The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), along with leading allergy medical societies and eight other advocacy groups, called on March 19 for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to take steps to address food allergies. The organizations are urging research-based efforts to better understand, prevent, and treat food allergies.
This call comes as nearly 22 million people in the United States live with food allergies. The groups say that more coordinated action is needed to reduce the burden of food allergies on individuals and society.
"On behalf of the nearly 22 million people in the United States with food allergy, we are coming together to call for action," said Kenneth Mendez, President and CEO of AAFA. "While there is no single cause of food allergy, research tells us there are steps we can take to reduce the risk of food allergies and to improve the lived experience of people with food allergies. It is time to move beyond speculative conversations with no evidentiary support. Let’s instead focus on the science and adopt policies that will yield meaningful results."
In a letter sent to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Martin Makary following an FDA expert panel meeting in February, the groups recommended several actions: endorsing guidelines for early allergenic food introduction; supporting early allergenic foods in nutrition programs; focusing research on established risk factors; supporting new treatments for food allergy; creating standards for allergen labeling; and funding research into non-IgE-mediated allergic diseases.
AAAAI president Carla Davis, MD said, "As food allergy continues to affect millions of patients and families, it is essential that regulatory decisions be guided by rigorous scientific evidence." Davis added that collaboration between physicians, patient communities, and regulatory agencies can improve access to prevention strategies and treatments.
ACAAI president Cherie Zachary, MD said she encourages the FDA "to focus on these recommendations that will help advance our understanding and treatment of food allergy as it continues to evolve in both scientific and real-world terms."
Recent research from the Joint Task Force on Allergy Practice Parameters reviewed studies involving 2.8 million people but found no single cause or risk factor for developing a food allergy. Factors associated with higher certainty include having eczema or seasonal allergies early in life, delaying peanut introduction into diet, or having a family history of food allergies. Vaccines were not linked to increased risk.
"Our deep dive into food allergy research provides insight into a path forward for better understanding of the risks for developing food allergy," said Melanie Carver, Chief Mission Officer at AAFA.
The letter was also endorsed by several other organizations focused on asthma, eosinophilic disorders, anaphylaxis connection teams, hereditary angioedema associations, among others.
Founded in 1953, AAFA describes itself as the oldest non-profit patient organization dedicated to improving quality of life for those affected by asthma or allergic diseases through support services, advocacy work, education initiatives, community programs, online resources at aafa.org and kidswithfoodallergies.org.
