2007 Initiatives

LABELING GOALS

Goal:

Ingredient labels will provide a reliable and consistent source of information for individuals who have food allergies.

Objectives:

  • Major allergens clearly declared on the ingredient label with no exemptions.
  • Simple language terms used on ingredient labels.
  • Limit the number of precautionary statements and define them in clear terms.
  • Encourage the development of criteria for the use of precautionary allergen statements to minimize their use, ensure that they won't be used in place of good manufacturing practices, and that they always appear immediately following, or adjacent to, the ingredient declaration.
  • Improve communication between industry and the allergic community regarding product alerts.

     

 

ANAPHYLAXIS GOALS

Goal:

Prevent deaths from severe allergic reactions.

Objectives:

  • Health Care Professionals better informed about severe allergic reactions.
  • Epinephrine (adrenaline) recognized and acknowledged as the first line treatment of potentially life-threatening allergic reactions.
  • Development of guidelines or consensus for who should be prescribed epinephrine (adrenaline).
  • Allergy patients provided with speedy referral and access to an allergy specialist.
  • If a patient is prescribed epinephrine (adrenaline), they are taught when and how to use it.
  • Annual contact with allergy specialist recommended for all patients who may be at risk for a life-threatening allergic reaction.
  • Better recording of diagnoses, reactions, and deaths by national collection systems.
  • Patients be referred to patient organizations for education.

     

 

RESEARCH GOALS

Goal:

Advance scientific understanding of issues affecting patients with, or at risk of developing, food allergy and anaphylaxis:

  • Cause and prevention
  • Management and treatment
  • Cure
  • Epidemiology

 

Objectives:

  • Identify key issues and facilitate the development of research studies globally.
  • Develop studies to look at the psycho-social impact on patients and family.
  • Develop national databases on the epidemiology, and patient registries for each member country.

     

 
 
TEEN/FAMILY GOALS
 

Goal:

 
Strengthen family dynamics for the management of food allergy.
 
Objectives:
 
  • Educate family members in the management of food allergy, thus helping to create an atmosphere in which children and teenagers can grow into confident, independent, adults.
  • Minimize/reduce teen reactions and fatalities.

 

 

SCHOOLS AND OTHER CHILD CARE SETTINGS GOALS

Goal:

Prevent allergic reactions in school and other childcare settings, but ensure that if reactions do occur, they are dealt with promptly and effectively.

Objectives:

  • Promote established country-specific policies and guidelines for managing students with allergies.
  • Provide allergy information to schools and other child care settings for distribution to staff.
  • Ensure there is training for appropriate school and child care staff to recognize symptoms and know how to treat a reaction.
  • Ensure that teachers or child care providers develop a plan that accommodates the child's needs throughout the school day.
  • Promote good communication between parents, school, and other child care providers.

     

 

TRANSPORTATION GOALS

Goal:

Make travel safe for food-allergic passengers

Objectives:

  • Establish open discussion between consumer groups and transportation services.
  • Educate the transportation industry about potentially life-threatening food allergies.
  • Encourage the transportation industry to develop and adhere to written policies regarding food-allergic passengers.
  • Study and report existing systems for tracking food allergy-related incidents.
  • Develop and promote safe travel recommendations for food-allergic passengers.

     

 

RESTAURANT AND FOOD SERVICE ESTABLISHMENT GOALS

Goal:

Make eating out safe for those with food allergy and anaphylaxis.

Objectives:

  • Educate Restaurant and Food Service staff that food allergy is a serious health issue.
  • Ensure that Restaurant and Food Service staff provide full, accurate and reliable information to food-allergic consumers.
  • Promote staff training about food allergy.
  • Develop and promote safe dining strategies for food-allergic consumers.