Catherine Saxelby's Foodwatch | EatKit nutrition chat on Twitter - Allergy awareness

EatKit nutrition chat on Twitter - Allergy awareness

EatKit May 2012

FOOD ALLERGY AWARENESS in support of Allergy Awareness Week 14-18 May 2012

Background on food allergy

Australia has the highest prevalence of food allergy in the world. Approximately 1 to 2 per cent of Australians have a food allergy. And 10 per cent of infants aged one year have a food allergy (Health Nuts Study, Murdoch Institute 2011)

Based on birth statistics of 2010, this is equal to 29,700 infants. Some of these infants will grow out of their food allergy, but those diagnosed with peanut and tree nut allergy will most likely have this food allergy for life. It's very difficult and stressful to maintain the level of vigilance required. But living with food allergy is manageable if we have an allergy-aware community.

During Food Allergy Awareness Week, Emma and I wanted to hear your creative ideas and resources to find ways to raise the community's awareness of food allergy.

Important for restaurateurs, food service staff, café owners, caterers, school canteen managers, teachers and child care staff. Not forgetting the parents and grandparents of young children, who have to deal with allergies at the coalface.

Here are the five questions we posed on EatKit:

• Q1: What are your tips / resources for avoiding food allergens in food products? How to read labels?
• Q2: Let's share our favourite free from products and recipes. What's yours?
• Q3: When eating out what can people with food allergens do to minimise risk?
• Q4: What do you feel about more nut free zones? Necessary? Or limiting to the majority who can eat nuts?
• Q5: Where should people go for help? Diagnosis? Info?

Archive

Click here to view key tweets on Storify. Or scroll down through the tweets below: