| Founded | 1991 |
|---|---|
| Location | Fairfax, Virginia, United States |
| Area served | United States |
| Focus | Food allergies |
| Method | Education, Awareness, Research, Advocacy |
| Revenue | $5,887,477 USD (2008)[1] |
| Members | Approx. 30,000 [2] |
| Website | foodallergy.org |
The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network) (FAAN) is the world’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to food allergy awareness, education, research, and advocacy, and provides information, programs, and resources about food allergies and anaphylaxis. The organization was founded in 1991[3] to serve as a clearinghouse for food allergy information, by a parent whose own daughter was diagnosed with milk and egg allergy.
The Fairfax, Va.-based organization has approximately 23,000 members in the U.S. and overseas.[2] Members are individuals, families, health care professionals, school and camp staff, child care providers, corporations, policymakers, organizations, institutions, and members of the pharmaceutical and food industries.
Information disseminated by FAAN, whether on its website or through its newsletters, is reviewed for accuracy by its Medical Advisory Board,[4] composed of the world’s leading medical authorities in the area of food allergy science.
In early 2010, FAAN received a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator[1] for sound fiscal management, for the third year in a row. FAAN’s activities are centered around its four mission points: to raise public awareness, to provide advocacy and education, and to advance research on behalf of those affected by food allergy and anaphylaxis.[2]
FAAN’s websites (www.foodallergy.org, www.faanteen.org, www.faankids.org, www.foodallergywalk.org, www.foodallergyevents.org, www.faancollegenetwork.org) provide educational information about food allergies, recipes, legislative and research updates as well as free resources for patients, parents, teachers, and restaurateurs.
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Through media,[5] and awareness programs,[6] FAAN helps people better understand the daily challenges of managing food allergies. Several celebrities are working to bring national recognition both to FAAN and to the cause of food allergies. FAAN’s Ambassadors include:
In 2010, 37 states recognized Food Allergy Awareness Week,[16] an initiative FAAN began in 1998, with official proclamations. The organization has also raised awareness through numerous newspaper and magazine articles, television reports, and fundraising events across the U.S., such as the Walk for Food Allergy: Moving Toward a Cure.[17]
FAAN advocates for national, state and local policies that have a positive impact on members of the food allergy community. On the national level, FAAN was instrumental in passing the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA),[18] in 2004. As a result of FALCPA, the presence of major food allergens (milk, egg, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, peanuts, and tree nuts) must be indicated, in simple terms, on packaged food items. At the state level, FAAN has helped enact policies in more than 30 states that make epinephrine (adrenaline) more available from Emergency Medical Services, has helped create food allergy management guidelines for schools in more than ten states,[19] and spearheaded a new law in Massachusetts designed to help raise awareness of food allergy among restaurant staff.[20] On a local level, FAAN has helped summer camps, child care centers, recreational facilities, colleges/universities, and public/private schools develop policies and approaches with the food allergy community in mind.
FAAN staff conduct seminars and training sessions on food allergy and anaphylaxis for patients, school staff, government officials, health professionals, restaurant and industry leaders, and other policymakers. FAAN also publishes a bimonthly newsletter for its members, a bimonthly newsletter for children, an electronic newsletter for teens, a quarterly newsletter for physicians, a biannual newsletter for school nurses, and a quarterly corporate bulletin. FAAN has also published several cookbooks, a series of children’s books, and videos/DVDs.
There is no cure for food allergy yet, but research is being conducted throughout the world to find a cure or therapies for food allergy. Since the inception of its donor-funded Research Grant Program,[21] FAAN has committed more than $4.6 million to scientists studying various areas of food allergy and anaphylaxis.[22] FAAN has partnered with the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to fund the Exploratory Investigations in Food Allergy program to encourage researchers to move into the field of food allergy. FAAN also initiates research and surveys its members on various quality of life issues.
FAAN is the founding member of the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Alliance,[23] an international alliance of patient education groups that collaborate on food allergy issues from a more global perspective. In 2010, the Alliance held its tenth annual meeting, and attracted participation from both the World Health Organization and the World Allergy Organization. Currently, the Alliance comprises 14 members representing 13 countries.