I have dealt with food allergies for almost my entire life, and I am still currently allergic to peanuts. I used to be allergic both tree nuts and shellfish. After a while having these allergies, it gets a little irritating to read every single list of ingredients on every single food I eat. Because of cross-contamination, I can’t eat M&Ms, packaged Krispy Kreme Donuts, and many granola bars, and lots more. Why is it so challenging to find something to eat, in a restaurant or not, that hasn’t come in contact with the peanuts?
I am severely allergic to peanuts, and when I eat them I have an anaphylactic reaction. An anaphylactic reaction affects breathing, which is obviously not good. Many people think that food allergies can’t be serious and may only affect the skin. That is not true at all. Food allergies can range from a rash on the skin, to life-threatening breathing problems.
I consider myself lucky to have only one food allergy. According to the Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) 30 percent of people with a food allergy are allergic to more than one food. This makes the risk of having an allergic reaction even higher, and makes it much more dangerous.
Many foods have a label on them that will say if their product may have come in contact with peanuts or food allergies like tree nuts, milk, soy, wheat, egg, or shellfish. What I am not able to eat is surprising to most people.
According to FARE, almost six million kids under age 18 have food allergies, which is one in 13 kids, that is very common.
If there was more training about food allergies in schools where we eat lunch five times a week, it could save many lives. Especially for the kids in elementary school. I lived in upper Virginia when I was younger, and they had everything under control about food allergies in the school cafeteria, but when we moved here to North Carolina when I was in second grade, many teachers had to learn how to use an Epi-Pen, which is the medicine that cures a food allergy temporarily. After the Epi-Pen you have to go to the ER immediately. Shouldn’t they already know how to use an Epi-Pen? I believe that the school I went to in Virginia had more money than the schools that are here in Chatham County, which is why food allergies aren’t talked about. The more money you have, the more improving you can do in a school.
I don’t blame the teachers about their lack of knowledge, I blame the training they went through for their job. The whole system for the nurse I believe has to be changed as well because the nurse is not here every day of the week. More than 15 percent of children who have a food allergy have a reaction during school (FARE). That is what scares me the most. What if I have a reaction during school, and the nurse isn’t here.
School-made lunches are basically off limits for me because they don’t have an allergy list on the website. Thankfully I am able to pack a lunch because my family can pay for my food.
My main concern about school lunches is about the families that don’t have the money for their kid to pack a lunch. What if they can’t eat what the cafeteria is serving? Are they supposed to starve until a dinner that they may or may not have at home?
I think there should be more awareness on the topic of food allergies because these medical conditions can be deadly. 200 people die each year from allergic reactions, which is why we need to improve. The food industry will improve enormously if we reformed it to adjust to food allergies.
Friends always help keep anyone who has a food allergy feel safe and protected. My friends know I have a food allergy, and I taught them how to use an Epi-Pen if ever needed. If you know someone who has an allergy of any kind, or you have an allergy, make sure to let people close to you know about it, and if a friend does, take the time to learn about it. It may just save their life.
— By Alyssa Detzi
