May is Food Allergy Awareness Month, and I thought this would be a good time to round up some of my favorite food allergy resources and let you know what’s new in the food allergy world.
Food allergies affect about 8% of children, and about 4% of adults (1). Until recently, we heard a lot about the “top eight” common food allergens (milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, wheat, soy, peanuts, and treenuts) (2). But did you know that allergic reactions to sesame are becoming more prevalent? (3). Sesame allergies have increased so much that in April of 2021, Congress passed the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research (FASTER) Act. The FASTER Act requires that sesame be included in the ingredients list of all packaged foods beginning January 1, 2023 (4). This is a big win for the food allergy community!
Caring for someone with food allergies is stressful. There are some great online resources that can help. FARE is a group dedicated to food allergy research and education. There you can find basic allergy information like this Food 101 Guide and some resources that help you navigate returning to school in the fall.
And don’t forget that the library is a great place to find cookbooks, parenting guides, and kids’ books related to food allergies. Here are some that I recommend!