(Adapted from ASCIA Patient Information Bulletin)

Parents & family members

• Be alert

• Be careful at home

• Read all labels and learn about food

• Be assertive, educate others

• Plan trips and outings and take a supply of safe food

• Ensure that others can easily recognize your child as being at risk

• Teach your child how to recognize the food allergen and how to identify hidden ingredients

• Never coerce the child with food allergy to eat food he or she rejects

• Learn how to use emergency adrenaline, have a crisis plan.

School teachers and carers

• Acknowledge your duty of care

• Know which children are at risk, and which foods are involved

• Display a photo of the child at risk in a prominent location

• Take note of specialist medical advice in developing avoidance policies

• Listen carefully to parents concern — they are the ones who know most about the child’s problem

• Never offer the child with food allergy any food not approved by the parents

• Ask the parents to provide safe snacks and treats to enable the child to participate in birthday parties and other special occasions

• Avoid stigmatising the child

• Be vigilant but discreet with supervision

• Learn how and when to administer adrenaline.

Make sure you get a Medic Alert bracelet or necklace for the child to wear. This will provide vital information about the nature of the problem in an emergency.

In the home

• Failure to read food labels carefully

• Continuing to use the allergenic food in the family home — accidental exposure can occur from food-scraps, spills, or contamination of kitchen benches, utensils and food containers. In extreme cases cooking fumes may carry sufficient allergens to set off a reaction

Eating away from home

• Failure to read food labels carefully

• Careless behaviour by friends and relatives

• Unlabelled / hidden ingredients at fast food outlets and food courts

• Ignorant or dismissive behaviour by shop and restaurant staff

• Contaminated utensils, workbench and spreads in takeaway food outlets

At school or child-care

• Ignorant or dismissive behaviour by staff and voluntary helpers

• Cross-contamination of food during preparation

• Cross-contamination when foods are mixed on plates

• Contaminated surfaces, books and toys by grubby fingers

• Inadvertent use of artwork materials such as milk cartons, egg crates, nutshells and eggshells

• Cooking activities using allergenic food

• Bullying or coercive behaviour by other children using the allergenic food

OTHER TOPICS