*Thank you to Riya Jain for designing our comic! | |
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Happy Fall MOCHA Family!
We hope the school year is off to a great start and that you are all getting to spend time outside in the beautiful cooler weather. As always, our support for the food allergy community continues as we try to bring you the latest news, programs and products in our Fall E-news! Be sure to check out our yummy Halloween treats. Follow MOCHA on Facebook and Instagram, to keep up-to-date on all the exciting things happening.
We provide our E-News quarterly. If you have NEW information that we did not include and you think it’s important. PLEASE send to us to be included in our next E-News. We are always looking to improve our newsletter and our website. Please send over your suggestions! Help us, Help you!
Stay Safe!
Denise, Anne, and the MOCHA Interns 💜
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The FARE Food Allergy Summit in Orlando, Florida is quickly approaching! It will be held on Thursday, October 13-15, 2023! This in-person event will bring together people who are impacted by food allergies for three days of educational sessions, insightful discussions and meaningful connections. All are welcome – including adults, parents, teens (11 and up), and nutrition professionals! Register here! | |
Back-to-School Food Allergy Guidance for Teachers, Nurses, Administrators, and School Staff
Presenters:
Kelly Cleary, MD
Angela Gomez, RDN, SNS
Date: August 30, 2023
Time: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET
Watch here.
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Accommodating Students With Food Allergies: Know Your Rights.
Date: September 27, 2023
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Learn more and register.
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CA Schools Now Safer for Food Allergy Students: FARE is pleased to announce that life will safer for the more than 460,000 California students with food allergies due to the implementation of the Zacky Bill. Read the press release.
Illinois Governor Pritzker Signs HB 3639 into Law, Capping Epinephrine Auto-Injector Costs at $60: With the signing of HB 3639, Illinois joins the fight for affordable access to epinephrine, ensuring that no one must choose between their health and financial stability. Read the press release.
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Community Walk for Food Allergy
The Hometown Heroes Walk/Run and Teal Pumpkin Fall Festival is a fun and festive FARE walk event in communities across the country that is 100% volunteer driven and managed. Our Hometown Hero walks raise awareness about food allergies while raising much needed funds for FARE programs and services to help individuals with food allergies. It is held on Saturday, October 14th at 8:30am. Stay-tuned for more updates on the Teal Pumpkin Project. Learn more and sign up today!
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On July 7th-9th, CFAAR hosted our inaugural Global Food Allergy Prevention Summit! Our team welcomed over 30 speakers, including international speakers, 200+ attendees, and 21 sponsors. Thank you to ALL who participated and made the summit such a HUGE success. The summit focused on 6 core prevention topic areas, all six cores met to develop a consensus paper and make prevention and equity a reality. Watch the recap video! | |
Congratulations to all the CFAAR Scholars and Ambassadors for their hard work on their final presentations! Thank you to CFAAR’s Education and Programming teams for putting together another incredible program! Learn more about our educational programs on our website. | | |
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Food allergy risks and dining industry – an assessment and a path forward.
Food allergies have increased in prevalence over the last few decades and continue to grow. Consumption of even trace amounts of common foods can cause a rapid allergic reaction (generally within minutes) which can be mild to severe to even life-threatening. Eating at restaurants poses a risk of allergic reactions for those with food allergies due to inadequate, inconsistent labeling of allergens in foods.
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Prevalence and Burden of Coconut Allergy in the United States.
CFAAR carried out this study to estimate the US population health burden of coconut allergy—that is to say we wanted to estimate the number of US children and adults currently living with coconut allergy, figure out who is most impacted, as well as look at patterns of health care utilization and impacts on food allergy-related quality of life in this large sample of nearly 80,000 children and adults.
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Stay-tuned for updates on the next CFAAR Treatment Options Panel. The next panel will take place this Fall. Stay-tuned for updates! Feel empowered to make the best decision for your family. View the past panel zoom recordings here! | |
Anaphylaxis and Food Allergy Handbook | |
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As you may know, school districts in Illinois are required by ISBE to update anaphylaxis and food allergy guidelines every three years. Last spring, they invited community members, staff, and administrators from District 67 and District 115 to participate on the Anaphylaxis and Food Allergies Response Plan Committee. Beginning in May and throughout the summer, a group of 20-30 met three times to review and revise the document. Checkout the handbook: HERE.
- MOCHA’s Denise Bunning was on the committee.
- MOCHA would love to have the LINKS of your districts Food Allergy Policies. If possible, please send to us. We will upload onto our website to help others. 😊
Thank you to the Chicagoland school districts for this effort!
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UChicago Food Allergy Care, Education, and Translational Research Center (FACET) Updates:
FACET is actively enrolling for three research studies regarding food allergies:
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Are you a parent worried about your newborn developing food allergies? One study is investigating using investigational lotions and emollients to reduce the potential risk of food allergies in children with dry skin. To participate, you must be a parent/guardian with a newborn under 12 weeks old and willing to enroll your child. Participation may include clinic visits, sample collection, and questionnaires, as well as use of lotions and emollients. For more information, text or call (260) 306-5454, or email sealstudy@uchicago.edu.
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FACET is conducting a research study on current oral immunotherapy treatment and the possible benefit of adding a prebiotic to the diet of kids ages 4 to 17 years old. For more information, fill out this survey, call Toni Ramirez at (773) 702-1220 ext. 50426, or email toni.ramirez@bsd.uchicago.edu.
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FACET is conducting a research study to improve the current standard for food allergy testing. Participation will include a single visit including a blood draw and $20 compensation. For more information, please contact Jamel Mansur, MD at (260) 306-5454 or jmansur7@uchicago.edu.
- FACET currently offers food oral immunotherapy in patients of all ages. Consultations are available at Hyde Park, South Loop, River East, Orland Park, and Merrillville, IN or via telemedicine. To schedule an appointment, please call 888-824-0200.
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Food Allergy Support & Education (FASE) Program
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Food Allergy Support and Education (FASE) Program educates and supports our patients and families affected by food protein-induced immune disorders. We focus in particular on patients and families affected by IgE-mediated food allergy, but also food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) and eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). We aim to help patients and their families gain a more complete understanding of food allergy, and how they can live successfully despite it. Learn more!
We are currently recruiting patients for numerous food allergy studies:
PARK-Preventing Asthma in High Risk Kids:
This study looks at whether giving a medicine called omalizumab to high-risk children
will decrease their chance of developing asthma or decrease asthma severity.
We are recruiting 2-4-year-olds with allergies who have wheezed in the past year.
ADORED – Allergic Disease Onset Prevention Study:
This study examines the benefit of giving infants beneficial bacteria once per day to try
to prevent the development of atopic illnesses.
We are recruiting expectant mothers. The newborn must have an immediate family
member (biological mother, and/or biological father, and/or full sibling) with asthma, eczema, or any allergy.
ALK Peanut Sublingual Immunotherapy Study; Phase-1:
This study looks at the safety and tolerability of a new sublingual (under the tongue)
tablet containing peanut allergen at different doses.
We are recruiting 18-25-year-olds with a known peanut allergy.
For further information about these studies, please contact the Food Allergy Research Study Team at 312-227-6474 or allergyresearchnurse@luriechildrens.org
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Lurie Children’s in the Community
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Food allergies don't have to slow you down! Jessie and friends teach you how to stay safe and have fun! Sarah Boudreau-Romano, MD, is an allergist/immunologist at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and mother of four kids, three of whom have food allergies. She shares her playful perspective on this serious condition. Colorfully depicted by illustrator Abbie Boudreau-Cook. Order now!
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FAACT's Eighth Annual Teen Retreat will be held Friday, September 15, through Sunday, September 17, 2023 at The Hyatt Lodge & Conference Center in Oak Brook, Illinois. FAACT's Teen Retreat weekend is all about tweens, teens, and college students, their siblings, and their parents/caregivers - managing food allergies, asthma, eosinophilic disorders, FPIES, Mast Cell disease, and Celiac disease. Register now! | |
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FASI Webinar Series
The FASI Food For Thought webinar series will have an exciting new webinar lineup in the Fall. In the meantime, catch up on past webinars below. Watch here.
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Webinar On-Demand
If you’re impacted by eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and missed our webinar, “Difficulty Eating? Speak Up, Do Not Adapt! This Could Be Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE)", you can watch it on-demand!
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RESEARCH UPDATES & OPPORTUNITIES | |
Uncovering the mysteries of food allergies and developing cutting-edge methods to treat them is the mission of the new scientific advisory council, Marc E. Rothenberg, MD, PhD, director of the division of allergy and immunology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Read more. | |
Food Sensitivity and Allergy Testing
Finding the appropriate care is one of the most important steps when your child is diagnosed with a food allergy. The Food Allergy Program is led by Amal H. Assa'ad, MD, Director of Clinical Services, Division of Allergy and Immunology. Dr. Assa’ad is recognized internationally for her expertise in the care of patients with food allergies. Our team consists of physicians, nurses, dieticians and other team members experienced in the care of patients with food allergies. The goal of the Food Allergy Program is to improve the lives of patients with food allergies and their family members by providing expert care, innovative treatments and cutting-edge research. Patients in the Food Allergy Program are seen through the Allergy Clinic and Oral Immunotherapy Clinic. Learn more.
| Divisional Mission-To improve the health of children with allergic and immune conditions through innovative research, outstanding clinical care, and education of the current and next generation of leaders in healthcare and research. Check out the Divisional Video. | Click here for more information! | |
You probably remember when you or your child were struggling with difficulty swallowing, abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea or reflux and it began a process which took weeks to months to finish. Alternatively, you may have also received a recommendation to perform an endoscopy using sedation or anesthesia.
This is a frustrating process for anyone, and for those diagnosed with an eosinophilic disorder, there is often an ongoing need for future endoscopies to determine if therapy is working. Researchers have been working on ways to make the diagnosis and subsequent treatment and evaluation of eosinophilic disorders safer, more efficient, and less costly. Read more in the article.
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MHWFAC faculty member Jessica O'Konek, PhD, has been named the inaugural William Chandler Swink Research Professor!
This professorship honors the life of Chandler Swink, who was diagnosed with severe peanut allergy at age two. In 2014, he tragically lost his life following contact with an unknown source of peanut product. He had been an avid athlete and scholarship-winning student at Oakland University, and planned a career in nursing. Mr. Swink is remembered by friends and family for his compassion, sunny smile and lifelong desire to help others.
Dr. O’Konek, who joined the MHWFAC in 2015, seeks to further the understanding of the immune pathways that mediate food allergy, in order to develop new therapies to both treat and prevent the development of allergic hypersensitivity to foods.
Her research studies have included a nasal vaccine that immunized mice from allergic reactions, and a novel delivery of peanut desensitization therapy using microneedle technology that stamps the skin with peanut protein in a minimally invasive technique.
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In a new Mary H. Weiser Food Allergy Center webinar, we hear from two families who have used their experiences with food allergy to drive meaningful policy changes at the local, state and federal levels, despite having no prior experience in activism and advocacy. View the webinar, at the Mary H. Weiser Food Allergy Center YouTube channel. | |
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Our latest MHWFAC video provides a lay-friendly review, for individuals with food allergies, their caregivers and the general public, of "Clinical Food Allergy: From Conception Onward," the 2023 M-FARA Symposium. Watch the video here at the MHWFAC YouTube channel.
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HUGE win for Food Allergy Community in Illinois! Governor JB Pritzker has just signed HB 3639 into law, capping the cost of epinephrine auto-injectors at $60. A huge step forward in ensuring affordability and accessibility!
Read the Article Here!
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Many parents don’t know the steps they can take to reduce the risk of their child developing a peanut allergy, five years after new prevention guidelines emerged, according to a new report.
Read more Here!
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Exposing infants to peanuts between 4 and 6 months of age can potentially prevent peanut allergies. Research shows that allowing babies to take small, supervised tastes of peanut-containing foods lowers the risk for peanut allergy.
Learn more Here!
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A new drug used to treat cancer may also prevent allergic reactions to peanuts, according to a study in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Read more here!
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What Research Data Says About Food Allergy Anxiety?
Read Here!
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ADINA Act: The Push to Label Drugs for Food Allergens, Gluten
Read more here!
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Is Your Allergic Teen Taking Risks, Avoiding Food Allergy Rules?
Read Here!
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Fear Bases Messages About Food Allergy
Read more here!
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Dr. Berin, Professor of Food Allergy Research, studies the immune basis of allergy & tolerance to foods. Berin discusses the current state of treatments for IgE-mediated food allergies, targeting type 2 immune responses and next steps for food allergy research.
Read more.
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8 Clever Hacks to Never Forget Your Epi- Blog Post
Read more.
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Back to School with Food Allergies
Food allergies come with loads of stress, as all parents know. There’s nothing worse than living in fear that your children could have an allergic reaction at school, and you wouldn’t be there to help them.
Read More!
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SOLD OUT but so awesome! We are excited to share that the Cubs will have a Peanut Restricted Area Game on Monday, September 4, at 1:20 p.m. against the San Francisco Giants. Our Bleacher Suite, a private indoor space located in the Budweiser Bleachers, will be reserved for guests who have allergies! | |
Just One Bite is a book about relatability. The “I get that's along with the “who knews." For Meghan Neri, experienced food allergy parent, educator, support group leader, and advocate, some of the best medicine has come from connecting with others who understand. So open these pages and find connection. Follow the Neri family’s journey of fear, adversity, and hope. You are not alone. Buy now!
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PODCASTS + WEBINARS + INSTA LIVE | |
Conversations with The Food Allergy Counselor - Epinephrine Fears
Tamara Hubbard, LCPC and board certified allergist and pediatrician Dr. Michael Pistiner discuss common epinephrine fears, especially for parents of younger children. Watch here!
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Food Allergy Talk
Listen to the full episode here!
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School Accommodations - Tackling Challenges
Listen here!
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Food Allergy Diagnosis in Primary Care
Dr. John James and Rebecca Rosenberger, PA-C, will discuss whole allergen testing via skin or blood, unproven testing for food allergies, and allergen component testing, with a focus on how component testing can help in diagnosis and guidance for patients and families.
Watch it here!
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The Importance of Building a Community for College
Discover how a supportive community can make all the difference. Tune in to our podcast episode with Dr. G, Kortney, and Dr. Ruchi Gupta.
Listen here!
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Ask the Insider— Inside food allergy vs. food sensitivity
Watch it here!
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FARE’s online tool simplifies your search for clinical trials to treat food allergy and some related conditions.
A service of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this website is a registry and database of publicly and privately supported clinical studies.
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FOOD ALLERGY FRIENDLY COMPANIES | |
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Enjoy Life's Chocolate
Looking for the smooth richness of milk chocolate, without the milk? Our vegan Rice-milk Chocolate bar is the answer! Made with dairy-free rice milk, it is nut-free, soy-free, and allergy friendly. Makes the perfect Halloween treat!
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88 Acres
Try the sample pack! They make a great snack or treat!
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OWYN
Protein shakes with allergen-friendly ingredients, a multi-source plant protein blend, superfood greens, and vegan omega-3s. Rich & decadent in flavor, ideal for on-the-go.
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Liam's
Safer Plate is now called Liam's. They are selling frozen single-serve meals free of the top allergens in over 50 grocery stores (mainly in Minnesota). . They currently offer 4 entrees – all ready to eat in less than 4 minutes!
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Hungry Harry's Baking Mixes
Hungry Harry's is on a mission to produce foods free from the 14 food groups that account for over 90% of food allergies - while crafting them to taste better than anything else out there. Our manufacturing facility is 100% free of the Top 14 too.
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Safe and Fair
Try Safe and Fair's Binge Watching Buttery Seasoned Popcorn! Settling in for a marathon movie night or binge-watching your favorite TV series calls for some serious eating!
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Tally Kids
Limited Stock Sale: $19.99 per case
The Plant-Based Milk for Kids! 8g Protein and Powered by Chickpeas
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Blake's
Try the NEW Granola Bars! These are allergen-friendly, vegan and gluten-free.This product just launched and makes a great treat! Get 10% off your first purchase
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Allergy Mom Video: Making Top 9-Free Pumpkin Scones
Try out this recipe for Fall!
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Campus Dining Guides
Across the country, students are heading to college and setting up their dorm rooms, while parents of high schoolers are planning college tours. There are a lot of decisions to make and one of them we hope to make easier is where to eat safely on or near campus. Our 45 Campus Guides feature safe places to eat from the West to East Coast, shared by students managing food allergies. See their favorite safe pizza places, ice cream shops, breakfast and brunch spots, and coffee shops to fuel those study sessions. For even more safe eats, use the Spokin app map to explore what’s near your campus.
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Allergic Living
Link here!
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Allergy Amulet
Link here!
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Allergy Awesomeness!
Link here!
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Camp Blue Spruce
Link here!
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Cincinnati Children's Hospital
Link here!
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Food Allergy Fund
Link here!
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Food Allergy Science Initiative
Link here!
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Food Equality Initiative
Link here!
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Kyah Rayne Foundation
Link here!
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Kids with Food Allergies
Link here!
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Utah Food Allergy Network
Link here!
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We love FALL!🍁
We hope your school year is off to a great start! As a part of MOCHA we've learned how to advocate for ourselves, and we are all passionate about supporting others with food allergies. It is important that your teachers and professors understand your allergies. Take some time to review your individual healthcare plan and check out some back to school resources.
Halloween is quickly approaching. Check out our favorite allergy-friendly treats and tips below!
Denise and Anne at MOCHA both have helped us to learn even more about the food allergy community, and further explore allergy-related opportunities. Be sure to check out the work we are doing!
Thanks for reading through our 2023 Fall E-News!
-The MOCHA Interns 💜
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Thank you to our e-news editor, Annie Siebenaler from CFAAR! | |
MOCHA Interns Back to School and Halloween | | |
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Susan Tatelli
Graduate student allergic to peanuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, and soy.
My favorite allergy friendly halloween treat is swedish fish!
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Ryan Smith
College student allergic to tree nuts.
My favorite Halloween tip for a safe allergy friendly time is treating myself to special nut free chocolate from Vermont Nut Free. This way I can enjoy candy with everyone else but know that I am safe!
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Leo Auerbach
College student intolerant to dairy, and my sister has severe food allergies.
My favorite food allergy friendly Halloween treat are the YumEarth Giggles!
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Kethan Bajaj
College student allergic to nothing, but my brother has food allergies!
My favorite food allergy friendly Halloween Treat are halloween cookies. They are homemade and nut-free!
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Katelyn Chu
High school student allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, soy, beans, and peas.
My favorite allergy friendly Halloween treat is No Whey! Foods Milkless Chocolate Bars!
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Julia Auerbach
College student with Celiac Disease.
My favorite Halloween treat is Laffy Taffy it's gluten-free!
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We are so proud of the student club, CAFAE who hosted their first campus epinephrine auto-injector training of the new school year! CAFAE students and MOCHA interns, Kethan & Julia, trained Northwestern Law students on how to administer epinephrine auto-injectors. CAFAE is an on-campus club with the mission of improving the lives of students with food allergies and related conditions. | | |
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MOCHA and CFAAR gave Epinephrine Training Kits to schools and a local Youth Shelter. We are happy to help those learn more and receive the training!
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Do you want to add your voice to those fighting for medical nutrition coverage? Would you consider sharing your story to help legislators understand the importance of medical nutrition coverage for #FPIES and other conditions?
Check out the simple form on their website to help you submit your story today!
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MOCHA is a group of parents sharing information and supporting each other. Check out our website for the most current news, support and resources. Click the sign up link to be added to our email distribution! | |
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Follow us on social media! | |
Have suggestions?
Do you have amazing content we should add to our e-news or website? Please let us know! Connect with us on facebook @MOCHAallergies and Instagram @MOCHAllergies!
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Disclaimer: M.O.C.H.A. is not a professional or medical organization. It is a group of parents sharing information and supporting each other. The discussions, meeting minutes, handouts, speakers, agendas, and other products of our support group do not constitute medical and/or legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. Always discuss individual health questions and medical issues with a qualified personal physician. | | | | |
