From a ACAAI press release: ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., July 24,
2009 – Food allergy knowledge in the general public is poor
concerning the difference between food allergy and food
intolerance, the absence of a cure, and current treatments
according to a report published this month in Annals of Allergy,
Asthma & Immunology, the scientific journal of the American
College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). “The public’s
food allergy knowledge and awareness is critical to the safety
of children with food allergy, especially since 76 percent of
food allergy-related deaths follow consumption of foods outside
of the home. Food allergy is a growing health concern, affecting
an estimated 6 percent to 8 percent of children in the United
States,” said Ruchi S. Gupta, M.D., of the Mary Ann & J. Wilburn
Smith Children Health Research Program at Children’s Memorial
Research Center in Chicago. In a national sample of 2,148 adults
who completed the validated Web-based Chicago Food Allergy
Research Survey for the Genera