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Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act Becomes Law

Much Needed National School Food Allergy Guidelines Will Be Created    

FAIRFAX, Va. (Jan. 5, 2011) – The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act (FAAMA), legislation that will result in the creation of national food allergy management guidelines for schools, was finally signed into law after spending five years pending in the U.S. Congress.

FAAMA, which was written largely by FAAN (the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network), was initially introduced in 2005 to coincide with FAAN’s inaugural Kids’ Congress on Capitol Hill. Although the legislation earned bipartisan support over the years in both the House and Senate, it was never enacted – until now.

“We are thrilled with the passage of FAAMA, which provides schools nationwide with the resources to easily put policies in place that will protect students with food allergies,” said FAAN CEO Julia Bradsher. “This is a tremendous accomplishment for the food allergy community.”

The road to passage was not easy. FAAMA was ultimately inserted into a Food Safety Bill, which was approved by Congress during the lame duck session on December 21, 2010 and signed into law by President Obama on January 4, 2011.

“All of our nation's children deserve a safe and healthy learning environment,” said Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.). “The bill being signed into law today is an important step toward providing relief for the children and families of those who struggle daily with food allergies.”

“As a parent of a child who suffers from severe food allergies, I know firsthand the distress this can cause young children and their families. As the number of children with food allergies continues to rise, FAAMA will establish guidelines for the management of food allergies in schools - protecting the well-being of millions of children with life-threatening allergies.”

As a result of FAAMA, the federal government will create voluntary, national guidance materials for managing food allergies in our nation’s schools. This will have a tremendous impact across the country as schools face the challenges presented by the increasing prevalence of children with food allergies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in fact, reported that food allergy among children under 18 increased 18 percent from 1997 to 2007, and estimates that these children experience more than 300,000 ambulatory care visits per year related to food allergy.

FAAN would like to extend special thanks to the many U.S. senators and representatives who co-sponsored FAAMA over the years, especially Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.), whose daughter has food allergy, Rep. Steny Hoyer, (D-Md.), who has a grandchild with food allergy, and Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.).

FAAN would also like to thank the thousands of individuals who, since 2005, took the time to write to their elected representatives in support of FAAMA. All of your voices were heard, as evidenced by the bipartisan support FAAMA received in both the House and Senate.

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 has approximately 22,000 members in the U.S., Canada, and 58 other countries. It 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. To become a member or for more information, please visit FAAN at www.foodallergy.org.

Media Contact

Jennifer Roeder
Director, Marketing and Media Communications
Direct: (703) 563-3061
Cell: (301) 639-4811
E-mail: jroeder@foodallergy.org
Twitter: @JenRoeder