Food Allergy Research & Education Urges Public to Understand Severity of Food Allergy With New Awareness Campaign

Creative Awareness Campaign Focus: Even a Trace Can Be Deadly

McLEAN, Va. (May 19, 2017) – Every day, 15 million Americans with food allergies face difficult challenges in avoiding their food allergens and preventing life-threatening reactions, called anaphylaxis. In fact, every 3 minutes someone goes to the emergency room because of a food allergy reaction. What many people don’t understand is that these life-threatening reactions sometimes can be caused by the tiniest exposure to an allergen.This May, Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), the nation’s leading advocacy organization dedicated to food allergies, is encouraging Americans to recognize that “Even a Trace Can Be Deadly” during Food Allergy Awareness Week. The purpose of this campaign is to target people without food allergies to reinforce the severity of food allergies, and foster respect and empathy for people who are affected.

Food Allergy Awareness Week was created by FARE in 1998. This year marks FARE’s 20th year of weeklong dedicated initiatives that bring attention to food allergies. One of the goals of the “Even a Trace Can Be Deadly” campaign is to help inform the public about the serious consequences of food allergy reactions, as well as how to identify symptoms and respond in case of a food allergy emergency.

“Families that manage potentially life-threatening food allergies often encounter skeptics who don’t fully understand food allergy, which compounds the stress and challenges these families already experience,” said James R. Baker, Jr., MD, CEO and chief medical officer of FARE. “This campaign is aimed at educating the public at large about a disease that may be invisible, but has deadly consequences if not taken seriously.  We’re pleased to partner with Patients & Purpose and Porter Novelli on this important initiative as we mark our 20th Annual Food Allergy Awareness Week.” 

“When it comes to food allergies, the stress is real. Unfortunately, too many people still don’t understand that even a trace can be deadly, but compassion is contagious,” says Dina Peck, Executive Creative Director of Patients & Purpose. “We’re thrilled about the potential of this campaign and the new relationship we have with FARE.”

FARE has a number of initiatives planned for the campaign throughout the month. FARE and Patients & Purpose are offering schools, hospitals, medical practices, community centers, and corporations access to download all materials for free. This includes, but is not limited, to posters, digital display, and social posts.

To learn more and access the campaign materials, visit deadlyfoodallergies.com.

About Patients & Purpose

Patients & Purpose is a full-service, award-winning agency dedicated to patients and marketing health brands. They are multichannel experts, with deep emerging technology expertise, and develop novel approaches to patient and consumer engagement. Patients & Purpose is the go-to patient agency for Omnicom Health Group. For more information, please visit www.patientsandpurpose.com.

About Porter Novelli

Porter Novelli is a global public relations agency built on a rich heritage of marketing for social good. They have been motivating people to change deeply ingrained behaviors rooted in cultural and social norms for more than 40 years. For additional information, please visit www.porternovelli.com. Porter Novelli is a part of the Omnicom Public Relations Group.