COVID-19 and Its Impact on Families Managing Food Allergies: A Global Health Crisis
Kids With Food Allergies
Advocating for PatientsKFA Leadership & Announcements
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Blog Post CommentI didn't see monosodium glutamate, autolyzed yeast, torula yeast extract, titanium dioxide or turkey listed. Those will directly affect my family. I was glad to see soy and shellfish listed. It's scary to think that our allergens may or may not be listed or masked as something else. I am diligent about checking to make sure food is safe to eat. If in doubt, I don't risk it. I look forward to a day when the food industry has to be more thorough and completely honest about what is in the food.
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Blog Post CommentOn May 28, 2020, AAFA met with the FDA to talk about how these temporary guidelines will affect the food allergy community. After the meeting, we organized a joint letter with other advocacy groups to send to the FDA. In our letter, we have asked the FDA to clarify these guidelines. We are also asking that the FDA require manufacturers to publicly post any substitutions they make. We will keep you updated on this issue. Read our joint letter to the FDA.
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Blog Post CommentThanks for your questions...we are continuing the get more answers and clarity. We'll add those to the list.
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Blog Post CommentHi thank you for all you are doing. I have a question still...their use of and definition of “should” concerns me that top 8 can be subbed without a label change..as they say they “should be” and not “must be” before describing the safety paragraph on top 8 etc.. can you look at the highlighted usage in the two attachments please? also, in the paragraph describing what it means “ They are not allowed to substitute the top 8 food allergens (egg, milk, wheat, soy, peanut, tree nut, fish and...
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Blog Post CommentThanks for your feedback, Steph and Ellen! When schools follow guidelines to prevent allergic reactions, it reduces the likelihood of a severe reaction. If one does occur, there will be multiple signs...and if those signs are the under the mask, it is likely that the student would be uncomfortable enough to touch/remove the mask. It's important for caregivers to empower students to alert an adult if they are not feeling well. The risk assessment at this time is that the risk of coronavirus...
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Blog Post CommentI CAN'T wear a face covering. It is a seizure trigger for me. Just as there should not be a one-size-fits-all 504 plan, so too there should not be a one-size-fits-all cloth face covering plan. I am frustrated with the "recommendations" and the "guidance" I get from officials. I am frustrated with quite frankly, blatantly discriminatory practices put in place "for the greater good" which deny reasonable accommodations for me and my children, as well as access to services. It is really...
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Blog Post CommentHi Ellen - there are people who cannot wear a face covering and there are exceptions for that. For others, it may take experimenting with different fabrics and masks styles to find something that will work for short periods of time in high-risk situations. Unfortunately, the recommendations and guidelines (federal, state and local) are not very clear and that is frustrating. If you and your kids can wear a face shield, that sounds like a good option. I recently saw a notice in PA that...
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Blog Post Comment✅I disagree with the statement that wearing a face covering shouldn't impact food allergy management. Do any kids with food allergies develop visible perioral hives with exposure? Or redness, lip swelling? Do any of the above kids develop these telltale signs without awareness? In other words, an observer (like a teacher, or fellow student) might be the first to say, "Hey, why is your mouth red?!) How will this happen when the child is wearing a mask?
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Blog Post CommentMy FAK has both food allergies and asthma, and I'm trying to get his 504 plan to allow him NOT to wear a cloth face covering. The way the governor's executive order reads, that means he has to wear a face shield instead. Wearing a cloth over his mouth and nose for 7 hours is not a good idea. A face shield should allow a teacher to see any hives or facial swelling, should they occur, should allow him better air flow, and won't attract dust mites on the cloth for concentrated breathing. We...
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Blog Post CommentOn July 16, 2020, we updated this blog post to include information on how long the temporary guidelines may remain in effect, as well as a chart to help you better understand the guidelines.
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Blog Post CommentUpdated to include a new find, Bo & Ty Sweets Gummy worms, Gummy bears, Sour worms and Sour bears .
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Blog Post CommentThank you for this info!! I seem to recall Skittles and Starburst being on this list in years past. Has something changed with them, or am I mistaken?
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Blog Post Comment❤️Hi, @sarymary715 . Thank you for asking about Skittles and Starburst. We were able to re-verify that Skittles and Starbursts are free of the top eight food allergens and have added them back to the list.
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Blog Post CommentThank you so much! You guys are awesome!
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Blog Post CommentThe one thing that's not stated here is children that are seriously allergic to red dye that is in almost all foods, I have kids that are seriously allergic to red dye and made many trips to the emergency room cause of it, I found that really only organic and all natural foods don't have it and that can be really expensive to buy all the time so making your own foods is best for that one.
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Blog Post CommentWelcome, @Crazy dragon mama ! You're right that it's really hard to deal with a food allergy to an ingredient that's in many foods. We have other folks who deal with "non Top 8" allergies like your family's on our forums ... why not hop over to our Food and Cooking forum and start a topic to share some of your tips and tricks? I'd definitely be interested in comparing notes!
