It's Halloween time again and I have decided to include here some educational information about food allergies. As the parent of a child with a truly life threatening food allergy this topic is of the utmost importance to me, and a part of our lives here every single day.
Kiddo will be trick-or-treating for Halloween just like many other kids in our area. However she will not be out to collect candy but rather to raise funds for food allergy education and research. When she received her collection box from The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network she made the decision, all on her own, that her goal again this year for Halloween was to only collect money for this organization. Actually this will be her third year doing this. We are members of FAAN because my daughter has a life-threatening food allergy to peanut. As stated in a recent FAAN press release, for many kids, ghosts and goblins are the spooky stuff of Halloween, but for the 1 in 25 or 3.1 million American children with food allergies, the “treat” can be the scariest part of all.
“Many of the most common food allergens are found in candy,” says Anne Muñoz-Furlong, founder and CEO of the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN). “For some children, just one bite of the wrong food can bring on anaphylaxis – a severe allergic reaction that can cause death.”
Eight foods account for 90 percent of all food-allergic reactions in the U.S.: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish. Of these, only the last two are not likely to be found in candy.
The incidence of food allergy has doubled in the last 10 years, and scientists aren’t sure why. More
than 12 million Americans – one in 25 – are caught up in this life-altering epidemic, which results in
150-200 deaths and more than 30,000 emergency room visits each year. There is no known cure;
strict avoidance is the only way to prevent a reaction.
The majority of Halloween treats do not have ingredient labels, and for kids like my daughter who have food allergies, reading ingredient labels is essential to avoiding a deadly allergic reaction. Just one bite of the harmful candy can be life-threatening.
Many of our friends, neighbors and my daughter's teachers have generously contributed to my daughter’s collection box for FAAN. I know for many this is an unfamiliar organization and perhaps some folks had never heard of food allergies. For more information about food allergies and The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) you can visit The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), at www.foodallergy.org. Proceeds from their Trick-or-Treat for Food Allergy Coin Collection Campaign will go toward food allergy education and research.
If you would like to help support food allergy awareness through education and research towards a cure you can make a donation to FAAN at their website, www.foodallergy.org or click here to go directly to their donation page.
ABOUT FAAN
Founded in 1991, The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) is the world leader in food allergy information. FAAN, a nonprofit organization based in Fairfax, VA, is dedicated to increasing public awareness about food allergy and anaphylaxis, to providing education, and to advancing research on behalf of all those affected by food allergies. The organization has just under 30,000 members in the United States, Canada, and 62 other countries.
FAAN provides information about food allergy and educational resources to patients, their families, schools, health professionals, pharmaceutical companies, the food industry, and government officials. Educational materials published by FAAN are reviewed for medical accuracy by the FAAN Medical Advisory Board, which is comprised of 11 of the country’s leaders in food allergy science and medicine. In addition to printed materials, FAAN also sponsors awareness programs such as Food Allergy Awareness Week, Food Allergy Conferences, and the Mariel C. Furlong Awards for Making a Difference as well as fundraising walks across the country. Educational materials and information about special programs are also available online at www.foodallergy.org, www.fankids.org, and www.faanteen.org.
