In the News
TIME for Kids magazine has designed a poster entitled, Every Body’s Different to share the important message of food allergy awareness with readers in their October 20 th issue. The poster highlights the USDA’s MyPyramid plan showing that “one size doesn’t fit all” when it comes to eating right, especially for those who have food allergies. Download the poster slides and share this important message with your friends and classmates!
Big Triggers 
(PDF, 1 MB) - This chart shows the top eight food allergens in the United States and a few examples of foods that contain them. Read the chart and answer the six questions to test your knowledge.
Food Foes (PDF, 1 MB) - View the three steps that happen during a food allergy reaction. Learn how the body reacts when its immune system identifies a food as potentially harmful. In this case, the allergen is milk.
How Your Friends Can Be Your P.A.Ls (PDF, 1 MB) - Are you a good PAL? Test your PAL knowledge by deciding what to do in four different, real-life food allergy situations.
What’s Cookin’? (PDF, 1 MB) - Do you recognize all of the ingredients listed on every food label that you read? Test your skills with three food labels to find one that is safe for a person who is allergic to wheat.
Take It to the Kitchen (PDF, 1 MB) - Make your own personalized Chef’s Card so you can take it with you to every food service establishment you visit.
Something to Chew On (PDF, 1 MB) - What is like to live with a food allergy? Read Lisa, Alison, and Len’s stories and share them with your friends to help them understand what its like to live with a food allergy. Or, write in about your own food allergy.
When you are ready to check your answers to the questions on The Big Triggers, How Your Friends Can Be Your PALs , and What’s Cookin’, check out the Answer Key (PDF, 11 KB). No cheating!
With food allergies on the rise, media coverage has significantly increased. Below are links to recent news articles about food allergies.
- Singer Saves Life
Using an epinephrine auto-injector, a singer saved a life during an anaphylactic reaction to a food, such as nuts. (Read more on ContactMusic.com)
- The Helping Instinct
Taking a stand to help others with food allergies, a TAG member is interviewed in the Wall Street Journal: Health Report. (Read more on post-gazette.com)
Did you do an interview with a reporter in your area? Email us the link to the published article.
Be a Media Contact
Reporters will often contact us when they want to interview someone with a food allergy. Are you interested in being a FAAN media contact for reporters? Email us.
Writing An Article for Your School Paper?
High school and college newspapers all over the country have run articles about what life is like for students with food allergies. Here is some quick information that may help you write your article.
- Food Allergy Basics (PDF, 60 KB)
- Information on FAAN (PDF, 32 KB)
- Fast Facts about Food Allergies and Teens (PDF, 51 KB)
Want more information? Email us for story ideas, food allergy facts, and contact information for students living with a food allergy.
