FAAMA
Categories: Allergies, News - Tags: food allergiesThis is Amy L. Darter, MD with the Oklahoma Institute of Allergy & Asthma, and I’d like to share some GREAT NEWS for food allergy sufferers and parents of food allergic children! Five years after the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act (FAAMA) was introduced in the U.S. Congress, FAAMA has finally passed as part of the food safety bill and is expected to be signed into law by President Obama. FAAMA was originally introduced into Congress back in 2005 as part of The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network’s (FAAN) inaugural Kids’ Congress on Capitol Hill. Five years later, and after overcoming some last-minute procedural hurdles during the recent session, the food safety bill was approved by the Senate on Dec. 19, and then by the House on Dec. 21.
FAAMA will lead to the very much-needed creation of national food allergy management guidelines for schools. While these guidelines are voluntary, they will provide schools without existing food allergy management policies with a monumental resource. These policies are critical to help educate school officials about food allergy, a potentially life-threatening medical condition, and help them implement emergency plans in case a severe reaction occurs on school grounds. Studies have shown that up to 25% percent of reactions in school occur in children with previously undiagnosed food allergy. The guidelines will also benefit parents of children with food allergies, who are looking for a valuable resource to help them safely manage their children’s food allergies in the school setting. Written in collaboration with FAAN, the national guidelines will not supersede existing or pending state laws or guidelines concerning schools and food allergies. The FAAMA guidelines should be seen as a complement to existing guidelines created as a result of other legislation.
This tremendous accomplishment was made possible by the thousands of individuals who advocated for this legislation and many elected representatives who co-sponsored FAAMA over the years. We celebrate the passage of FAAMA today, but our work is not done. FAAN will continue to work diligently to raise awareness, educate others, and advocate on behalf of the millions of Americans with food allergy and anaphylaxis.
