The best way to prevent food allergy reactions is to stay away from known allergens. This may sound simple. But it is much more complicated than that. You have to know how to identify foods your child is allergic to and understand how foods are labeled.

This means if your child has food allergies, you have to be sure they eat safe foods and other caregivers know how to manage their food allergy. Because of this, the foods you have access to may be limited.

For some families managing food allergies, the challenges are greater because of structural racism and food insecurity. Both factors have the most disproportionate impact on Black Americans and other groups.

According to Feeding America, Black American households cope with hunger at twice the rate of white, non-Hispanic households. One in four Black children face hunger on a regular basis.

Employment and financial discrimination also play roles. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the jobless rate in the U.S. for Black Americans is higher compared to the general population. This feeds a deeper racial wealth gap. And it puts Black Americans at a greater risk of starving.

Housing bias and lack of investment in communities of color stack barriers even higher. Black, Indigenous, Hispanic Americans, and other underserved groups are more likely to live in areas known as “food deserts.” A food desert is a community where it is hard to find good and nutritious fresh food.

Hunger is a racial equity issue. And so is managing food allergies.

This puts families of color in double jeopardy. Lack of equal access to safe foods means an even greater risk of severe allergic reactions. And children with multiple food allergies may not have access to the variety of safe foods they need for a balanced nutritious diet.

What Is the Role of Nutrition and Food Insecurity in Asthma and Allergies?

The New England Chapter of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) hosted a webinar called “Health Care Disparities in the Asthma and Allergy Community.” During the webinar, they talked about the role of both nutrition and food insecurity in asthma and allergies. AAFA and groups like the Food Equality Initiative (FEI) are working to address food insecurities to reduce health inequities among racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. FEI works to improve access to allergy-friendly and gluten-free foods and end hunger among vulnerable groups.

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The speakers from this excerpt were:

• Lakiea Wright, MD, MAT MPH, Associate Physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital Division of Allergy and Immunology, and Medical Director of U.S. Clinical Affairs in the Immuno-Diagnostics Division at Thermo Fischer Scientific
  
  
• Margee Louisias, MD, MPH, Director of Diversity and Inclusion with the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital
  
  

References
1. Bilaver, L. A., Kanaley, M. K., Fierstein, J. L., & Gupta, R. S. (2021). Prevalence and correlates of food allergy among medicaid-enrolled united states children. Academic Pediatrics, 21(1), 84-92. doi:10.1016/j.acap.2020.03.005