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Click here to read the Washington Post article about the Washington Nationals Stadium creating a peanut-free zone
Please consider shopping at the Tyson's Whole Foods (Route 7) on April 1 -- 5% of all sales made that day will be donated to the 2009 FAAN Walk for Food Allergy: Moving Toward A Cure..
FAAN will be holding its 16th Annual Food Allergy Conference throughout the country on the theme "Food Allergies: Take Action, Prevent Reactions." Topics of discussion will include: causes and symptoms of food-allergic reactions, strategies for avoiding reactions, tips for managing food allergies in schools, and ways to prepare a child to manage food allergies. One of the conferences will be held in Baltimore, MD on March 28, 2008. Visit the FAAN website
When the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 was approved, no provisions were made for advisory labeling (e.g., “may contain peanuts,” or “processed in a facility that also processes peanuts”). Clear, consistent and meaningful labeling is crucial to keeping individuals safe from accidental exposure to potentially life-threatening allergens.
For this reason, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration held a public hearing on September 16, 2008 to help the agency “develop a long-term strategy to assist manufacturers in using allergen advisory labeling that is truthful and not misleading, conveys a clear and uniform message, and adequately informs food-allergic consumers and their caregivers.” Specifically the FDA is addressing three specific issues: “(1) the circumstances under which manufacturers use advisory labeling; (2) what type of advisory labeling is most effective in helping consumers avoid adverse allergic reactions; and (3) how advisory statements should be worded to be the most effective in communicating the likelihood that an allergen may be present in a food.”
Statements and testimonies were offered by a number of food allergy organizations, including the Food Allergy Support Group of Northern Virginia (see document), on the critical importance of this issue. FDA will be accepting additional written public comments until January 14, 2009 (send electronic comments or submissions to FDA http://www.regulations.gov).
The US Senate needs to enact S.1232 The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act (FAAMA), which calls for voluntary national guidelines to help schools manage students affected by food allergy and anaphylaxis. Once approved, the bill would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and make a voluntary policy available to schools to manage the risk of food allergy and anaphylaxis in schools. It would also provide for school-based allergy management incentive grants to support food allergy management guidelines in public schools. To get this passed into law, we need Senator Webb’s support now! Click here for more information on how you can help! (link: http://www.foodallergy.org/Advocacy/FAAMA.html)
Locations will be in Arlington, VA on November 7-9. Additional details to follow!
Dr. Wesley Burks, a food allergy expert at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina believes that there might be a solution to peanut allergy within the next 5 years. He wrote in the Lancet medical journal that different forms of immunotherapy for peanut allergy appear to be on the horizon, including the possible use of engineered peanut proteins or Chinese herbal medicine. For more information, click here
One of the 2008 "FAAN Walk for Food Allergy" locations will be in Fairfax, VA on Saturday, August 23. Additional details to follow!
Thanks to another generous grant from FAAN, our group will be launching an outreach program to raise food allergy awareness in local schools, restaurants and the medical community. During this week our members will be going into elementary schools throughout the area to teach children about food allergies, including how to identify when a student may be having a reaction, and how to be a supportive friend to someone with food allergies. We will also be providing training kits (developed by FAAN and the National Restaurant Association) to local restaurants in hopes of educating their staff on how to safely prepare and serve food to guests with food allergies. And finally, we will be reaching out to the medical community to encourage them to provide newly diagnosed families with information about available resources -- including this support group! To get involved, contact info@novafoodallergy.org
On April 8, 2008, the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act of 2008 (FAAMA) was passed by the House of Representatives. This important legislation was introduced in the House by Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) as H.R. 2063. It calls for a uniform guidance document to be created for schools so that any school in the country looking for help in managing food allergies will have a place to turn. Now that the bill has been passed by the House, it will be reviewed by the Senate HELP (Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions) Committee, who will consider the bill within the coming months. Known as S. 1232 in the Senate, this bill was introduced by Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) on April 26, 2007. If the HELP Committee approves the bill, then it will be presented to the full Senate, and with their agreement it would go to President Bush for final approval. If passed, FAAMA will provide schools across the country with uniform guidance on how to create appropriate management and emergency plans for children with food allergies. The bill will direct the secretary of health and human services to develop a voluntary policy for schools to implement measures to prevent exposure to food allergens and to ensure a prompt response if a child suffers a potentially fatal anaphylactic reaction.
Many of you know that Trace Adkins was a semi-finalist on “The Celebrity Apprentice”. He didn’t win Donald’s money, but he did make a huge contribution to raising food allergy awareness (his designated charity was FAAN). Through his appearance on Apprentice, he has brought the message to millions of people that food allergies are serious, and that families living with food allergies must be vigilant at all times. Now there’s an opportunity for us to help him. Trace’s “I Got My Game On” music video has been nominated for two CMT Music Awards: Male Video of the Year and Comedy Video of the Year. These awards are decided by public vote, and the winners in each category get $2,500 for the charity of their choice. Trace has once again chosen FAAN as his designated charity. Please visit FAAN’s website, www.foodallergy.org, and click on the link that reads “Vote for Trace for the 2008 CMT Music Awards.” This directs you to a page with links to view the video and to vote. Only one vote per person is allowed, so please spread the word! Voting ends April 11th. Thanks for your support!
FAAN will be holding its 15th Annual Food Allergy Conference throughout the country on the theme “Food Allergies: Living and Learning.” The conferences are designed for anyone who has a food allergy or cares for someone who does, including parents, grandparents, and caregivers, as well as health care professionals, registered dietitians, teachers, and school staff. Topics of discussion will include: causes and symptoms of food-allergic reactions, strategies for avoiding reactions, tips for managing food allergies in schools, and ways to prepare a child to manage food allergies. One of the conferences will be held in Baltimore, MD on March 29, 2008. Visit the FAAN website for additional details and/or to register for the event.
Our website is now officially launched! We hope that here you will find useful information and resources for dealing with the challenges of food allergies. Special thanks go out to Janmedia, an interactive design studio based in Falls Church, for designing this site and for supporting our efforts to bring together Northern Virginia families through the Internet. The amazing team at Wesleyan Street Consulting (one-half of which dealt with food allergies as a child, but luckily outgrew them!) actually turned the design into reality and constructed this site. We are incredibly grateful for their friendship and dedication to the cause. Thank you!!
Country music star and FAAN spokesperson Trace Adkins is participating in Donald Trump’s The Celebrity Apprentice. Adkins is competing in business-driven tasks around New York City to raise money and awareness for the FAAN, his designated charity. Over the course of the show, it is estimated that more than a million dollars will be raised for various charities, and the winner will also receive a $250,000 bonus check for their charity. “I decided to do this show because I wanted to help raise awareness for the Food Allergy Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN),” says Adkins, who has a daughter with severe food allergies. “I don’t think many people are aware that so many children are developing food allergies these days. Something we’re doing has to be causing this and we’ve got to figure out what it is.” The show airs on Thursday evenings at 9:00 p.m. EST on NBC and as of early February, Trace was still going strong!
The Food Allergy Support Group of Northern Virginia was awarded its first grant on September 17, 2007 by the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN). The grant has enabled us to build a library of school-oriented resources and to help educate members and others in the community about food allergies, particularly in the school setting. Promoting community awareness is one of our group’s primary missions and we appreciate FAAN’s support on this initiative. Thank you FAAN
The start of a new school year can be an exciting time. However, sending a child with food allergies off to school, particularly the cafeteria, can be difficult for many families. Getting informed about local school policy and communicating with teachers, administrators, school nurses and cafeteria workers can help to alleviate concerns. In Fairfax County, a number of county-wide policies and procedures are in place to help keep kids with food allergies safe during the school day. For more information, click here. (scroll down to “students with food allergies”)
A detailed ingredient list for items served at Fairfax County Public schools (updated annually) can be found here.