Government, Schools, Restaurants: Food Allergy Allies?

Many parents whose kids have life-threatening food allergies report that they've seen recent changes with state laws and in schools and restaurants that make them hopeful that their children will be safe from allergies well into the future.

The Wall Street Journal speculates that this increasing awareness may be due in part to the growing number of children with food allergies. According to one estimate, published in 2011 in the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, about 6 million school-aged children (or about 1 in 13) in the US has a food allergy.

Some parents are finding that food allergy concerns are beginning to be heard by their legislators. In the past decade, more than 100 regulations and laws have been enacted in states across the U.S. to address these concerns. Laws include those encouraging schools to stock epinephrine for the treatment of allergic reactions, as well as those requiring restaurant staff members to receive training about food allergies.

Greater awareness of food allergies has also affected schools – where more personnel are being trained to spot the signs of a reaction – and in restaurants, as locations across the country develop allergy-friendly menus. Have you noticed any of these changes recently?