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Five Steps Forward for Food Allergy

An Initiative to Help the 12 Million Americans With Food Allergy

FAIRFAX , Va., May 8, 2008 – The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) will sponsor an educational briefing on Capitol Hill to introduce its “Five Steps Forward for Food Allergy.” In honor of the 11th annual Food Allergy Awareness Week, May 11-17, FAAN will unveil its new advocacy initiative to address the challenges of food allergy through five steps aimed at improving the lives of the more than 12 million Americans who suffer from food allergies.

The briefing is to be held on Tuesday, May 13, 2008, at 1:30 p.m. in Room HC-6 of the U.S. Capitol. Discussion will explore guidelines for assuring the safety of food-allergic children in school, enhanced public information on food allergy, guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of food allergy, expanded research on food allergy and anaphylaxis, and further improvement of allergen labeling. There is no charge to attend, and seating is limited. The event is intended for policymakers, the media, and the public and features an impressive list of speakers:

Featured Speakers  

Anne Muñoz-Furlong, Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) – CEO and Founder of FAAN; mother of a child with severe food allergies

Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md. – Instrumental in securing House passage of the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act of 2008 ( H.R. 2063) ; grandfather of a child with severe food allergies

Representative Jim Walsh, R-N.Y. – Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; co-sponsored H.R. 2063

Rhonda Adkins – Mother of a child with severe food allergies; wife of country music superstar and “The Celebrity Apprentice” finalist Trace Adkins

Jackie Clegg Dodd – Mother of a child with severe food allergies; wife of Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), who introduced the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act (S. 1232) in the Senate

Kyle Ericson – Junior Ambassador for the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network; 10-year-old boy with severe food allergies to peanuts and tree nuts

Hugh Sampson, M.D., Director, Jaffe Food Allergy Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine – Expert in food allergies; President of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI)

During Food Allergy Awareness Week, there will also be a Senate hearing about food allergies chaired by Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) on Wednesday, May 14, at 2:30 p.m., followed by a press conference.

To learn more about Food Allergy Awareness Week, food allergy legislation currently pending, and food allergy in general, visit FAAN’s website, www.foodallergy.org.

About FAAN

Founded in 1991, the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) is the world leader in information, resources, and programs for food allergy, a potentially life-threatening medical condition that afflicts as many as 15 million Americans, including almost 6 million children. A nonprofit organization based in Fairfax, Va., FAAN is dedicated to increasing public awareness of food allergy and its consequences, to educating people about the condition, and to advancing research on behalf of all those affected by it. FAAN provides information and educational resources about food allergy to patients, their families, schools, health professionals, pharmaceutical companies, the food industry, and government officials. On May 9, 2012, FAAN announced its intent to merge with the other leading food allergy organization, the Food Allergy Initiative, pending state regulatory approval. To become a member or for more information, please visit FAAN at www.foodallergy.org.

Media Contact

Nancy Gregory
Media Relations
(703) 563-3066
E-mail: ngregory@foodallergy.org