Race + Food Allergy Equality

Together we can make changes in the food allergy community.

Today I attended a webinar. The topic was “For The Health: A Conversation on Race and Food Allergy.” It was eye-opening and inspiring. My gratitude goes out to Food Equality Initiative for hosting the event and to Thermo Fisher Scientific, Alerje and Spokin for their sponsorship.

The panelists were extremely dynamic and had so much information that covered many areas applicable to the food allergy community and the BIPOC community within. Make sure to check out all of these great leaders listed in detail below!

All of the messages and information provided during the webinar showed me how far we’ve come and that there’s so much more we can do…

So, what can we do? I’ll go over my webinar notes with you and give you some solid suggestions for taking action, as recommended by the panelists.

In General

• There is a real disparity between health, resources and education in the BIPOC community and white community when it comes to food allergies.

• Black children are 7% more likely to have food allergies compared to white children.

• Interested in what Dr. Lakiea Wright is doing? She’s committed to educating communities about food allergies, is advocating to ensure children of color are included in clinical studies and creating a science lesson and activity to disseminate to kids in under-served areas and eliminate disparities.

• Javier Evelyn spoke about, Alerje. It’s an app and product that has definitely piqued my interest. It’s a a smartphone case that carries a slim epinephrine auto-injector and connects to an app. For more details, click here for an article I found about him and Alerje.

• Denise Woodard spoke about her motivation for creating Partake Foods and her belief that everyone needs to be educated about food allergies and advocate for policy change. P.S. - Our family loves Partake’s cookies!

• Thomas Silvera and Dina Silvera spoke about why they created Elijah-Alavi Foundation, the passing of Elijah’s Law, their advocacy and education efforts and some projects they’re working to develop to support children and parents.

  • Dina also gave some great tips for dealing with schools in the case that you get push-back when advocating for your child’s food allergies:

    • She said not to be timid in bringing this up to teachers, administrators and staff. It is a serious issue and needs to be treated as such. Be strong. Be stern.

    • Come with medical forms. These are legal documents that entitle your child to rights within the school system. They cannot be ignored.

    • Find out if there’s a nurse (or someone else in a similar role) and ask about that person’s hours. Some are not there full days or even everyday and it’s good to be aware of who would be handling a potential food allergy reaction. It is also important to make yourself known to that person and let them know about your child’s needs.

    • Make sure to fill out a 504 plan or IEP to document issues pertaining to your child’s food allergy disabilities. She prefers an IEP because it not only deals with medical issues but also addresses educational support. (A fellow attendee posted this link to an article for more information on 504 plans).

• Emily Brown spoke about Food Equality Initiative and how it is important to educate yourself on how best to help the BIPOC food allergy community. That being said…

How to Help

• You can make a difference by making a donation. The above-linked organizations have some great and impactful projects that are both ongoing and in the works. Assisting them with funding so that they can get things done is a great way to make a difference. Click on the organization name for a direct link to donate.

  • Food Equality Initiative

  • Spokin

  • Elijah-Alavi Foundation

• If you’re in a position to invest in a BIPOC led company, do so! Or, if you know someone who can invest, put them in touch. Just make sure everyone actually wants to follow through before beginning the process.

• Don’t have investor-type money? Use the power of your purchase! Buy Partake Foods at your grocery store or online, or check out Alerje. Keep your eyes open for more products that fit your needs.

• Are you a medical professional? See if you can volunteer at local health centers to provide food allergy education or support.

• Want to get more involved in an organization that supports the BIPOC community? Do your research. Check out organizations and make sure what you have to offer truly aligns with that organization. If it’s a match, reach out and offer your talent.

Other Information

• Click here for information from the American Academy of Pediatrics on the impact of racism on a child and adolescent health.

• Click here to watch the webinar replay.

Panelists

• Dr. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Lakiea Wright (Board certified Allergist US Medical Director ImmunoDiagnostics-Clinical Affairs ThermoFisher Scientific),

• Javier Evelyn (Founder and CEO of Alerje, noted as Crain's 40 Under 40, and founding team member at MedTech Color),

• Denise Woodard (Founder and CEO of Partake Foods),

• Thomas Silvera (President at Elijah-Alavi Foundation Inc.),

• Dina Silvera (mental health advocate and executive creative director at G.A.M.E.), and

• Emily Brown (Founder and CEO of Food Equality Initiative)

Moderators

• Karen Palmer (food allergy advocate, Certified Professional Coach and Operations Consultant and food allergy parent) and

• Linsey Davis (two-time Emmy Award winning correspondent for ABC News and successful children’s book author)

Leave a comment below to let us know if you have any suggestions about how to best support the BIPOC food allergy community!

Update on the FDA's Temporary Labeling Policy

Straight talk from the food manufacturing associations - How the FDA’s new ingredient labeling policy is being implemented

First, THANK YOU FARE! FARE organized a much needed and informative webinar addressing the food allergy community’s concerns about the FDA’s latest labeling flexibility policy.

The panelists for the event were quite impressive. A group of of high ranking individuals within their respective industries whose roles involve overseeing and integrating the FDA’s policy for their associations. The panelists were: Debra Miller (Senior Vice President of Scientific & Regulatory Affairs of the National Confectioners Association), Donna Garren (Executive Vice President of Science and Policy of the American Frozen Food Institute), Lee Sanders (Senior Vice President, Government Relations and Public Affairs as well as Corporate Secretary for the American Bakers Association) and Joe Scimeca (Senior Vice President, Regulatory and Scientific Affairs.of the International Dairy Foods Association).

It felt comforting to see each panelist taking the time to address our community’s concerns. They provided clarity on the labeling and manufacturing issues at hand and a glimpse into what is happening within the food manufacturing industry.

Now let’s jump into my takeaways from the event!

In General:

• The panelists reassured us that each industry is very aware of the challenges and dangers that the food allergy community faces on a daily basis. Each association’s members are highly trained about food allergies and are sensitive to their consumers’ needs.

• There have been no ingredient changes in relation to allergens. The associations’ members have not needed to make any substitutions as allowed under the FDA’s new temporary COVID-19 labeling policy. There are a few reasons for this:

  • They haven’t had issues getting ingredients.

  • A change in ingredients would most likely lead to a change in consumer experience. An ingredient substitution (or omission) may result in the food tasting different to the consumer or offer a different texture than what they’re used to. Companies want to remain true to their customers’ expectations and not turn them off from a product they once loved.

  • A change in ingredients sets off a chain of events for a manufacturer. The manufacturers need to go through a very detailed and involved protocol to evaluate any issues pertaining to a new ingredient. This means checking with new suppliers about the sourcing of such ingredient, figuring out the impact on the company’s product line and updating the plant’s food safety plan (this includes safety measures for hazards such as allergens). These, among other things, are required by the law at all times.

• Theoretically, if a substitution is needed to be made due to lack of ingredient availability, it will not be a one-off occasion for only one manufacturer. This will impact many companies and will be seen throughout an industry.

What You Can Do as a Food Allergy Concerned Consumer

• Most packaging has already been printed and therefore will not be updated, so if there are ingredient substitutions you can find the information using the following tools:

  • Check QR codes and Smart Labels for packaged foods! This was emphasized to be one of the best ways to get the most recent and reliable information.

  • Check companies’ websites for updates about their products.

  • Look out for shelf markers at grocery stores. These are signs that are put directly on the shelves about a product (similar to those during the COVID-19 pandemic that let you know a store’s toilet paper was out of stock).

  • Stickers may be put on packages, but there is concern that they fall off on their way to the grocery store shelves.

If You Still Have Questions

• For any questions you have about ingredients or substitutions, call the company! There should be an 800 number on the packaging.

• What if the customer service rep doesn’t know what you’re talking about and doesn’t seem to know about the FDA’s new policy? Politely ask them to look into it! Ask them to check with their Quality Assurance (QA) Department and get back to you. Feel free to ask for the customer service representative’s name and direct line so you can follow-up if needed. Most likely, the representative’s lack of knowledge is just a miscommunication within the company.

Other Resources (not included in the FARE webinar - just a relevant personal recommendation)

• Check out Snack Safely’s list. It contains manufacturers’ statements pledging that they will not substitute ingredients without stating the updated ingredient list on their packaging.

If it’s important to you to stay up-to-date about FDA policy regarding food allergies, click here to subscribe to my newsletter. Don’t want to you to miss a thing!