Spotlight Is On 12 Million Americans With Food Allergies

FAIRFAX, VA. — The focus of this year’s Food Allergy Awareness Week, which runs May 13–19, will be on learning how to help the 12 million Americans who have the condition avoid suffering a potentially fatal reaction. The slogan is, “Learn how to Be a PAL: Protect A Life from Food Allergies.”

According to the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), which sponsors Food Allergy Awareness Week, food allergy is the leading cause of anaphylaxis, a severe and potentially fatal allergic reaction, outside the hospital setting, and results in more than 30,000 emergency room visits each year. Eight foods account for 90 percent of all allergic reactions in the United States: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios, pecans, etc), wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish.

“Over the last ten years, we’ve seen a doubling of the incidence of food allergies in children,” says Anne Muñoz-Furlong, FAAN CEO and founder. “Until there’s a cure, it’s critical that we all work together to protect these children.”

Because most allergic reactions to food occur as a result of eating something that was believed to be safe, it is especially important to learn how to “Be a PAL.” All it takes is five easy steps:

*Never take food allergies lightly.

*Don’t share food with friends who have food allergies.

*Wash hands after eating.

*Ask what your friends are allergic to, and help them avoid those foods.

*If a friend who has food allergies becomes ill, get help immediately.

“When it comes to food allergies, anyone can ‘Be a PAL,’” says Ms Muñoz-Furlong. “Food allergies impact every single American, and if we work together we can save lives.”

Food Allergy Awareness Week comes on the heels of a mass visit to Washington, D.C., which occurred May 1–2, with more than 100 youth who have food allergies.

They came from across the nation, accompanied by their families, for the FAAN Kid’s Congress on Capitol Hill, and met with legislators to get support for food allergy legislation, such as the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act, which calls on the federal government to create national guidelines for managing students with food allergies. Find out more about the FAAN Kid’s Congress, Food Allergy Awareness Week, food allergy legislation, and food allergy in general by visiting www.foodallergy.org.