A new report notes that the American public's perspective on the difference between food allergy and food intolerance is lacking. Participants in the study, reported in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), falsely believed that a cure exists for food allergy, and more than two thirds said that a daily dose of medication could prevent a food allergy reaction.

Almost 2,150 adults completed the validated Web-based Chicago Food Allergy Research Survey for the General Public, administered by Dr. Ruchi S. Gupta of the Mary Ann & J. Wilburn Smith Children Health Research Program at Children's Memorial Research Center in Chicago.

Dr. Gupta and colleagues found that "The public's knowledge was strongest regarding symptoms and severity of food allergy, with nearly 95 percent of participants recognizing food allergy as a potentially fatal condition.”

Among the misconceptions the study revealed, "Almost half of participants erroneously believed that a cure exists for food allergy, and more than two thirds stated that a daily medicine could be taken to prevent a food allergy reaction. They also tended to overlook the necessity of strict allergen avoidance: more than 40 percent of participants indicated that other means exist to prevent life-threatening reactions."

Nearly 85 percent of respondents were in favor of schools implementing plans to keep children with food allergies safe; however, Dr. Gupta said that most parents were not amenable to specific school policies, such as a ban on peanuts and peanut products and special tables for children with food allergies.

What is a parent to do? Many school systems have food allergy programs or bans on specific allergy-causing foods. Ann Arbor Public Schools has published guidelines for managing life-threatening reactions at school. These guidelines outline the roles and responsibilities of a range of specific individuals - including school administrators and bus drivers - in an easy to use checklist format. In addition, templates are included for composing letters to classmates, families and parents, detailing how to respond to a student with life-threatening food allergies and more.

Some Ann Arbor elementary schools have implemented peanut-free or nut-free policies. Bryant, Northside and Pattengill do not allow students, staff, or anyone else entering the school to bring with them anything containing peanuts or tree nuts. AAPS has also “eliminated all known nut and nut products in elementary hot food menus and does not use vendors who knowingly prepare nut products,” according to the Food Allergy Handbook.

If your child has food allergies, be sure to contact his or her school directly to learn their policy toward allergens and to make teachers aware of the situation. For support or to learn more about food allergies and children, check out the Kids with Food Allergies group.

Teresa Shaw lives and writes in Ann Arbor. For more recipes and food tips, visit her blog, Think Inside the Icebox.

Photo by Teresa Shaw.