Food Allergy Pros

09/07/2026

Always good to be reminded that my son really has listened over all these years and is taking care of himself.

08/12/2026

Collaborating and catching up with dedicated FA educator Tracy Stuckrath while she’s in town. And our restaurant (one of my favorites) had great menu labeling!

08/04/2026

I’m very proud to be consulting to Zacky's Universe on food allergy advocacy and education. We are collaborating on a free, back-to-school event for food allergy parents. What are your rights and responsibilities, how are laws changing and what do you need to know? Delighted to be joined by my friend and disability law expert Lara Cleary Crnich at Hansen & Cleary, LLC and Zacky founder Priscilla Hernandez. Join us and tell a friend!

05/11/2026

Every May, we see the same cycle: posts, ribbons, and reminders that it’s Food Allergy Awareness Month. Awareness matters — but as I write in my latest piece for Belay, awareness on its own is the lowest bar. What institutions truly need is infrastructure.

I’ve spent years working with and alongside schools, universities, employers and public venues. I’ve seen the same pattern repeatedly: a “stock epinephrine program” that, in reality, rests on the shoulders of one dedicated person juggling spreadsheets, boxes of medication, and a dozen competing responsibilities.

That’s not a sustainable safety system. That’s a liability disguised as good intentions.

In the article, I lay out what real support looks like. If your institution is posting about Food Allergy Awareness Month, I hope you’ll also recognize the core objective: While awareness is important, actual preparedness is what saves lives.

What Food Allergy Awareness Month Is Actually Asking You to Do Every May, Food Allergy Awareness Month arrives with a wave of social posts, ribbon graphics, and public-facing statements from institutions about how seriously they take food allergy safety. And every year, the gap between what those st...

04/27/2026

I appreciate Allergic Living re-sharing this article that I wrote for them several years ago. Regrettably, emergency response to anaphylaxis still needs a whole lot of work.

Did you know? When you dial 911 for anaphylaxis, the ambulance may not carry epinephrine, or the responders may not be authorized to use it. Emergency medical services are regulated by state law and not all states mandate all ambulances to carry epinephrine. Learn:
—Differences between Basic & Advanced Life Support crews.
—Which states mandate ambulances to carry epinephrine.
—Tips to prepare for anaphylaxis emergencies. Click for details: https://www.allergicliving.com/2019/11/21/why-some-ambulances-dont-stock-epinephrine-and-how-to-prepare/

Food Allergy Pros

04/13/2026

Most U.S. states now authorize schools, restaurants, camps, sports venues, universities, and other organizations to maintain stock epinephrine for emergency use. Yet after sixteen years working on stock epinephrine laws across the country, I’ve seen a consistent pattern: once a law is passed, implementation can still stall. Many organizations simply don’t know where to begin or which stakeholders need to be at the table.

I’m currently partnering with Belay—an exceptional organization whose MedLocker system makes stock epinephrine practical, organized, and manageable (as well as albuterol and naloxone). They asked me to develop this guide, featured in their most recent newsletter, to help organizations understand the key personnel they should engage when building a safe and effective stocking program. Check it out, and while you’re there, look at the other great work.

A Guide for Schools, Camps, Restaurants, Venues, and Other Public-Facing Organizations The majority of U.S. states now have entity stocking laws that authorize schools, restaurants, camps, sports venues, universities, and other organizations to maintain a supply of stock epinephrine for emergency us...

03/18/2026

The legal risk isn’t stocking epinephrine — it’s not having it.

Over the past two decades, I’ve played a leadership role in passing stock epinephrine laws across the country, working with legislators, advocates, and institutions to ensure schools and campuses are protected when emergencies happen.

Recent tragedies, including the death of college freshman Sydney Meegan, underscore a hard truth: when a foreseeable medical emergency occurs, failing to prepare can create serious legal exposure. That’s precisely why 49 states now allow or require stock epinephrine in K-12 schools — and why these laws were written first and foremost to protect institutions, staff, and clinicians from liability when they follow established protocols.

With up to 25% of severe allergic reactions occurring in people with no prior diagnosis, relying solely on personal prescriptions isn’t enough. Stock epinephrine, staff training, and clear emergency procedures aren’t just best practices — they demonstrate a reasonable standard of care.

I’m proud to have authored this article for my wonderful client, Belay and their signature program, the MedLocker, to help school and higher‑education leaders understand what the law actually says — and where the real risk lies.

The question leaders should be asking isn’t “Will we get sued if we stock epinephrine?”

It’s “How do we explain not having it when it was legally protected, affordable, and available?”

Preparedness saves lives — and it protects institutions, too.

In October 2022, Sydney Meegan—a college freshman with a severe milk allergy—died from anaphylaxis in her residence hall at Colorado State University. She had carried epinephrine her whole life. She had trained her roommate to recognize a reaction. She did everything right. But when the emergenc...

02/03/2026

I’ve worked in food‑allergy education for more than 15 years, and one message stands above all others: always carry epinephrine, and don’t hesitate to use it during an allergic reaction. It remains the most critical tool for anyone living with—or caring for someone with—food allergies.

I’m very enthusiastic about my work with the team at Belay to support MedLocker®, a secure, wall‑mounted unit for emergency medications such as epinephrine, albuterol, and opioid antagonists. Its tamper‑proof smart technology tracks medication use and alerts the appropriate personnel when items are removed. Belay also provides comprehensive services including medication procurement, accredited training, and inventory management, helping schools, university campuses, camps, restaurants, arenas, and other organizations strengthen their emergency preparedness.

Here's my contribution to their current newsletter - on the importance of epinephrine accessibility:

I train school staff, camp counselors, and university administrators across the country, and I always ask the same question: “If a child is having an allergic reaction, what do you do first?” Too often, someone says: “Call the parents.” Wrong. Here’s the protocol that saves lives, and it.....

02/02/2026

The announcement that Palforzia will be discontinued by July 2026 is an important reminder for our field: no single therapy can meet the needs of every food‑allergic patient.

Palforzia was a milestone — the first FDA‑approved oral immunotherapy product — and the company says its withdrawal is driven by business strategy, not safety or efficacy. But its exit highlights a deeper truth: we cannot rely on one treatment pathway.

Oral immunotherapy (OIT) can be life‑changing for some families and provide real relief and less worry for some patients, yet it remains a highly demanding option. It requires strict daily dosing, several hours of limited activity after each dose, and careful management of co-factors like illness and exercise. It also carries the risk of adverse reactions, including anaphylaxis and the potential development of ingestion-related conditions such as EoE or FPIES. For many families, this level of rigidity simply isn’t feasible or the side effects of the therapy just too intolerable.

This is why a diverse therapeutic landscape matters. Families need choices — FDA‑approved products, sublingual and epicutaneous immunotherapies, biologics, to accompany their daily prevention strategies and strong anaphylaxis preparedness. Clinicians need tools that are practical to deliver. Affordability for patients and robust insurance coverage must, of course, be paramount. And the system must be resilient enough that when one option leaves the market, patients aren’t left with fewer paths to safety.

I have devoted my consulting practice, www.foodallergypros.com to working with companies and organizations whose missions align behind a simple objective - invest in therapies to provide long term cures for food allergy and provide robust resources to keep patients safe in the meantime.

The work continues: expanding access, broadening options, and ensuring every patient has a treatment approach that fits their needs.

https://snacksafely.com/2026/01/from-fda-landmark-to-market-exit-the-complex-journey-of-palforzia/

The first FDA-approved OIT drug is taking a bow before the final curtain call.

01/27/2026

New data from UCLA Health, published in JACI: Global, reveals a notable trend: emergency department visits for food‑induced allergic reactions in infants have risen steadily over the past decade, with a more than fourfold increase since 2013. Infants seen after the release of national early‑introduction guidelines (2022–2024) were more than twice as likely to present with a food‑induced reaction compared with infants in the pre‑guideline years.

For those of us working across the food allergy ecosystem, these findings matter.

The science behind early allergen introduction is transformative. It has reshaped prevention strategies, informed national policy, and galvanized collaboration among researchers, clinicians, and industry. Organizations like the National Peanut Board whose grant making in this area I have had the privilege of supporting—have played a critical role in advancing this research and helping bring evidence‑based practices into the mainstream.

But this study highlights a gap we must address together.

As early introduction becomes more widely adopted, families—especially those with high‑risk infants—need clearer, more actionable guidance on how to introduce allergenic foods safely. In some cases, anaphylaxis preparedness must be considered part of the protocol. Rising ER visits don’t undermine the value of early introduction; they underscore the need for better implementation support.

For industry partners, this is a call to action.
There is meaningful opportunity to:

• Strengthen consumer education and product guidance
• Support research that clarifies real‑world implementation challenges
• Collaborate with clinicians and advocacy leaders to ensure families have the tools and confidence they need
• Innovate around safety, accessibility, and informed use of early‑introduction products

The momentum behind early introduction is strong—and justified. Now we have the chance to help close the gap between scientific promise and practical, safe adoption.

This is where industry leadership can make a profound difference.

Infant Food Allergy ER Visits Rise Following National Guidelines