Treasure Valley Food Allergy Network (Greater Boise, ID area)

Please consider attending the ReeseSTRONG food allergy fun run this Saturday, May 14, from 10am to noon!! It’s a great opportunity to raise money for a good cause, to spread awareness of food allergies, and to honor the memory of Reese Langer, a Treasure Valley teen that died tragically last year of an allergic reaction. Registration is $20 at the ReeseSTRONG.love address below.

If you aren’t able to attend, please check out and follow the ReeseSTRONG page to get updates as the organization grows. They could use all the support we can give them. 💙

Please help us share Food Allergy Awareness Week!
Over 32 million Americans are living with potentially life-threatening food allergies.

Join us May 8-14 to celebrate Living Teal Food Allergy Awareness Week. We want to invite all of our friends to learn, love and connect through food, education, advocacy and more. 🦋

Shared from our friends at the Utah Food Allergy Network--some great ideas of non-food things to put in Easter eggs. Just be sure to identify if you have any other allergies to work around with guests: for example, things like erasers and bouncy balls can often be an issue for folks with latex allergies, and temporary tattoos can have soy ingredients.

100 Things To Put In Easter Eggs {That Aren't Candy!} We're so much better than just candy this year, here is 100 Things to Put In Easter Eggs {That Aren't Candy!} |

From our friends at Neocate, a handy reference on the likelihood of cross-reactivity between related allergens.

Many parents often wonder, “If my baby is allergic to one food, could they be allergic to others?” Learn more about cross-reactivity with food allergies: http://bit.ly/2yF80fG

Meeting time! Join us next Tuesday, September 19th at 7:30 (note the later start time), at the downtown library on Capitol in the Gates room on the first floor to chat with fellow Treasure Valley folks that manage food allergies. Hope to see you there!

If you are looking for a T-shirt to help promote food allergy awareness, and also looking to help out a good cause, please consider purchasing this shirt. It will proudly proclaim your status as an advocate for those with food allergies and proceeds benefit a fellow parent of a child with food allergies who had her apartment destroyed by a flood.

Karing for Kat Our dear friend, Kathleen, lost everything in a flood of her apartment caused by her upstairs neighbor. More importantly, she has lost the ability to...

Curious about how food allergies are diagnosed accurately? As this article mentions, based on NIAID guidelines a diagnosis of food allergy should be "based on a combination of: 1.) A careful history of the person’s experience with the suspected foods
2.) Skin prick testing
3.) Allergen-specific IgE blood testing (previously and commonly referred to as RAST or ImmunoCAP testing)
and 4.) Physician-supervised oral food challenge (the “gold standard” in food allergy testing)." Be cautious of practitioners that try to diagnose based solely on ONE of those points alone and not a combination, and beware the various unproven methods that some practitioners may try to offer, as outlined in this article.

15 Unproven Methods of Food Allergy Testing These alternative methods of testing should not be used to diagnose food allergy.

Come July a new law will take effect here in Idaho that will allow "entity" stocking of epinephrine auto-injectors! That means that daycares, restaurants, event venues, summer camps, etc. will have the option to stock epinephrine in case of allergic emergencies (as long as they have employee(s) go through the training requirement). In addition, pharmacists in Idaho will be able to prescribe epinephrine auto-injectors to people at risk for anaphylaxis, caregivers of those at risk, and in certain other situations, which is ground-breaking!! Go Idaho!! Now we need to get the word out! If you get the chance, mention it to people--ask your daycare if they've heard of this new ability coming soon for them to stock epinephrine; if you're out to dinner at your favorite restaurant, ask the restaurant manager if he or she would consider stocking epinephrine to protect their allergic consumers. At the pharmacy, ask your pharmacist if they've heard of the new law yet. We still have a few months until the law becomes effective, but it doesn't hurt to start spreading the news. :-)

U Students Develop Sleek Alternative To The EpiPen Some University of Minnesota students are gaining national recognition for a new way to treat patients with life-threatening allergies.

I was recently told about a nut-allergic child who suffered an anaphylactic reaction after petting a cat whose owners use kitty litter made from walnut shells. Blue Buffalo's Naturally Fresh cat litter definitely uses walnut shells. Does anyone know of other brands that use nut shells?

Naturally Fresh® Cat Litter | Blue Buffalo BLUE Naturally Fresh combines performance qualities cat parents value most with environmental characteristics everyone who cares about our planet values most.

Important news today for those that carry Auvi-Q:

Very important: Sanofi US is recalling all Auvi-Q® epinephrine auto-injectors. Details on what you need to do: http://community.kidswithfoodallergies.org/blog/important-recall-notice-all-auvi-q-epinephrine-auto-injectors-1

Are you participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project this year? What treats do you plan to give out?