Food Allergies and Bullying Study Results

Forty-three percent of school-age children with food allergies report bully waving allergen in their face in a threatening manner. Twenty percent of food allergic students report the teasing and harassment came from teachers and staff.

What?!?!?

Read the results of this study, conducted by Mount Sinai, then talk to your child. Explain to young children what bullying is and what they should do if they feel threatened. Develop a plan with older children about how to handle a bullying situation. Share this research with your school nurse, guidance counselor, teacher and administrators. Bullying is never okay. Bullying with food allergens is dangerous and needs to be stopped immediately. Does your school have an anti-bullying policy? Does the policy mention food allergy? The authors of this study say it should.

Food Allergies at School: More Tips

As the new school year gets underway, do not forget about "special area" teachers when creating a food allergy management plan.

• Food allergens may be hidden in art supplies. Make sure the art teacher is aware of your child's allergies and contacts parents if there are any questions about supplies used in the classroom.
• In music class, many instruments are passed around for children to try. Find out about the cleaning of these instruments. Ask for a specially designated set for your child if you are especially concerned.
• Computer kepyboards may harbor food allergens. Does your child (or teacher)need to wipe down  the keyboard before beginning computer class?

From classroom to cafeteria to art room and school bus, cover all spaces and places in whatever food allergy plan you develop with your child's school.

Food Allergies and Halloween: Time to Get Ready

For those of us with food allergic children, planning ahead for Halloween is essential. My little guy goes trick or treating around the neighborhood. When he gets home, we take out all the candy with milk, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts.

All the candy that isn't labeled goes too.

Now, here's where my preparation pays off. I have lots of great treats to put back in the bag. Allow shipping time and order safe treats today. Check out these suppliers, with direct links to Halloween treats:

Divvies
Amanda's Own
Enjoy Life
AllerNeeds
Chocolate Emporium
Peanut Free Planet
Premium Chocolatiers
Vermont Nut Free

Most of these sources have order deadlines in mid-October to guarantee shipping in time for the big day. Did I miss any of your favorite Halloween go-tos?

Dairy Free Chocolate Chips

I do love chocolate! When I realized that my Ghiradelli milk chocolate chips were no longer an option in our new world of food allergy, I was a bit panicked. Well, maybe panicked is a bit strong...

no, taking away my favorite chocolate chips did cause panic!

So, we embarked on a tasting of dairy free chocolate chips.  I was not interested in mini-chocolate chips. I prefer the regular size for most of my baking. Fortunately I discovered Barry Callebaut chips. I swear to you, you'll never miss the dairy in these chips. I order them from The Allergy Grocer, as they're not carried in stores. This works great, except:

•  the chips can't be shipped during the summer months due to high temps and melting
• they're awfully expensive, especially with the shipping...

but who can put a price on a good chocolate chip?

Imagine my excitement recently while shopping at Wegmans's, when I noticed their store brand of chocolate chips is dairy free. I bought a bag, giddy at the thought of saving on those shipping costs. We had a blind taste-testing in our home that night.

No comparison. Barry Callebaut wins out.

So, I'll keep ordering multiple 5 lb. bags of Barry Callebaut chips from The Allergy Grocer, but I'm always willing to do more taste-testing!

Any suggestions?

By the way, Allergy Grocer offers free shipping on orders over $100. Go ahead, you can do it...

Food Allergy Show on Lifetime Televisions's Balancing Act

Tomorrow morning, Tuesday, Sept. 21, The Balancing Act, on Lifetime will feature a show on food allergies. The show airs from 7-8 am ET/PT. Set your TiVo, your DVR, or plan to grab a cup of coffee to watch it live. The program will feature Leandro de Armas, this year's Heart of FAAN Child Ambassador, and an interview with a father who lost his son as the result of a fatal food allergy reaction. FAAN’s Vice President of Research and General Counsel, Maria Acebal, will also speak. A demonstration of how to use an epinephrine auto-injector is part of the presentation.

This show is a great opportunity to inform and educate grandparents, friends and others about food allergy. Spread the word!

Food Allergy Friendly Basball Games and Food Allergy Contest

More and more peanut allergic individuals can sing, "Take me out to the ball game!" thanks to efforts of many to encourage ballparks to provide seating free of peanuts at some games. The Cleveland Indians are the latest to offer this opportunity. They're even power-washing and thoroughly cleaning that are of the stadium prior to the start of the game.

Part of the money from the tickets sold at the Indians Sept. 26 game will go to FAAN for food allergy research.

Go team! For more peanut-aware games, visit my friend Jennifer B's list.

Last day to enter: Ian's Party Give-Away. Be sure to join in the fun for an opportunity to throw a party with treats from Ian's.

Food Allergy and Teenagers

We've heard it before- death from anaphylaxis peaks during the teenage and young adult years.
This statement is enough to stop any parent cold in their tracks. After protecting our precious children for so many years, it's horrifying to think that they will be casual about their food allergies.

 A recent study in the U.K. involved questionaires and interviews of young people between the ages of 11-18 with food allergies. The research sought to understand the challenges faced by this group. The preiminary results of this study are out.

It seems that teenagers are not concerned with "may contain" labels, thinking it unlikely the food contains the allergen. They take thier epinephrine only if they think there may be a risk of a reaction. Many do not now what to do if they have a reaction.

We should not let this information shoch us into inaction. Instead, use it to have a dialog with your children. They must carry their medicine with them- ALWAYS. They must not eat anything that may be unsafe. They must know the steps to take if they think they may be having a reaction. Hook your tween/teen up with FAAN Teen where there is conversation among peers about how to manage food allergy during this critical time of development.
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You only have until this Friday to enter the Ian's Food Give-Away.