Discover our latest impact report and meet our 2023 community award winners. Have your say on a future in-person conference, learn about the launch of the “All about food allergy” school program and get updated on two important Allergy Alerts. Plus, check out our recap of Food Allergy Awareness Month, read our summer tip guide, and take a look at our new EoE diagnosis and treatment sheet.
Making an impact: Discover our new impact report and find out who won our 2023 community awards!
We’re excited to share our latest annual impact report with you! In this report, you’ll learn how we are empowering the next generation and building community knowledge and support for food allergy.
Within the report you can view our impact in numbers for a visual look at our impact, read stories from the community, learn about the impact being made by others, discover how funding is allocated across our priorities, learn about the progress with our long-term advocacy initiatives, and more!
Announcing our 2023 community award winners!
Learn how #FoodAllergyChampions from around the country are making an impact locally and nationally. Join us in congratulating the following individuals for their leadership and passion and click below to learn more about them!
Allison Kapp: Winner of the Robyn Allen Leadership Award
Benjamin Cruickshank and Christian Kennedy: Winners of the Sabrina Shannon Memorial Award
Lauren Wong and Kamila Lizee: Winners of the Pryde Family Travel Grant
Have your say: Tell us if you would attend a food allergy conference in person
For the last few years, we have offered our educational programming that provides access to experts through webinars and other digital resources. We are now planning for our educational programming for next year and want to know if an in-person food allergy conference, hosted by Food Allergy Canada, would be of interest to you.
Take our very short survey to let us know if you would attend an in-person conference. It should take no more than 2 minutes of your time and would greatly help us determine our programming for next year. We want to ensure we are serving you as best as we can.
New: “All about food allergy” school program launched
“All about food allergy” is a free, medically-reviewed and curriculum-linked program that will help develop the knowledge and skills students need to support the health and well-being of self and others.
Imagine a world where the public understood the seriousness of food allergy and knew how to support you and your family to live well with this condition, including how to prevent reactions and treat them if they happen.
The most effective way to broaden the knowledge and capabilities of the public is through the education system. With this new program, we can start building the foundation of understanding and inclusion.
“All about food allergy” is ideally suited for grades 4-6 although it can be easily adapted for other grades. The program teaches students about food allergy, what triggers anaphylaxis, how to be a good citizen and build inclusion, and much more!
We collaborated with the Sweet Caroline Foundation on this initiative, and it is also endorsed by Physical and Health Education Canada (PHE Canada).
Please share with educators. Even though it is the end of the school year, we wanted to share this launch with you now so you can share this information with the educators you know so they can consider it in their school planning for the 2023/2024 school year.
Visit foodallergycanada.ca/SchoolProgram to learn more. Educators can register to access lesson plans, presentations, resources, and more. This program is free, ready to use, and can make a huge impact.
Allergy Alerts: Mustard allergy + Emerade® recall
There are two Allergy Alerts we wanted to ensure you were made aware of, please read below to learn more.
Mustard Alert: Canola protein and mustard allergy
Health Canada recently announced the approval of certain canola protein isolate ingredients for use in food products in Canada. If you have mustard allergy, Health Canada is recommending that you avoid products containing added canola protein as they may cause an allergic reaction in some people.
Emerade® auto-injector recall
In May 2023, Bausch Health, Canada Inc. initiated a recall of their Emerade® 0.3 mg and 0.5 mg auto-injector devices in Canada due to a potential risk that the auto-injector may fail to activate or activate prematurely if dropped.
These messages are a part of our Allergy Alerts service.
You can count on our Allergy Alerts service to ensure you are kept informed on safety issues that impact you.
When a food or product is recalled, you want to know right away. By signing up for our Allergy Alerts service, you’ll receive updates like this one right at your fingertips.
Food Allergy Awareness Month: Know it. Treat it. success!
May was Food Allergy Awareness Month, and we had many activities under our Know it. Treat it. campaign to empower Canadians to know the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis and how to treat it.
Last month, many of you participated in our webinars, Facebook lives, took a picture of one of our 26 teal monument lightings across Canada, shared our posts and resources, and contributed a #KnowItTreatIt story, sharing your experience with knowing and treating anaphylaxis. If you missed any of our events or would like to watch them again, visit our recorded webinars and events page.
Congratulations to our Know it. Treat it. contest winners!
Thank you to everyone who shared their #KnowItTreatIt stories to help spread awareness on how to Know what anaphylaxis is and how to Treat it. We’re thrilled to announce the winners of the #KnowItTreatIt contest below.
Grand prize winner – $250 + a Food Allergy Canada prize pack
- Jennifer K., Pincort, QC
Food Allergy Canada prize pack winners
- Tracy C., Brampton, ON
- Balvir V., Edmonton, AB
- Shaara K., Mississauga, ON
Help us keep the #KnowItTreatIt conversation going all year long, check out our gallery of videos and stories and get inspired to share yours too.
Thank you to our supporters! Our deepest gratitude also goes out to the organizations below for donating a significant amount of media space so we could spread awareness and education with the Give and Go ads to millions across the country.
- VENDO Media for donating a significant amount of outdoor billboard space across Canada.
- Captivate Network for donating an extensive network of office lobby and elevator advertising across Canada.
- Adapt Media for donating a large amount of retail space where our ads will appear in independent convenience stores and small grocery and retail stores within city centres, busy intersections, and condo development areas.
- UB Media for donating a significant amount of advertising space across their national networks, including Landmark Cinemas, leading post-secondary campuses, and restaurants/bars.
Summer tips and new resources
The sun is shining, and the summer activities are in full swing around the country! Before you layer up on sunscreen, check out our tips and resources for a fun summer that you can manage with confidence.
Camp is an amazing experience for many children, whether it’s day or overnight.
Check out our family guide for attending camp and childcare centres and managing food allergy with confidence.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are in season and are more readily available. Take a moment and learn more about Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS)/Pollen Food Allergy Syndrome (PFAS) before heading out for summer BBQs and other events.
Summer is an exciting time to travel, whether you’re taking off on a road trip or flying to a new destination.
Read our tips about planning ahead and find resources to help plan your summer!
Read our sheet on epinephrine, the first-line treatment for severe allergic reactions. Wherever you go this summer, always remember your auto-injectors and keep them stored at room temperature, not extreme heat or cold.
Read more tips on epinephrine auto-injectors now!
Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE)
We have a new resource on eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), a condition that affects the gastrointestinal/digestive tract. Specifically, it affects the esophagus, the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach. With EoE, large numbers of eosinophils (type of white blood cell) collect in the esophagus due to inflammation, leading to symptoms.
Learn more about EoE in our new sheet that highlights the diagnosis and treatment options.