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Food Allergy Awareness Kit

Food Allergy Awareness Month

May is Food Allergy Awareness Month, part of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America’s (AAFA) National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month. It’s a time to educate patients, family, friends, school staff, coaches, and the general public about food allergies and related allergic diseases.

Countdown to Food Allergy Awareness Month

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The Power of Community to Improve Food Allergy Care

Food allergies aren’t managed in isolation — they’re shaped by where you live, access to allergy-friendly food, and the people around you. Preventing allergic reactions (such as anaphylaxis, a rapid and severe reaction) takes more than avoiding food allergens. It takes a community. 

Your community of support includes everyone who influences your child’s health and well-being: family and friends, your health care team, school staff, local neighbors, advocates, and lawmakers. When that community shows up for your child, the difference is real. You can experience:

  • Easier food allergen identification and avoidance
  • Healthier, more inclusive spaces at home, school, and work
  • Access to more treatment options
  • Stronger protections and policies that improve quality of life

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) is the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit dedicated to saving lives and improving quality of life for people with asthma and allergic diseases. AAFA offers extensive support for individuals and families, empowering you with practical tools to identify triggers, manage symptoms, and live fully. 

For parents of children with food allergies, AAFA’s Kids with Food Allergies (KFA) community provides specialized resources and a network of families who understand what you’re going through. 

AAFA and KFA are part of your community of support — helping you control your food allergies and other allergic conditions so you can live, sleep, learn, work, and play to your fullest. 

About 22 million people in the United States have food allergies (4 million are children).

1 in 17

1 in 17

children in the U.S. have food allergies

50,000

50,000

emergency room visits each year in the U.S. due to anaphylaxis to food

$317B

$317B

is the amount food allergies may cost the U.S. each year

Although new treatments have been approved recently and new ones are being developed, there is currently no cure for food allergies.
MORE FOOD ALLERGY FACTS

Social Media Tools

This toolkit contains facts and resources that anyone can use to raise awareness about food allergies.

Follow AAFA’s food allergy division, Kids with Food Allergies (KFA), on social media and use the hashtag #FoodAllergyAwareness when you share these resources.

Facebook: Kids with Food Allergies
Instagram: Kids with Food Allergies
LinkedIn: AAFA National
TikTok: FoodAllergyToks (KFA)
BlueSky: Kids with Food Allergies
YouTube: Kids with Food Allergies

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Facts and Stats

More than 106 million people in the United States have asthma and/or allergies. Some people may have more than 1 of these conditions.

  1. About 22 million people in the U.S. have food allergies (4 million are children).1,2
  2. Any food can cause food allergy. The most common food allergens in the United States are peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, wheat, soy, and sesame.3
  3. Each year in the U.S., it is estimated that anaphylaxis (to drugs, food, or venom) results in 50,000 emergency room visits.4
  4. Severe allergic reactions to food need prompt treatment with epinephrine.5
  5. Although new treatments are being developed, there is currently no cure for food allergies.3

For more detailed data and information about allergic conditions, visit:

Or use our printable pages:

Download PDFs

Food Allergy Facts and FiguresDownload PDF
Allergy Facts and FiguresDownload PDF

Shareable Images

You can download these images and copy the caption to post to social media. We have many shareable images throughout our website. Here are some examples that help show how common food allergies are and their impact on communities:

Illustration of a child with the caption About 22 million people in the U.S. have food allergies.
A blue background and an illustration of a child with the text: Food allergies can develop at any age. While some food allergies are outgrown in childhood, many persist into adulthood.
A teal background with a pictograph of human silhouettes and the caption: 1 out of 17 children in the U.S. has food allergies.
Illustration of a child with the caption: Around 1 in 700 people in the U.S. have EoE.
A blue background and an illustration of a child with the text: FPIES affects about 900,000 people in the U.S.
A teal background with an illustration of a child and the text: There is no cure for food allergies yet.
Children with food allergies are more likely to have asthma or other allergic diseases.
An illustration of a child with an orange background with the text: Most food-related allergic reactions start within minutes or up to 2 hours of eating the food.
A teal background and an illustration of a child with the text: Any food can trigger an allergic reaction, but the most common food allergens in the U.S. are: milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish, and sesame.
A dark teal background with icons for milk and cheese, egg, and peanut with the text the most common food allergies in children are milk, eggs, and peanuts
A light teal background with icons for shellfish, tree nut, and peanut with the text the most common food allergies in adults are shellfish followed by peanut and tree nut.
A blue background with the text: Managing food allergies means you have to carefully read all labels, every time, even on non-food items. Ingredients can and do change.
An illustration of a child with the text: Symptoms of anaphylaxis usually involve more than one part of the body. Some symptoms include brain, mouth, nose, throat, heart, lungs, stomach, and skin.
Dark blue graphic with text providing details on how rare it is to die from allergies.
Red caption reading Over-the-counter allergy medicine will not stop anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction). The first line of treatment for severe allergic reaction is epinephrine.
A graphic describing the social impact of food allergies on families.
A red background with an icon of an ambulance with the text: Each year in the U.S., anaphylaxis results in around 50,000 emergency room visits.
The financial impact of food allergies on families:
Awareness Ribbons

Help raise visibility on food allergies, eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), and FPIES by changing your profile pics for the month of May!

A teal ribbon with the text food allergy awareness.
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Advocacy Action

Advocacy is speaking out on issues that you care about or offering your opinion and suggestions for how to improve something to the people who are in control. It is important for policymakers to hear directly from you about your experiences.

Visit AAFA’s Advocacy Action Center to see current bills and regulations that affect the allergy and asthma community and learn how you can take action.

References
  1. David B.K. Golden, Wang, J., Waserman, S., Akin, C., Campbell, R. L., Ellis, A. K., Greenhawt, M., Lang, D. M., Ledford, D. K., Lieberman, J., Oppenheimer, J., Shaker, M., Wallace, D., Abrams, E. M., Bernstein, J. A., Chu, D. K., Horner, C. C., Rank, M. A., Stukus, D. R., & Burrows, A. G. (2023). Anaphylaxis: A 2023 practice parameter update. Annals of Allergy Asthma & Immunology. 132(2), 124-176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anai.2023.09.015
  2. Bottoms-McClain, L., Giri, A., & Ng, A. (2026). Diagnosed Allergic Conditions Among Adults: United States, 2024. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. https://doi.org/10.15620/cdc/174634
  3. Ng, A., Giri, A., & Bottoms-McClain, L. (2026). Diagnosed Allergic Conditions Among Children Ages 0−17 Years: United States, 2024. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. https://doi.org/10.15620/cdc/174635
  4. S. Food & Drug Administration. (2025). Food Allergies. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-food-labeling-and-critical-foods/food-allergies
  5. Michelson, K. A., Dribin, T. E., Vyles, D., & Neuman, M. I. (2020). Trends in emergency care for anaphylaxis. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, 8(2), 767-768.e2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaip.2019.07.018

 

Acknowledgement

Awareness month materials are developed independently by Kids with Food Allergies and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, and made possible in part by contributions from Genentech, Sanofi, and Regeneron. We thank them for their support of food allergy and EoE awareness for 2026.

Events

Today

  • A teal ribbon with the text food allergy awareness.

    Food Allergy Awareness Month 2026

    During National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, we also focus on food allergy awareness. A food allergy occurs when the body’s immune system sees a certain food as harmful and […]

  • Bounce Into Food Allergy Awareness – Issaquah, Washington

    Kokanee Shelter at Lake Sammamish State Park 2182 NW Sammamish Rd, Issaquah, WA, United States

    Kokanee Shelter at Lake Sammamish State Park, Issaquah, Washington Note: There is a fee to park. Join us for a day of community, education, and fun! The King Family and […]

  • National Eosinophil Awareness Week 2026

    AAFA joins the American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders (APFED) in recognizing National Eosinophil Awareness Week, May 17-23, 2026. The purpose of this week is to create awareness and educate both […]

  • Type 2 Inflammation Awareness Week 2026

    The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) designates May 18-22 to be Type 2 Inflammation Awareness Week. Conditions such as asthma, allergies, eczema, eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), and nasal polyps are […]

  • World EoE Day 2026

    AAFA joins the EoE Day Alliance in recognizing World Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE) Day on May 22, 2026. The theme selected for World EoE Day 2026 is “Food Should Not Hurt.” What […]

  • AAFA Remembrance Day 2026

    On May 28, 2026, of National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and our division Kids with Food Allergies (KFA) are holding a Remembrance Day […]

  • Sacramento Food Allergy Awareness Walk – Sacramento, California

    California State Capitol Park West Side Front Lawn 1300 L St., Sacramento, CA, United States

    Build a Dine Allergy Safe Future For the first time in U.S. history, large restaurant chains in California will be required to label the top 9 allergens on menus, starting […]

    $10

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