Teen Advisory Group
FARE's Teen Advisory Group (TAG) is our voice for the teen and young adult food allergy community.
FARE’s Teen Advisory Group (TAG) is our voice for the teen and young adult food allergy community. They write articles for the FARE Blog and other publications, serve as mentors, offer support for other teens who are seeking guidance, and help lead our youth programs.
About TAG
TAG members are between the ages of 11 and 22, and are individuals who want to make a difference for people managing food allergies.
Some issues TAG members help to address include handling social situations, dining out, facing challenges unique to teens, and educating the community about what it means to be a teen with food allergies.
TAG members work on youth projects, create content for our website's Teen Corner, and serve as leaders at FARE's national events. Teen advisors can be found around the United States.
TAG Projects
EatWithoutWorry
EatWithoutWorry is a FARE TAG initiative dedicated to helping people with food allergy discover food allergy-friendly restaurants through trusted reviews, verified safety insights, and real community experiences. While other platforms review food allergy-friendly restaurants, EatWithoutWorry goes further: each review—contributed by people in the food allergy community—includes a summary of an interview with the chef or manager of the restaurant describing their food allergy protocols. This unique approach provides valuable insight into restaurants’ food allergy procedures.
AllergyLocate
AllergyLocate is a free, searchable, user-powered database of publicly available allergen information from food establishments across the nation. By including transparency scores and regional information, TAG can research how allergen information is presented and what work needs to be done to make it more accessible to patients.
Food Allergy Awareness & Advocacy Through Teen-Created Social Media
This project produces engaging 1-minute social media videos to drive food allergy awareness. Team members brainstorm ideas for content, write scripts, collaborate with FARE's social media team, film, and edit videos for publication across FARE's social media platforms. The goal is to increase food allergy awareness, educate peers, and inspire action to support the food allergy community.
Building Safer Communities: Researching Food Allergy Legislation to Drive Advocacy
This project tracks food allergy legislation across all 50 states to address a gap in advocacy data. By analyzing trends on issues such as epinephrine access, the team creates public resources to help advocates identify policy gaps and empower people living with food allergy to know their rights.
Expanding the Teal Pumpkin Project and Introducing the Teal Hearts Project in Our Communities
This initiative expands holiday inclusivity for children with food allergy by promoting FARE's Teal Pumpkin Project for Halloween and launching a new campaign for Valentine's Day. Through community outreach and education, legislative advocacy, and social media campaigns, team members collaborate with local organizations to offer non-food treats to help ensure safer and more inclusive holidays.
Health Equity in Food Allergy: Identifying Challenges and Solutions
This project explores health equity issues in the food allergy space. Team members analyze medical literature and engage with experts to transform their findings into potential publications to increase awareness. By identifying barriers such as food insecurity and healthcare disparities, team members will develop actionable, data-driven solutions to foster equity.
Advocating for Legislation Ensuring Better Food Labels
This project aims to improve food labeling for people with non-top nine food allergies. Currently, broad labels like "natural flavors" conceal ingredients that, while not common allergens, can be dangerous to some people. This project involves drafting a legislative proposal and reaching out to lawmakers to achieve the goal of making food manufacturers clearly disclose all ingredients in their products.
The Safe Table
The Safe Table is a youth-focused project dedicated to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of teens living with food allergy. It connects teens with crisis support contacts, food allergy-informed mental health professionals, trusted wellbeing resources, and evidence-based coping tools. The Safe Table helps teens navigate the emotional and social challenges of food allergy in one trusted place.
Recipe SafeSwap
Recipe SafeSwap is a website that adapts existing recipes into food allergy safe versions using established substitution guidelines. Users can select specific allergens and receive modified ingredient lists along with brief explanations of how each substitution maintains structure, flavor, and texture.
Food Allergy Economics Initiative
This FARE project evaluates the economic impact of food allergy, including the cost of safe food, medication, and medical care. Analyzing real data will show how big the financial burden is for families and explore ways policy or insurance changes could help.
International Food Allergy Guidelines
This project explores how food allergy is managed around the world, including allergen labeling, dining practices, emergency care, and support resources. By examining policies, regulations, and available resources across countries, the aim is to help families with food allergy travel more confidently, safely, and informed wherever their journeys take them.
Allergen-Free Food Drive
This project conducted research and interviews of food pantry directors to determine price gaps between food allergy-safe and regular food. Using this research, a food drive was held at Chamblee High School. This food bank collected 187 pounds of food, all of which was donated to the Atlanta Community Food Bank.
Just Allergy Things
Just Allergy Things elevates food allergy to a top public health concern through credible journalism that connects advocacy, science, and storytelling. Our team’s experiences living with and managing food allergy fuel our dedication to this work. We translate that lived experience into reporting that informs, educates, and builds understanding.
NJ: Let’s REQUIRE EpiPen Training before graduation!
This project advocates for NJ to require epinephrine training and anaphylaxis education in health education classes similar to how the State requires students to receive CPR and AED training before graduation. The more people who know how to administer epinephrine, the safer the world is for the 33 million Americans living with food allergy; minutes matter during anaphylaxis!
Teen Corner
Teen Corner is a space for teens, by teens, to share insights on navigating life with food allergy through the form of writing. It offers real life experiences, tips, and tools to empower and support teens to help them thrive with food allergy.
Fight The Allergy Blues
Fight the Allergy Blues is a food allergy awareness initiative that promotes safety, inclusion, and understanding in schools. Through educational videos, resources, posters, and community outreach, the initiative helps students, families, educators, and staff recognize the impact of food allergy and create environments where all students can learn, participate, and thrive.
FARE Food Allergy Awareness Children's Book
TAG members are working to increase food allergy awareness among elementary schoolers through a story told from the perspective of a child without food allergy who sees their sibling as a superhero for everything they handle every day. By walking through various real-world scenarios, the story highlights how kids with food allergy can feel empowered.
Allergy Safe Athletics Playbook
The Allergy Safe Athletics Playbook was created for coaches, athletic trainers, and school staff to address one of the most overlooked areas in food allergy safety: sports. The playbook explains how different cofactors can change reactions, how to spot symptoms that resemble normal athletic strain, and how to respond quickly when seconds matter. No athlete should navigate those risks alone.
Living OIT
LivingOIT amplifies teen voices in food allergy treatment through a peer-led resource library. Families can explore firsthand experiences and practical insights that support informed medical decisions, build confidence, and foster connection within the food allergy community.
The Allergy Awareness Project
The Allergy Awareness Project promotes food allergy education, advocacy, and accessibility within local communities and beyond. The initiative supports safer restaurant practices and increased access to allergy-friendly food in schools and underserved areas. Recent efforts include teaching awareness to elementary students, partnering with local organizations, and fundraising for FARE.
Ink & Impact
A mentorship and writing-based initiative for students with food allergy, led by high school students and older mentors who also have food allergy. Through storytelling, reflection, and peer support, participants build confidence, strengthen self-advocacy skills, and develop supportive relationships with others who understand the experiences and challenges of living with food allergy.
Cooking with Food Allergies
This project aims to create cooking videos for the food-allergy community. This will be a very collaborative project where everybody has an opportunity to participate and have a voice, meaning, the control is in your hands! No worries if you aren’t a chef or have little-to-no kitchen experience, there are many opportunities for you.
Allergy Bytes
Allergy Bytes is an educational website with bite-sized, gamified modules to teach kids the science behind food allergy in a fun, understandable way. The initiative focuses on creating five interactive lessons that use visuals and simple explanations. Through Allergy Bytes, students can earn a certificate of completion and build empathy towards food allergy in their communities.
AFFA - Allergen Friendly for All
AFFA (Allergen Friendly for All) is a TAG project within FARE focused on improving access to allergen-free and gluten-free snacks for individuals in need. The initiative addresses gaps in donated food supplies by promoting safe, inclusive options for shelters and community support programs. It partners with local organizations to support distribution efforts.
Food Allergy Awareness Club
The Food Allergy Awareness Club brings food allergy awareness to your community! The club provides the tools that student leaders need to start food allergy awareness clubs in their local schools. The Club provides presentations, discussion topics, and suggestions that student leaders can use to teach other students about food allergy, its dangers, and prevention.
Neffy iPhone Case
The Neffy iPhone Case offers a practical and specific solution to a real problem–people not carrying their Neffy because it’s extra or easy to forget! The case will be safe, compliant, and convenient--designed with a secure compartment to hold a Neffy nasal-inhaled spray, making it easier for users to carry life-saving medication at all times.
SafeBite Travels
SafeBite Travels is a project that creates travel brochures to help families with food allergy stay safer in different countries. The brochures include common allergens, ingredient translations, emergency information, and tips to reduce language barriers. Team members research specific countries and help complete brochures that make traveling easier, safer, and more accessible for people with food allergy.
Art for Food Allergy Awareness
The “Art for Food Allergy Awareness” TAG project uses creativity to spread awareness about food allergy and support those affected. Participants create artwork about challenges, advocacy, inclusion, and the food allergy community. Art can include drawings, photography, digital art, or writing. The finished pieces are displayed on the official website, social media, and an art gallery at the FARE conference.
Youth Food Allergy Policy Coalition
Currently Representing 10 U.S. States, the Youth Food Allergy Policy Coalition (YFAPC) advances systemic reform in food allergy emergency preparedness. The coalition formally petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration to mandate epinephrine auto-injectors and intranasal treatments in aircraft medical kits (14 CFR §121.803). This youth-led initiative is currently awaiting formal regulatory review and agency determination to modernize national airline safety.
Baking With Food Allergies
A group of teens with food allergy who love baking and sharing recipes! Check out our Instagram @bakingwfoodallergies for recipes, informational posts, tutorial reels, and tips to help you navigate your own baking journey! Our page also shares food allergy resources, ingredient substitutes, safe ingredient brands, current allergy updates, and other helpful information. Please follow!
1) #EATSS and 2) FARE TEEN CORNER
1) #EATSS (Eating All The Safe Stuff) is a FARE TAG member driven social media hashtag movement that provides safe dining information for colleges across the country in an easy accessible way. #EATSS can be found on FARE TAG members social media and FARE TEEN CORNER.2) FARE Teen Corner is a teen blog offering tips for navigating food allergy.
EpiAccess Initiative
This project aims to make public spaces safer by equipping them with undesignated stock epinephrine for allergic emergencies. Through established partnerships with non-profit organizations, the goal is to provide free epinephrine and training to public facilities such as schools and community centers — benefiting everyone, especially those who cannot afford their own epinephrine.
Lifeline Initiative
In partnership with FARE, the Lifeline Initiative has empowered more than 1,100 community members to recognize anaphylaxis and administer lifesaving epinephrine through over three dozen public outreach events. The project also drives national advocacy for Dillon’s Law (H.R. 3910), working to expand emergency EpiPen access, strengthen legal protections for responders, and save lives during critical allergic emergencies.
Allerbusters
Allerbusters is on a mission to help protect kids with food allergy. It uses a simple system, with effective allergy awareness bracelets that help children advocate for themselves—especially when they can’t always speak up. Our products give parents/schools/caregivers a clear, visual way to keep kids safe from accidental exposure, making classrooms, daycares, and playdates safer places for children to thrive.
Beyond the Dining Hall
Project Beyond the Dining Hall examines food allergy safety in college campus dining spaces beyond traditional dining halls, including cafés, restaurants, and campus convenience markets. Building on existing FARE dining hall data, the project will gather detailed, location-specific information such as the availability of accommodations for students with food allergy and cross-contact prevention measures.
Food For All
The Food For All project aims to provide low-income families with allergy-friendly foods. This will be done by supplying local food pantries with allergy-friendly options gained through donations and fundraising.
Safe Treats
Every purchase and donation made through SafeTreats.org directly funds the delivery of allergy-friendly options to food pantries on college campuses nationwide. Now serving 15 schools across the country, SafeTreats ensures that students with food allergy can access more reliable options. This year, we've expanded to include cleaner, organic, and healthier selections in our pantry deliveries. www.SafeTreats.org
Gift Bags for Alpha-gal Patients
This project assembles practical gift bags for individuals newly diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), a tick-borne allergy that causes reactions to mammal-derived foods and products. Each bag includes alpha-gal-safe snacks, personal care items, educational materials, and other resources to help patients navigate this new diagnosis. These bags provide accurate information and immediate, useful support to AGS patients.