Peanut free. Schools across the nation have become peanut free perhaps for insurance purposes but also for the safety of kids with peanut allergies. Within the last few years, more and more family venues such as baseball stadiums, movie theaters and day camps have jumped on the bandwagon and began to provide safe environments for peanut allergic individuals.

But what about milk, egg, tree nut, wheat, soy, fish and shellfish allergic individuals, not to mention those with allergies to non top 8 foods? While peanut allergies do tend to have the highest rate of anaphylaxis, any food can trigger a fatal anaphylactic reaction. So the question is, why is it more important we avoid peanut products than avoiding other allergens that could potentially make others extremely sick?

This question brings to light the privilege of the peanut allergy. You see, being asked to avoid peanut products while around a peanut allergic individual, while potentially annoying, most reasonable people would probably do it because modern culture tells them they should. But if we switch the allergen to milk, suddenly the request is no longer reasonable. Why? Because milk is much more widespread than peanut products and is therefore "unfair" to ask others to avoid even if it could have the same health effects to an individual with a milk allergy as peanuts do to an individual with a peanut allergy. 

I am not suggesting we begin banning all potential allergens from places that currently ban peanuts because that would be a logistical nightmare. What we can do is unite the fight against food allergies. We must remember, we are fighting for the safety of those with food allergies. If this means that we are going to put up a fight when peanut protein is added to foods because we are concerned about labeling, then we need to not only fight for peanut cross contamination to be better labeled but for all potential allergen contamination to be better labeled. If we are going to fight about loosing safe foods than we can't just fight when peanuts are added to foods as fillers but we must fight when milk and soy are added as fillers.  If we are going to fight to get peanuts from being served on airplanes for the basis of airborne allergies, we must fight for those with other airborne allergies to be able to safely fly. If we are going to create lists of safe snacks for those with peanut allergies, we should be creating lists of safe snacks for all allergens. We can not shame those with allergies other than peanuts for eating peanut products just as we can not shame those with only peanut allergies for eating foods with other allergens.

The truth is, the food allergy world isn't fair and it probably will never be. Schools will probably not go top 8 or even all allergen free and baseball stadiums and movie theaters will probably never offer a completely allergy free night. But, we can create equality in the way we raise awareness about food allergies. With Food Allergy Awareness Week around the corner, it is important we give all allergies an equal voice this year. There is no reason to make one allergen seem like it is worst than another or that it deserves more awareness. Each allergen (or combination of allergens) comes with a unique set of challenges as well as a unique set of benefits. So there is no reason to be Team Peanut or Team Milk or Team Shellfish. Together, we can be Team Food Allergy because our voices joined together can create more change than when they are by themselves. 

So I leave you all with this question, feel free to comment below. How do we better unite as a food allergy community? 

Dear Food Allergy Parents Petitioning Kellogg's,
Let's be honest, food allergy moms have a certain stereotype. They are often the all involved helicopter moms--they have to be in order to keep their kids safe. Recently I saw on Facebook a petition to stop Kellogg's from adding peanut flour to their Keebler and Austin crackers (see below).  

According to Food Allergy Research and Education Organization, the affected crackers will be Austin Cheddar Cheese Cracker Sandwiches, Austin Grilled Cheese Cracker Sandwiches, Austin Pepper Jack Cracker Sandwiches and the Austin Variety Pack Cracker Sandwiches. The Keebler flavors that will be affected include Keebler Club & Cheddar Sandwich Crackers, Keebler Cheese & Cheddar Sandwich Crackers, Keebler Pepper Jack Sandwich Crackers and the Keebler Variety Pack Sandwich Crackers. Kellogg's backs their addition of peanut flour as a way to make the crackers healthier.

I will be honest, I don't eat snack cracker packs because without the peanut flour they are all still unsafe for me. But, let's take a moment to consider what people are getting up in arms about. Parents are getting upset over sandwich crackers. Sandwich crackers that already contain flavors unsafe for their children. Sandwich crackers that if we are being honest here are filled with nothing but low quality, nutritionally subpar ingredients.

What I am writing to you about is about more than the peanut flour in the crackers. What upsets me is the fact parents who petition things like peanut flour in one brand of sandwich crackers unintentiaonlly make life harder for their food allergic kids. Kellogg's is changing their ingredients in an effort to champion healthier products and many people view food allergy parents as standing in the way of their mission that will ultimately impact many more kids than the 3 million kids with peanut allergies. People view this petitioning the same way they view food allergy parents as standing in the way of their child's school party or peanut butter and jelly sandwich at lunch. It adds more stigma and makes people less likely to consider legitimate requests. 

But what is most detrimental is what it does to us kids with food allergies. Growing up, everything is handed to us to make us safe. We are sat at peanut free tables, have a safe box of treats and learn to expect that life is going to be adapted to fit our needs. The truth is life isn't like that. As a college student first hand I have learned that there isn't always going to be alternatives offered at parties or nut free tables in the cafeteria. I understand the safety of peanut free tables in schools but unfortunately there is no allergy free table in life. Part of growing up is learning how do manage different social situations. If we are constantly kept in a bubble, we will never learn how to care for ourselves in the real world--potentially leading to an increased number of reactions in our teenage years. 

Petitioning crackers and getting upset about something that is out of your control is teaching your child to expect to be adapted to. Going into life with that attitude is not only going to make your child disliked but set them up for the false sense of the world revolving around their needs. So please, instead of petitioning the inevitable addition of peanut flour to kellogg's snack crackers use the situation as a learning experience. Teach your child that ingredients change all the time and it is important to check foods every time they eat them, even if they were previously safe. Teach your child the importance of adaptation and accommodation--sandwich crackers are simple to make (recipe below). Most of all, use it to teach them that it isn't worth getting upset about little things. Living with food allergies, it is so easy to get upset and frustrated over the frustrations of managing a life-threatening condition that it is important to remember that getting upset over every little sandwich cracker type situation is only going to lead to a life of frustration and disappointment. 

Sincerely,
A Teen With Food Allergies 

P.S I have included my allergy friendly, peanut flour free, sandwich cracker recipe below:

Ingredients:
-1 Box safe crackers
-1 Box safe spread of choice

Instructions: Remove first cracker from package. Cover one side of the cracker with safe spread. Top with second cracker. Repeat until desired number of cracker sandwiches have been made.

P.P.S I would love to have a friendly conversation with anyone who would like to comment below. I do ask that you keep any personal attacks to yourself.