Download Food Allergy Awareness - Healthy and Active Preschoolers

May 2016
Food Allergy Awareness
May 8 is the start of Food Allergy Awareness week. There may be some children at
your site that have food allergies, so it is important to know what ingredients are in the
foods you serve them.
Here is a list of the most common foods that can cause allergic reactions:
1. Cow’s milk, including anything made from cow’s milk
2. Eggs, including whites, yolks, and powdered eggs
3. Peanuts, including peanut flour and hydrolyzed protein
4. Tree nuts, including, but not limited to, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, cashews,
pistachios, and Brazil nuts.
5. Fish, such as salmon, tuna, and halibut
6. Shellfish, such as crab, lobster, shrimp, clams, mussels, oysters, scallops, and
squid
7. Soy, including soybeans, soy protein, and soy flour
8. Wheat, including anything made from wheat
It is required by law that food labels identify the food source of all ingredients that are or
contain any protein derived from the eight most common food allergies.
For more information and resources on food allergies, visit the following Web pages:

U.S. Department of Agriculture’s
o “Food Allergy Awareness Week”
(http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/features-month/may/food-allergyawareness-week)
o “Food Allergies and Intolerances” (http://www.nutrition.gov/nutrition-andhealth-issues/food-allergies-and-intolerances)

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ “Common Food Allergies in
Infants, Children, and Adults”
(http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/foodAllergy/understanding/Pages/foodAllergy8All
ergens.aspx)
Generally, children with food allergies or intolerances do not have a disability as defined
under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act, Part B. Your agency may, but is not required to, make food
accommodations for these children.
When food allergies result in a severe, life-threatening reaction, a child’s condition
would rise to the level of a disability. Your agency is required to accommodate the
prescribed diet ordered by a recognized medical authority. Refer to the California
Department of Education’s Web page “Accommodating Children with Special Dietary
Needs” (http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/sn/mbcnp102015.asp) for more information.
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