Best Allergy Sites

This list was compiled after several conversations with parents who do not live with food allergies.

It’s meant to serve as an FAQ for you to share with your friends, family and school.

Click on the title above to access the full page/list.

This page will be updated as new information becomes available.

When sharing the list, feel free to omit the items that you do not follow.
(We all have our own comfort levels).

Please feel free to add your suggestions (what you’ve found helpful to tell others) in the comments section below.

Food Allergy FAQ

No one knows the cause of food allergies or why there seems to be a sudden rise in diagnosis.

Not all food allergies or food allergic individuals are created equally.

Not all families have access to the same information/education nor do all families handle their food allergies in the same way.

Some food allergies are life threatening.

There are several ways to develop an allergic reaction.
-Ingestion (most common)
-Touching an allergen and then touching eyes, nose or mouth (also common)
-Airborne sensitivity (less common)
-Skin sensitivity (less common on unbroken skin (may result in isolated hives), anaphylaxis can occur on broken/cut skin)

There currently is no FDA approved cure for food allergies.
(Regardless of what you’ve heard from the media.)

The only way to avoid a reaction is strict avoidance of the allergen.

Allergies can be outgrown, however not all are.

The only life saving treatment/medication readily available is epinephrine (the EpiPen) and usually must be administered within minutes of a reaction. Any delay can cause a reaction to progress quickly.

Home made foods are unsafe due to potential cross contamination. Traces of an allergen can find their way into home made food items. Utensils and pans not thoroughly washed, cutting a peanut butter sandwich and using the same knife to frost cupcakes, etc.

Foods with “processed in” labels or “may contains” labels are potentially unsafe. In a study, up to 7% of items with warning labels (that were tested) contained detectable levels of peanut protein even though peanut was not listed as an ingredient.

A study showed that food allergic individuals have a lower quality of life than those with diabetes.

Allergen safe schools or classrooms do not always cause a false sense of security.
Instead they often minimize the risk of exposure and may be necessary for those severely allergic.

There are no reliable numbers regarding food allergic deaths as such deaths are often misclassified under cardiac arrest or as asthma related.

Children and other individuals with food allergies know that “this is life” and that “they need to live with/deal with it”. They live with it and deal with it everyday from what and where they can eat, where they can and can’t go, or even vacation. However, as a society we make accommodations for individuals in school and in life all the time. (See next item.)

Life threatening food allergies are considered a disability under Section 504 and ADA.

Children with food allergies long to be included.
(Imagine your child consistently left out of events or sitting alone at lunch in school)

-Please consider keeping food in school to a minimum.
(Food free rewards, school birthdays and celebrations.)

-Please don’t leave food allergic children off the birthday invitation list.
(Most parents are happy to stay and help and bring their own food for their child.)

-Please consider a play date or sleepover with a food allergic child.
(It doesn’t have to be any more work than with a non food allergic child.)

Please don’t feed a food allergic child unless you have permission to do so from their parents.

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This list was compiled by Ruth LovettSmith of Best Allergy Sites

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4. Another School Year Begins: Living with Food Allergies
5. Understanding Deadly Food Allergies