally, scorn.

Even as the incidence and severity of food allergy is increasing, food allergy patients and their caregivers continue to face a variety of obstacles, including:

• unlisted allergens in school cafeterias, restaurants and other food establishments;
• unreliable or confusing labeling of packaged foods;
• barriers to accessing life-saving medication, such as epinephrine; and
• difficulty finding specialists that are focused on and trained in food allergies.

There are several proactive steps you can take to support food-allergic patients.

First, recognize the impact of food allergies on the emotional well-being of the patient as well as the caregiver.

Next, encourage patients to seek up-to-date testing with a board-certified allergist to understand what they are truly allergic to.

You could also help patients understand current evidence-based treatment options that can help provide protection from accidental exposures, such as oral immunotherapy.

Finally, make sure patients have access to epinephrine autoinjectors, that they carry them at all times, and that they know when and how to self-administer them.

When emotions are heightened for food allergy families, whether something has happened in the food allergy community or in their own home, support from their trusted physician is crucial. Helping those families become aware of their choices for testing and treatment has the power to significantly increase their safety and relieve their anxiety, which can be life-changing.

Zahida “Rani” Maskatia, MD, is a food allergy specialist and the medical director at Latitude Food Allergy Care. She is board-certified in pediatric and adult allergy and immunology. Latitude Food Allergy Care is the leading network of clinics providing life-changing testing and treatment, including OIT, to help families with food allergies live more freely.