Food Allergy Awareness Week--Give It Up!!

Hi everybody,

I'm thrilled to share this press release from The Food Allergy Initiative.

Food Allergy Initiative Launches “Give It Up” Advocacy Campaign in Conjunction with Food Allergy Awareness Week

New York, NY – May 4, 2010 – The Food Allergy Initiative (FAI) today announced the launch of its new “Give It Up” national advocacy campaign in conjunction with Food Allergy Awareness Week, May 9 through May 15, 2010.

The new “Give It Up” campaign encourages children, parents, families and friends to show their support for the millions of Americans with food allergies by abstaining from eating a favorite food during the week. As part of the campaign, participants are invited to join FAI’s Facebook community and write their elected officials in an effort to raise more awareness about the need to find a cure for food allergies.

The “Give It Up” Facebook page also encourages supporters to share photos and/or videos on how they are “giving up” a favorite food. One lucky person will win an Apple iPad. Individuals and schools can even download an eCertificate that can be personalized and printed, showing their participation in the cause. To join FAI’s Facebook page and learn more, visit www.faiusa.org.

Food allergies have been on the rise over the past decade, especially among children. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than 12 million Americans, including three million children, suffer from the disease, which can result in anaphylaxis, a potentially fatal reaction. There currently are no medications to cure or control food allergies. The federal government spends only about $26 million a year on food allergy research – far less than on other important diseases. One of FAI’s primary goals is to increase support of food allergy research at the National Institutes of Health and other government agencies.

“Odds are you have someone in your immediate family or know someone who is afflicted with a food allergy,” said Mary Jane Marchisotto, Executive Director, Food Allergy Initiative. “With the incredible advances that researchers are making, there’s no excuse why we can’t develop a cure for this potentially life-threatening disease in the near future. The Food Allergy Initiative is funding many promising studies at major medical centers, but we can’t do it alone. We need more focus and awareness, especially from the government, and we are here to provide just that.”

About the Food Allergy Initiative (FAI):

The Food Allergy Initiative is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that funds research seeking a cure for food allergies. FAI was founded in 1998 by concerned parents and grandparents to support basic and clinical research worldwide; public policies to make the world safer for those afflicted; and educational programs to make the hospitality industry, schools, day care centers, and camps safer. The largest private source of funding for food allergy research in the United States , FAI has contributed more than $65 million toward the fulfillment of its mission. For more information, visit www.faiusa.org, call 212-207-1974, or e-mail info@faiusa.org.

About Food Allergies
Food allergies are on the rise in all westernized countries. There are no medications to cure or control food allergies. A strict diet and avoidance of the allergenic food is the only way to avoid a reaction, yet the most common allergens – peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, milk, fish, shellfish, wheat and soy – are staples of the food supply and virtually impossible to avoid completely. Accidental exposure to even a minuscule amount of the offending food can cause an allergic individual to react within seconds, often leading to life-threatening anaphylaxis, which causes throat swelling, a dramatic drop in blood pressure, vomiting and even death within a matter of minutes. Although researchers estimate that food allergies cause approximately 125,000 emergency room visits each year, they do not understand why rates are increasing so alarmingly, particularly among children.

It May Be Getting Easier to Dine Out with Nut Allergies

Recently I asked my readers about the biggest concerns they have with regard to caring for a child with nut allergies. Not surprisingly, many people expressed anxiety about dining out at restaurants and for good reason. Eating at a restaurant is a leap of faith for the food allergic because you have to trust someone else to A) understand your allergy in the first place and how to avoid a reaction and then B)prepare the food under the right conditions so that cross-contact with an allergen doesn't take place. Still, for most of us dealing with nut allergies, dining out is a part of life, especially when you want to travel with your family.

I've both written about and heard some scary dining out stories, so I wanted to share some positive tales of dining out that I've read about recently. First, my local food allergy support group sent out a very encouraging e-mail about a member's recent experience at Wildfire, an upscale restaurant chain in the Chicago area and other cities. This support group member's son has peanut and egg allergies, as well as others. She did all the right things--mentioned the allergies when she made the reservation, made the reservation for an early dinner (5 p.m.) and then told her server when she arrived.

The chef himself came to their table and informed them he would prepare the allergy-free meal personally, then asked what the child wanted to eat. He also told the family that they are prepared to deal with food allergies and handle them daily.

Obviously, this is excellent customer service and the family reportedly had an enjoyable meal with a level of confidence in the safety of the food that was unusual to them (in a good way, of course!). I live near this restaurant and I can't wait to try it out with my own family. Oh, and this meal happened on a weekend--a busy time for restaurants. That tells me that if chefs/servers are informed on food allergies, a meal like this doesn't have to seem special, but can be the norm.

Another dining out tale: I was reading a restaurant review in The New Yorker magazine about The Vanderbilt restaurant in Brooklyn. Near the end of the article was a mention of a nut-allergic diner. Apparently, one of the people in the food critic's party was informed by the server that they should avoid a certain dessert containing almond flour. (I always advocate avoiding desserts at a restaurant when you have a nut allergy, by the way. Too risky.)

The reason I mention this review is that it was the first time I ever saw nut allergies mentioned in a New Yorker restaurant review and I've been a subscriber to the mag for about 12 years. Despite the fact that the food critic in the article felt the server handled the allergic diner a bit poorly (they did not offer the chance to re-order a dessert), to me this story indicates a new level of awareness about food allergies that is exciting and hopefully helpful.

Finally, some of you may have read my recent post about chef/restauranteur Emeril Lagasse and his work with Enjoy Life Foods on YouTube. Well, just last week Emeril was honored by the Food Allergy Initiative at their New York benefit with a lifetime achievement award. Also present were many prominent chefs that have restaurants not only in New York but all over the world. The fact that they would attend this event and feel compelled to support a food allergy organization speaks volumes about how much progress has been made.

Does all of this mean that you can let your guard down while dining out? No way, but these are encouraging signs. It also shows that if you speak up about what you need to stay safe and use good judgment, it is possible to have a good experience at a restaurant, even with severe food allergies.