Advocacy group shines a light on food allergy awareness

On Sunday, May 14, the Empire State Building was illuminated in teal to honor the 20th annual Food Allergy Awareness Week, an initiative intended to educate the public regarding the serious consequences of food allergy reactions, identify symptoms and respond accordingly in an emergency.

“Seeing one of the most famous buildings in the world shining in teal for food allergy awareness is a fantastic way to observe Food Allergy Awareness Week,” James R. Baker, Jr., MD, CEO of Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), said in a press release. “In 20 years, awareness about food allergies has risen, but we still have more work to do to increase understanding and foster respect and empathy for this often-misunderstood disease.”

James R. Baker, Jr.

Dedicated to improving the lives of the 15 million Americans with food allergies – including 1 in 13 children – FARE offers extensive research, education and advocacy programs to help raise awareness that food allergy represents a serious public health issue. This year, the FARE theme of “20 Years of Education, Action and Support” continues their tradition of promoting safety protocols and empathy for those with varying food allergies.

“By increasing awareness, we can encourage respect, promote safety and improve the quality of life for the 15 million Americans with food allergies, including all those at risk for life-threatening anaphylaxis,” FARE stated in the release.

According to CDC data, children account for approximately 5.9 million of Americans with allergies, with 30% of these children allergic to more than one food. While the prevalence of food allergy in children increased by 50% between 1997 and 2011, the prevalence of peanut or tree nut allergies has more than tripled among children – commensurate with the number of childhood hospitalizations for food allergy in that time.

In honor of Food Allergy Awareness Week, Infectious Diseases in Children has compiled our recent food allergy coverage for pediatricians, primary care physicians and allergists to promote the spread of information regarding anaphylaxis, food labels, community education and more.

Supervised self-injected epinephrine tutorials improved food-allergic patient, parent comfort levels
Adolescents with severe food allergies and their parents reported less anxiety about self-administering epinephrine injections after practicing with an empty syringe in a clinical setting, according to a study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. Read More

Long-term peanut SLIT safe, effective among children
Peanut sublingual immunotherapy induced clinically significant desensitization in 86% of peanut-allergic children, as well as sustained unresponsiveness among children treated for 36-60 months, according to early data presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Read More

Majority of non-nurse school staff correctly identified anaphylaxis treatment protocol
While most surveyed non-nurse school staff correctly identified the protocol to treat severe allergic reactions among students, few felt confident in their ability to recognize symptoms or treat anaphylaxis. Read More

Confusing food labels pose risk to consumers with food allergies
Data from the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology indicate that almost half of consumers in the U.S. and Canada falsely believe that the law requires the food industry to place precautionary allergen labeling on products. Read More

More than 50% of patients with tree nut-allergy passed an oral food challenge
Despite exhibiting skin or blood test sensitivity to peanuts and tree nuts, more than 50% of patients with a documented allergy to an individual nut passed oral food challenges consisting of additional nuts, according to data published in Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Read More

References:
Food Allergy Awareness Week: Celebrating 20 Years of Action, Education & Support
FARE: Facts and Statistics
Trends in Allergic Conditions Among Children: United States, 1997-2011
FDA Consumer Updates: Have Allergies? Read the Label