Cross Reactive Food Allergens

6/22/2016:  Food Allergy Science Initiative

Four women are striving to raise $20 million and have already succeeded with $10 million for their new program Food Allergy Science Initiative or FASI which is working with experts from across the county including Yale University, Harvard Medical School, MIT and other well known institutions to "tackle the underlying biology of food allergies."  [1]

6/9/2016:  Cross Reactive Food Allergens

Medical University of Vienna states that those with an allergy to birch pollen and have associated food allergy to apples, peaches, hazelnuts, carrots and celery.  EAACI conference in Vienna, Austria provided a forum for this and additional research on the impact of sugar on food allergy reactions.  They reinforced that avoidance is the best policy.  [2]

[1]  http://www.wbur.org/commonhealth/2016/06/22/moms-allergy-research 

[2]  Medical University of Vienna. "Food allergies: Avoiding allergens is best protection." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 9 June 2016. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160609064302.htm.

Food Allergies Games & Tweets

5/20/2016:  Video Games for Food Allergic Children

A Rhode Island based children's research center and a software development company are teaming up to create a video game that helps children understand and handle their food allergies.  [1] By placing the child in a virtual situation, the child can decide how to handle it.  Perhaps their grandmother is pressuring them to eat those cookies she baked.  How can a child make sure they are safe without hurting grandma's feelings?  The game is called, "Food Allergy Adventure" and also helps children read food labels. [2]

[1] http://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-05-center-video-game-tool-food.html

[2] http://www.virtuallybetter.com/portfolio/food-allergy/

5/31/2016:  Twitter Has #Anaphylaxis

Social media giant Twitter's micro blog has a place for those with food allergies.  Type #Analyphlaxis in the search bar and follow the snippits posted.  [3]

[3] https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Anaphylaxis&src=typd

Peanut Flour & Vaccinations

4/19/2016:  Peanut Flour Added to Crackers

Kellogg is adding peanut flour to several of their crackers. Some have speculated that they have done this to avoid the strict rules for processing foods that do not have an allergen, like peanuts.  In other words, rather than keep the equipment free from peanut residue, just add the peanut flour and then state the food contains peanuts.  It is likely cheaper for Kellogg to lose the business from those who have peanut allergies, rather than try to confirm there are no traces of peanut in their foods.  Additionally, this likely provides Kellogg with a great deal of legal protection if a person who is allergic to peanuts, eats their foods and has a reaction.  Now they can simply state the product had peanuts in it.  It will be interesting to see if other companies do the same.  [1]

4/30/2016:  Vaccinations' Impact on Food Allergies & Asthma

The University of Virginia has found evidence that 'alum' can contribute to allergies.  Alum is another name for potassium aluminum sulfate or potassium hydroxide a chemical that has been placed in vaccinations since the year 2000.  When combined with egg white several other institutions have also found that a genetically-predisposed person will have an increased chance of allergies or asthma, after receiving the vaccine.  There is some discussion of a possible gene test to identify those who are genetically predisposed, so they could likely avoid the vaccines if desired.  In other words, if a person who may have a allergies or asthma in their family's genes also has these vaccines these institutions are beginning to learn that there is an impact leading to more food allergies and asthma.  Perhaps the question arises:  Is it worse to have the disease the vaccines are preventing (hepatitis, tetanus, etc.) or allergies / asthma?  [2]

[1]  http://www.snopes.com/kelloggs-peanut-flour-allergies/

[2]  http://www.inquisitr.com/3047697/vaccines-increase-food-allergen-millennials-reacting-to-adjuvant-exposure/

Probiotics & Peanuts

3/4/2016:  More Data Supports Giving Peanut to Infants

A study in 2015 is supported by a report by the New England Journal of Medicine in 2016 that reports infants who are given peanuts mashed up during their first year of life will have less likelihood of developing an allergy.  4% vs. 18% of the control group developed peanut allergy--the higher percentage was in the peanut avoidance group--both groups consisted of children considered high risk for allergies. [1]

3/16/2016:  One Strain of Probiotics Helps Most

According to a study in mice, it was found that the probiotic strain called Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium longum KACC 91563 helps most with food allergies.  This strain can influence the immune system to cause the mast cells triggering the allergic response to essentially die. [2]

[1] http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1514209

[2] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160316085011.htm 

Vitamin D Rich Foods Fend Off Allergies

2/11/16:  Vitamin D Rich Foods Fend Off Allergies

Mount Sinia states in the Journal of Allergy & Immunology that pregnant women can reduce the incidence of food and environmental allergy in their babies by consuming more vitamin D (but only in natural form, not a supplement). [1]

2/23/16:  Avi-Q Coming Back

Avi-Q will likely be coming back later in 2016.  After the recall in late 2015,  many people reverted to other forms of epinephrine.  Avi-Q is the small, rectangular injector that is easier to carry. [2]

[1] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160211133815.htm

[2] http://m.sanofi.us/mt/www.news.sanofi.us/2016-02-23-Sanofi-US-to-Return-Auvi-Q-epinephrine-injection-USP-Rights-to-kal-o?un_jtt_redirect=un_jtt_iosV