Scarsdale Recognizes Food Allergy Awareness Week

In recognition of the growing public health concern surrounding food allergies, the Mayor and Board of Trustees of the Village of Scarsdale officially declared the week of May 11–17, 2025 as Food Allergy Awareness Week. This proclamation coincides with Food Allergy Awareness Month, observed nationwide each May, and aims to educate the community about the seriousness of food allergies, the importance of early recognition, and the need for prevention and preparedness.

Food allergies are a serious, potentially life-threatening, disease. Allergies occur when the body’s immune system mistakenly identifies a harmless substance—such as foods—as a threat. This triggers a reaction that can cause symptoms like hives, itchiness, and, worse-case, anaphylaxis.

Busting Myths About Food Allergies
FARE, the leading research, education, and advocacy organization for food allergies, proclaimed that the theme for this year’s Food Allergy Awareness Month is “busting myths about food allergies.” One notable myth is that “food allergies only affect a limited number of people and are not that serious.” According to FARE, food allergies affect approximately 33 million Americans, including 1 in every 13 children. Of those children, over 40% have had a severe reaction. In the last 10 years, anaphylaxis reactions requiring an epipen increased by 377%. In the U.S., someone is sent to the emergency room due to an allergic reaction every 10 seconds.

Another myth is that food allergies only develop in infancy or early childhood. FARE reports that 25% of all severe reactions reported in schools were children who had no previous diagnosis of an allergy. Furthermore, almost 50% of all people with shellfish allergies were diagnosed as adults.

FARE also warns against myths about the recognition and treatment of food allergies. Many believe that antihistamines can stop an allergic reaction. In reality, antihistamines can only treat certain mild systems. FARE notes that “epinephrine is the only approved medication to stop anaphylaxis and should be given first and fast.” Another myth is that reactions always occur within the first 30 minutes. However, the initial reaction can actually take up to 2 hours to present. In many cases, patients may also experience a second, potentially more severe, reaction, called a biphasic reaction, up to 48 hours after initial exposure.

The underlying theme to all these “truths” about food allergies is that people with food allergies have to be diligent and prepared at all times.

How to Be a Food Allergy Ally
Because food allergies impact so many people, including many in Scarsdale, it is important to raise awareness and ask others to be Food Allergy Allies. FARE suggests the following:

Be kind to people with food allergies. Dr. Zoya Treyster, a local Scarsdale resident and the lead allergist at Latitude Food Allergy Care Clinic, emphasizes that, “Awareness goes such a long way. I know Scarsdale to be a community of empathy and respect. We can start by teaching our kids about food allergies so they can support their friends at school and in their daily lives. Children with food allergies are more likely to experience bullying, so please talk to your children about supporting their peers.”

Be allergen aware by reading food labels, labeling any containers in shared spaces, and having an allergen-free food preparation zone when entertaining friends with food allergies.

Know how to recognize a severe allergic reaction, such as wheezing, constriction of the throat, nausea, dizziness, swelling, and difficulty breathing, and be able to administer an epipen. FARE offers a brief useful online “Save a Life” training here. 

Food Allergies in the School District
As more students are diagnosed with food allergies, the Scarsdale School District has become increasingly food allergy aware and have developed “Guiding Principles for School-Based Allergy Protocols.”, which can be found here. Each school has their own protocols, but all are informed by these guiding principles. Links to each school’s protocols are provided on the District website. Every child with a food allergy is required to submit an allergy plan every year. Food allergy parents should be aware that nut products are permitted in the lunchrooms and should consult with the administration and nurses at their respective schools with questions. The District’s food services vendor, Chartwell, provides menus on Nutrislice which label the 9 major allergens (milk, egg, tree nuts, peanuts, fish, shellfish, wheat, soy, & sesame). In addition, the District’s food service employees have all completed a FARECheck certified food allergen training program. Parents can contact the Director of Dining Services, Tara Cook to address allergy accommodations.

Future of Food Allergy Treatment
On a positive note, Dr. Treyster mentioned that the myth, “avoidance is the only option.", should be dispelled too because of recent advancements in treatment. She states that “There are life changing treatments now available for food allergies, and so much is changing in the food allergy world. I want to encourage families to come in and get updated testing. Food allergies can change over time, so it is important to get tested annually or every few years.” She further notes that oral immunotherapy or OIT, which gradually increases the amount of food a person is allergic to, has proven to be highly effective. Her clinic boasts a 97% success rate for children under the age of 4 and 92% for all ages. In addition to OIT, Dr. Treyster highlighted the recent approval of an injectable medication called Xolair, which can mitigate the response to allergens, as a treatment for food allergies. Families can go to the Latitude website to learn more.

Continued science research is necessary to further develop treatment for food allergies. With the federal government’s recent reduction in research grants, the future of such science research is at risk. During this month of May, all donations to FARE will be doubled up to $50,000, thanks to an anonymous food allergy family, so please consider donating now to help fund research and advocacy for food allergies.