It Has What?!? Concerns about herbal supplements and the big picture of food safety underregulation

A recent study on herbal supplements serves as another cautionary tale about
dietary supplements, an underfunded FDA, and a marketplace out of control.

Very troubling news about companies that are not selling what consumers think they are buying.

Last week my local public radio station aired an hour-long segment on herbal supplements.  Herbal supplements are big business in the US with approximately 29,000 products on the market and Americans spending an estimated $5 billion annually on them.  Scientists at the University of Guelph, Ontario, recently published results of a study of 44 herbal products that used a technique, DNA barcoding, to verify the products' ingredients.  A staggering majority of herbal supplements were found to be diluted or replaced with fillers.  Here are the quick findings:

• Of the 44 herbal products tested (all 44 sold by 12 companies), nearly 60 percent of the products contained plant-based ingredients not listed on the labels.
• In nearly one-third of the products, the marketed herb was completely replaced with another plant substitute.  (No trace of the advertised herb was found.)
• Over one-fifth of the 44 products tested contained fillers that WERE NOT LISTED on the ingredient labels.  These fillers were derived from wheat, soy, or rice.

Altering ingredients is potentially harmful to those who use supplements as part of their daily health regimens or management plans for their ailments.  And it is downright deadly for those with food allergies.  How is it possible that herbal supplements can get away with this?

First of all, herbal supplements (like vitamins and other dietary supplements) are categorized as food not drugs in accordance with the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994.  Because they are not considered drugs, supplements are not subject to the same rigorous FDA safety and effectiveness testing done for new drugs.

Supplements are categorized as food so they must follow certain standards.  Under the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004, all food products regulated by the FDA must meet specific guidelines for listing the most common 8 food allergens (milk, egg, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts) on ingredient labels.   Herbal supplements fall under the food product category so -- in theory -- they must follow the FALCPA mandate and be forthcoming with listing the most common food allergens on their labels.

The 2008 Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs) established new regulations that require dietary supplement manufacturers to undertake numerous tests during the production process.  Many manufacturers makers source the ingredients for their product from third-party suppliers  including suppliers from foreign countries.  The cGMPs hold companies responsible for testing all incoming components for their products to make sure that the components match exactly what they had ordered.  Only after verifying the accuracy of the ingredients should supplement manufacturers use the ingredients to create their supplements.  Finished batches of supplements must also be tested.

The enactment of food allergy labeling (FALCPA) and guidelines for testing (cGMPs) should ensure that the supplements are what they say on the labels, right?

It should.  But officials with the FDA itself assert that a great portion of the dietary supplement industry continues to be non-compliant with the cGMP mandate.  And the severely underfunded and overextended FDA admits it does not have the means to check all products coming into the marketplace.  (DNA barcoding and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for food allergens are expensive.)  The FDA are largely reliant on the diligence of consumers to report suspected bad products and the good faith of companies to offer honest, safeguarded products.

A doctor/presenter that I heard speak at the recent Food Allergy Bloggers Conference confirmed that most errors in labeling/ingredients are caught by the manufacturers themselves through their own independent testing.  Recalls are voluntarily initiated by these food manufacturers.  She reasoned that companies are forthcoming because it is in their best interests to resolve accidental mislabeling of food allergens -- they do not want to damage their good reputation among their customer base.  I admit, this revelation does not sit comfortably with me at all.

The University of Guelph's study shows us that we should not have faith in herbal supplements:  herbal companies are slipping through the cracks with watered-down products whose labels are incomplete, inaccurate, and just plain dishonest.  The study reminded me of the tainted infant formula scandal in China from several years back.  Dishonest producers and non-existent food safety regulations led to the illness of 300,000 people, over 50,000 of them being infants.

Over many years of being a food allergy mom, I feel like I'm pretty good about checking ingredient labels for food allergens.  But there's absolutely no way I could protect my kids from food allergens that are in supplements that blatantly omit ingredients from their label in order to hide their shady practices.  We as a nation must demand stricter guidelines on food labeling and regulations.  We need to hold companies accountable for testing their ingredients.  I would love to know where ingredients are sourced (U.S. grown or are they imported?  From where?) and how they are grown (GMOs vs. non-GMOs).

I was never much of a supplements kind of gal.  And with this latest disturbing report, I don't think I will be anytime soon.  The more I read and listen, the more I worry about the safety of any manufactured food product.  We shouldn't have to wait until someone ends up sick or dying to know the truth about what we are putting into our bodies.

If you don't have time to listen to the audio segment of the talk, the New York Times published a nice summary of the University of Guelph's study and implications here.  

The Day Tristan's Food Allergies Went From Serious to Life Threatening

There's a reason I went pre-med at university but never went to med school.  During my first anatomy lab with the cadaver and the overpowering scent of formaldehyde, I knew I wasn't doctor material.  Or maybe it was making the first incision on the rat that was still warm in Bio 1A. Either way, the mere fact that I'm squeamish at the sight of blood should've tipped me off.  But obviously, I'm glutton for punishment.

The first time Tristan needed a shot of Epinephrine for an allergic reaction that I deemed "severe" enough to warrant an injection was also a huge turning point for me and for him.  Before that, I had been his biggest advocate, educating teachers, parents, family, and friends about his food allergies.  But I could always end our conversation in the statement: "He has an Epipen, but luckily, we've never had to use it."  I couldn't say this any more.

Now I end the conversation with, "He has Epinephrine, it's with him at all times, and whenever in doubt, give it to him.  Here's how..."

I've now lost count of the number of times I've injected him.  The first few times were adrenaline-filled, characterized by shaky hands and tears on both sides.  But after seeing the instant relief it has given him, I wonder why I ever hesitated.  Yes, it's hard to prick your child with a needle. Yes, it's inconvenient to go to the ER--nobody wants to spend an evening there when you were just a few hours away from tucking your little ones into bed.  Yes, it can save your child's life.

It's not as dramatic as the scene in Pulp Fiction; I'm definitely not in the habit of stabbing anyone in the heart with a needle.  That scene has likely scarred many of us for life.  Luckily for us, you just put the end of auto-injector on the outer thigh and push.  No one even ever has to see a needle.

It's not as bad as forcing your child to vomit because he's swallowed poison, or setting a bone back into place.  Think of it as throwing a drowning child a lifesaver.  You wouldn't stand on the pier, pondering whether your child is actually drowning, or if after a few more strokes he'll get the hang of it.  Even if you didn't know how to swim, you'd likely jump right in and do what you could.

So I know the majority of you are still in the "...but we've never had to use it" category.  And I hope with every ounce of my being that it stays that way.  But if you ever find your child in the need of Epinephrine, please please please don't hesitate to throw her a lifesaver.  Follow your doctor's advice about when to give it. I don't know how many times I've heard moms tell a story about treating their child's allergic reaction and ending with, "I didn't give the Epinephrine, but I probably should have."

In the wake of Natalie Giorgi and Giovanni Cipriano's deaths, and all those awesome food allergy resources out there about when to give Epinephrine, we need to rethink our action plans and make sure our caregivers are trained.

As an added bonus, Tristan has been injected with the new auto-injector the Auvi-Q, and swears that it doesn't hurt.  After one administration of the medicine, he asked, "Did the needle go in?"  I responded, "Do you feel better?"  He answered, "Yes!"  Well, there you go.  It's worth checking out, especially with the coupons out there.

I frequently think about how raising kids with food allergy is a process, and has a huge learning curve.  I don't know why it takes us so long to change our habits, take less risks, or be more vocal advocates.  What I do know is that I didn't sign up for this; otherwise, I'd have gone off to med school with likely a very different life.  Who knew a huge part of my life would be devoted to managing my child's life threatening medical condition?

Your courage rubs off on your kids.  So give the Epinephrine, and teach our kids what they need to know to grow up food allergic.

Epinephrine -- why some food-allergic people don't carry it and why they should

Just in the past week there have been two food-allergy related deaths reported in the news.  College freshman Cameron Groezinger Fitzpatrick died of anaphylaxis after eating a cookie made with peanut oil. 12-year-old Maia Santarelli fell ill and died of anaphylaxis after eating ice cream purchased in a shopping mall.  It breaks my heart every time I read the headline and see the photo of these smiling, vibrant faces.  These young people had their whole lives ahead of them but they cut way too short, and all because of food.

When I read these stories, I think of my own kids with food allergies.  How can I not?  Have I given my kids a cookie that I was told was free of milk and free of nuts, only to discover that this was not true?  Yes.  Did my youngest eat ice cream in the mall, develop facial swelling, sneeze, and cough, and require a visit to the ER?  Yes.  These accidents happened.  I am not proud of that fact that they happened under my watch but I have accepted that accidents are accidents.  I try my best to prevent them but mistakes are always made.

I have met more food allergy parents (lucky for the camaraderie, unlucky for having allergies, too) lately.  Most of the time I have been shocked to hear that many did not have a food allergy action plan in place and did not routinely carry epinephrine auto-injectors or store them at school sites.  After talking with these parents -- and strongly urging them to keep epinephrine close at *all* times regardless of their history of reactions without trying to sound judgy -- I started to wonder why so many parents don't keep life-saving medication handy.  Based on my conversations and my own evolution as a food-allergy mom, I came up with this reasons:

"My child's allergies aren't too bad.  She isn't that allergic, like other kids." 

There is an idea that allergy testing and patterns of previous allergic reactions can predict how a person will react when exposed to a known allergen.  However, this is a serious misconception.  Allergic reactions may be different in any given situation.  A hive after one instance of exposure could be abdominal cramps and vomit in one situation, or swelling airways in another.  No one knows the type and severity of a future reaction and for that very reason it is critical to always prepare for the worst-possible reaction by carrying epinephrine medication with you at all times.

San Jose father Brian Hom lost his older son, BJ, to food allergies after an accidental exposure to peanuts.  In this FARE public service video, Brian describes the mild reactions that BJ had prior to the reaction that took his life.



Yes, it is responsible -- critical -- for all families who manage food allergies to try to be in control or have full knowledge of any food or skin products that they will come in contact with.  (Good practice for non-allergic families, too!)  But mistakes happen to even the most diligent of us.  Epinephrine provides a line of defense for those mistakes.  Having epinephrine does not mean you can take risks and neglect talking to food preparers, reading ingredient labels, and asking about possible cross contamination.  And having epinephrine as a backup does not mean you or others should view yourself as unable to protect your child through your judgment.

We are extremely careful about what our family eats, too.  But just recently both kids have an allergic reaction to cupcakes made from the same recipe and bakery that they have had two times before.  We gave the kids Benadryl, kept our EpiPens at the ready, and watched them like hawks and the symptoms gradually subsided.  Unless you grow all the ingredients and make and handle the foods yourself, you just never can be 100% sure of the safety of your food.

"It's so bulky but we carry Benadryl."

While I don't think people want to admit it, size does matter for some.   An EpiPen auto-injector does take up quite a bit of room especially when you have more than one food-allergic child!  Pair the bulky excuse with "my child isn't that allergic" or "we are very careful about what s/he eats," and parents can convince themselves that it's okay not to take their auto-injectors with them.  Benadryl may be good for mild symptoms like rashes and sneezing but it is not enough to keep airways open in the case of anaphylaxis.

If size is an issue, a new epinephrine auto-injector may be a more attractive option for you.  Sanofi's "Auvi-Q" auto-injector has just come out on the market.  Auvi-Q provides emergency epinephrine medication in the size of a credit card.  The devide also features voice instructions that can walk whoever must administer the medication through a potentially new and stressful situation.  My allergist demonstrated the device for us at our last appointment in January.  While the brand new product does not have a track record yet, the size and voice-guided commands are definitely attractive.

"I keep forgetting to pack it." 

Packing an epinephrine auto-injector may not be part of your daily routine already but it should be.  I have a mental checklist of exactly 4 things that I absolutely do not leave the house without: keys, wallet, phone, and Epi-Pen Jr. twin-packs for each child.  My husband and I have turned the car around several times when we realized that we had forgotten to grab our emergency medication pack as we rushed to get out the door.  It is a lifeline and, however cumbersome it is, you just have to learn to remember it always.

"We're not going far." 

Allergic reactions can happen instantaneously anywhere, even in areas that you frequent and consider your safe zones.  In the case of anaphylaxis and the swelling of airways, every minute counts.  Epinephrine is most effective at the onset of a serious reaction.  Delayed use of epinephrine can still lead to death.

"We're not planning to eat anything while we're out." 

This is a good game plan for parents.  But sometimes there are unexpected delays or last-minute changes of plans that make it necessary to feed your kids.  Whether it's store-bought, restaurant-prepped, or homemade food, any time your child will ingest something it is important to be prepared for a reaction in case there was cross contamination anywhere in the food manufacturing, preparation, and serving process.  

Even if you aren't eating anything, allergic reactions can occur with non-food items.  More and more hair and skin products are using ingredients such as food proteins, nut oils, and extracts.  I can think of four occasions when my kids and I read the label of a liquid soap at a restaurant, a friend's house, even the allergist's office (true story) and discovered it contained milk protein or walnut oil.


Bottom line: Any food allergy has the potential to be life-threatening.

Studies have shown that a body's reaction to one exposure may be very different from the body's reaction to another exposure: you just don't know.  When someone you know and care for has food allergies, your life will and must change.  You must toss out your idea of a totally carefree and spontaneous life and be prepared with safe foods, wipes for cleaning hands and surfaces to limit cross contact, and emergency life-saving medication.  People with food allergies can still lead happy, healthy lives -- our kids certainly do -- but it is not without constant vigilance, planning, and clear communication.  Think of it as a "new normal" and keep yourself ready for any situation.

Kissing-Induced Anaphylaxis?

She may have her first kiss a lot sooner than we want to admit.

OK, maybe you can't get anaphylaxis from kissing.  Or can you?

I consider myself far from having to worry about any of my kids being interested in kissing, as I'm sure just the thought of kissing a girl makes my 8-year-old son cringe.

"Hey Tristan, what do you think about kissing a girl?"

"It's weird."

"Remember that time that Ella kissed you?  You guys were around 3."

"Yeah, I didn't like that."

But one of these days, in the hopefully far but very really possibly near future, he will get curious.  And when that time comes, I want him to be armed with answers to any questions he might have about his food allergies and kissing.

In Mylan's recent study to understand some of the gaps in anaphylaxis awareness, where 300 families with food allergic children were surveyed:

• One in 3 parents reported that their children had experienced a life threatening allergic reaction on Valentines Day

• Less than half speak to their children about potential allergy risks they might face on Valentines Day, like kissing someone who has eaten something they're allergic to, or candy that may be passed out at school.

• Less than half tell their teens to tell their dates that they have a life threatening food allergy.

• Less than half remind their teens to bring their Epi-Pens with them before leaving the house.

Is this data at all surprising?  I don't really think so.  Conversations about dating, kissing, and risk-taking are hard enough.  We all hope that when it's time to have these difficult talks, we'll be courageous enough to speak, and our kids will be open enough to listen.  With the intermingling of the issue of serious food allergy, our task becomes only that much harder--and that much more critical.

While many of us still have young children, they will soon be tweens, then teens, and beyond.  As much as we'd like to bottle them up and keep them their 5-year-old selves, we can't.  We may feel like our allergy conversation thus far is open, honest, and clear, and maybe it is; and maybe it's not as thorough as we'd like it to be.

At this week's Food Allergy Blogger Summit in New York City, where we and 14 other inspiring food allergy bloggers met with leading experts in the food allergy field, Allergic Girl Sloane Miller talked about effective communication.  Miller stressed how vital it is to create a clear allergy action plan, starting in the allergist's office with a one-page summary of your child's medical history, and a list of questions for the doctor developed with your child.

After visiting the allergist, your child should know exactly what she is allergic to, what is to be done in the event of an accidental reaction, and that she has her medication with her at all times.  She discussed the importance of cultivating a "human relationship" between your child and her allergist at a young age.  According to Miller, it is crucial to understand that the action plan is ever evolving and changing, as new questions arise and new life stages approach. 

You and your child know exactly what she is allergic to, how to avoid it, and what to do in case of emergency...now what?  When teaching your children to communicate their food allergies, the goal is to let them understand that food allergies are simply are part of their identities, of who they are.  Miller says to teach kids to be 1) clear, 2) factual, and 3) firm (unwavering, without question, apology, or aggression) when communicating their food allergies, and to keep it to 3 sentences or less: 

"I've got severe food allergies, including egg, dairy, and nuts.  I can get hives, and even stop breathing.  I've got my Epi-Pen with me at all times, and will use it if I need to."

Help your child communicate clearly by practicing with her: have her write it down or role play to help them find their voice, and empower her with the courage she needs to face sticky situations.  Miller says to teach her never to eat for someone else--if she feels at all uncomfortable or unsure about how safe a food is.

Very importantly: a restricted diet doesn't mean a restricted life.

Once armed with the tools to communicate, make sure your child knows to create positive relationships--the people who will support him and help keep him safe.  Miller categorizes these people as: his inner circle of friends,  his food allergy allies (like a chef or server who is willing to listen to you and accommodate your needs), and online and offline resources.

So, can kissing induce anaphylaxis?  Dr. Rushi Gupta, author of The Food Allergy Experience, says a good rule of thumb would be to wait 24 hours after your kissing partner has eaten a known allergen, and make sure he brushes his teeth thoroughly before kissing (hey, that's good advice all around).  But to be sure, that's one of those questions only your doctor can answer accurately, depending on the severity of the individual's allergies.

At the same time, I think we can reduce the risk of anaphylaxis through kissing by teaching our children to be effective and confident communicators and nurture positive relationships.

So when girls no longer have cooties, I may need to broach a few new subjects with Tristan.  Until then, I will revise and clarify our allergy action plan, and keep an open line of communication with him by taking advantage of those teachable moments, those moments where he's just cracked the door open enough to let me in and be a part of his life.

Calling all school nurses! Get your free Epi-Pens!

Mylan Specialty announced a program that will enable schools to better handle anaphylaxis.  The company, which produces and distributes Epi-Pens, is offering qualified schools two twin packs of EpiPens at no cost through EpiPen4Schools.

This is great news for states that have laws authorizing or requiring Epipens to be stocked in schools.  If your child needs an Epi-Pen you already know how expensive it is to stock and restock them (because they expire) year after year.  With educational fundings in every state suffering huge cuts in this sluggish economy, schools that can legally carry prescription Epipens for their entire student body often do not keep them in stock because of the financial burden.  The strains of budget cuts force many schools to choose between Epipens and classroom materials. 

So far there are only a couple of states that require their schools to carry Epipens: Illinois, Georgia, and Virginia.  The School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act  has been put forward by Illinois Senators Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk to encourage states to allow schools to keep Epipens in stock by offering incentives.  While the potential of this program is great, states and even individual school districts and sites will vary on whether or not they can carry Epipens without a prescription directly attached to a particular student. 

To apply for the Epipens district or school nurses must download, complete, and fax in the forms, which can be found at the EpiPen4Schools website.  A valid Epi-Pen prescription must accompany the forms.  Mylan's EpiPen4Schools program does not provide Epipens for individuals so it is invalid to send a prescription made out to an individual student.  The prescription must come as a standing order from a physician for use by medical and school personnel for any individual in the school setting that is experiencing a life-threatening allergic reaction.

I encourage you to read about EpiPen4Schools and share this information with your school nurses and district personnel.  See if something can be done about stocking your local schools with EpiPens.  My son's school nurse told me that EpiPens must connected to an individual's prescription.  But I'm searching California law to see if there is in fact language that allows school districts to use their discretion on making this call.

Beyond your school sites, join FAAN's efforts in support of the School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act by writing to your state's senators and representatives.  Share your personal stories and how stocking EpiPen auto-injectors could mean the difference between life and death for your loved ones.

In the News: New study estimates that food allergies affect 8 percent of all children

Photo by Dan4th/Flickr

In the past, food allergies were believed to impact 1 in 25 children under 18 years of age.  A recent study has concluded that food allergies are twice as common as previously thought, affecting 8 percent, or roughly 1 in 13 kids.  These findings come after analyzing survey data of about 38,000 parents.

Of the reported food-allergic kids of the survey, 40 percent had a history of severe allergic reaction; their reactions seemed to gain in severity as the kids got older; and Asian and African American kids are more likely to have allergies than their Caucasian peers.

CNN and Huffington Post have written articles about the study and the real risks of food allergies.  Both articles are worth reading as they detail the findings and also feature how two families have been forever changed by food-related anaphylaxis.

1 in 13 kids are affected by food allergies...How many kids' in your child's classrooms have food allergies?

In the news: Simple party planning tips for food-allergic guests

CNN recently wrote a piece about allergy-friendly party planning.  It offers suggestions on how non-allergic families can create safer, more inclusive parties.  Steps such as asking guests to list dietary restrictions in their replies, including a couple of allergy-free dishes, and filling pinatas and goodie bags with non-food items can go a long way in making food-allergic guests feel just like every other guest.

As a mom of kids with multiple food allergies I am used to the drill of packing safe party food and dessert whenever we go out.  I appreciate it when parents offer to provide a separate safe treat for my kids.  But to be honest, I often decline because I worry about cross contamination and dangerous gaps in knowledge about their specific food allergies.  If an allergic reaction occurred, I would feel awful for my kids but also for the person who was just trying to be accommodating.  Another thing is I hate to inconvenience hosts -- I've thrown enough parties to know it's a lot of work!  But when hosts insist on making safe cupcakes for the whole party and serving fresh fruit and homemade dishes that have been vetted by me, I am grateful.  That's when I feel safest for my kids to partake.

While others had pizza, Ryken ate salmon pasta made especially for him.

Despite my own worries, the party tips mentioned in the article are great.  And the fact that this article was written and posted on CNN is even more great.  I cheer every time food allergies makes the news because this means awareness is growing.  And with more awareness, there is more hope for understanding and accommodation.

CNN got some of its party-planning tips from Sandra Beasley, a poet-writer who has managed severe and numerous lifelong food allergies.  Don't Kill the Birthday Girl: Tales From an Allergic Life is Beasley's humorous reflection on growing up with food allergies.  Early reviews have described Beasley's memoir as an insightful, witty must-read for food-allergic families.  I for one am looking forward to reading this!  The book will hit the shelves this July. 

Could a cure be on the horizon?? A recent study suggests "maybe".

Milk jugs, perhaps we will meet again soon? (Credit: BlueWaikiki.com via Flickr)

An article on today's edition of SFGate.com is reporting some very promising research in the treatment of food allergies.

A Stanford University research team has conducted trials to test new approaches for treating patients with milk allergies.  The experimental therapy involves using a drug called omalizumab for 16 weeks to prevent the immune system from responding to certain allergens while gradually exposing patients to increasing amounts of milk powder to desensitize them to the allergen.  After the 16-week desensitization period, the drug was no longer given and patients still were given increasing doses of milk.  SFGate reports that of the 11 patients who began the trials, 10 can consume as much dairy as they want today without any problem.

WOW.


Read more about the research here at Stanford Medicine's site.  And share your thoughts.  Skeptical?  Excited?  Searching for Stanford's contact information in the hopes of signing on as a test subject?  (Oops, that would be me.)

Vigilante gluten-allergy denier and protests against a peanut-allergic child -- what it tells us about the big picture

Last week gluten-allergy blogs around the country were fired up over the intentional deception of a Colorado chef.

Damian Cardone is was a Colorado chef who boasted on Facebook about serving customers high-gluten pasta in place of what was supposed to be gluten-free pasta.  He tried to justify his actions by proclaiming his belief that gluten allergies are mostly imagined issues and that, just as he predicted, no one got sick from his trick.  (I'm guessing he doesn't know that gluten-allergy symptoms might not present themselves until a couple hours after consumption and that wheat ingestion by those with Celiac Disease or a severe gluten allergy could lead to anaphylaxis.)  Mr. Cardone's cavalier admission has led to his firing, his going underground (to avoid lawsuits and death threats, no doubt) and uniform outrage across message boards from food-allergic and non-allergic people alike.


After reading this story I couldn't help but think about the controversy in Edgewater, Florida.  If you haven't heard about it, parents at an elementary school protested against the school's strict protocol for protecting a student with a life-threatening peanut allergy.  Included in the daily protocol were that all students had to wash their hands and rinse their mouths at the start of school and after lunch, parents could not volunteer in the classroom for fear of contamination, teachers were required to frequently wipe down work surfaces, and no outside food (whether they be for kids' lunches or class parties) could be brought into the student's class or nearby classes.  Unhappy parents felt their kids' rights were being sacrificed for the welfare of one child and went so far as to suggest that the child be homeschooled if the normal school environment was that potentially harmful to her health.

Six-Year-Old With Peanut Allergies Wanted Out?

Parents in a Florida school want a six-year-old girl with peanut allergies removed from her school to be home schooled instead.  What?  I was just about in tears when I read yesterday's story: 

Peanut Allergy Stirs Controversy At Florida School
ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) – Some public school parents in Edgewater, Florida, want a first-grade girl with life-threatening peanut allergies removed from the classroom and home-schooled, rather than deal with special rules to protect her health, a school official said.
"That was one of the suggestions that kept coming forward from parents, to have her home-schooled. But we're required by federal law to provide accommodations. That's just not even an option for us," said Nancy Wait, spokeswoman for the Volusia County School District.
Wait said the 6-year-old's peanut allergy is so severe it is considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
To protect the girl, students in her class at Edgewater Elementary School are required to wash their hands before entering the classroom in the morning and after lunch, and rinse out their mouths, Wait said, and a peanut-sniffing dog checked out the school during last week's spring break...[full story]

After reading the story, I thought a lot about it before deciding on what thoughts I had to share about it.  I have, for the most part, received empathy and understanding from my children's school communities regarding their food allergies.  So it's really hard for me to imagine a world where parents are actually protesting my child's enrollment in his school because of them.  I always feel it goes back to lack of food allergy education among the school community, and even what we as parents or doctors understand about food allergies.  With a lack of more details, I hesitate to comment on the extent to which the school has been asked to accommodate this child with respect to the severity of her food allergies.

Most disturbing were the comments that were posted after the article--over 3000 comments have been posted to date.  Whereas my first instinct was concern over the well-being of the child and how the ostracization of the school community was affecting her; most of the comments were actually in favor of making her being home schooled and basically expressed the selfishness of the family for making the school community take responsibility for her health.

How have your food allergic children's schools responded to their needs?  What is your take on what is happening in Florida?