For children and youth with food allergies, the classroom is not just a place for learning, but also a space where careful precautions are essential to be healthy. Even a simple snack or lunch break can pose significant risks, creating challenges for students, their families and school staff.
EFA has collaborated with the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA2LEN) to address this critical issue for children and young patients. The result of this collaboration is the launch of the joint statement ‘Towards a common approach for managing food allergy and serious allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) at school’, which was published on 29 December 2024 in Clinical Translational Allergy, one of the leading scientific journals worldwide.
Building on the momentum of the publication on 29 November 2024, this joint action plan focuses on creating safe, inclusive and prepared educational environments, from childcare to universities.
A European food allergy community action plan
The joint action plan is a truly European food allergy community result. On the patient side, it has been led by EFA President Marcia Podestà (Italy) as the first author, and it has been co-authored by EFA member representatives Céline Demoulin (France), Mikaela Odemyr (Sweden), Ángel Sánchez Sanz (Spain) and Sabine Schnadt (Germany). The publication provides a broad perspective of the European need to manage food allergies in educational settings.
Why schools must be ready for anaphylaxis?
Students spend about one-third of their time in educational settings, relying on teachers, canteen workers and other staff to protect them from exposure to food allergens. When anaphylaxis strikes, symptoms can escalate quickly, requiring immediate action to prevent life-threatening outcomes.
At a time of increasing prevalence of food allergy, as well as anaphylactic reaction incidents, it is important to ensure that countries and regions adopt the right and safe protocols for managing serious allergic reactions in schools.
Four practical steps for safer schools
The joint GA2LEN/EFA consensus statement outlines four practical steps to improve food allergy and anaphylaxis management in schools:
- Empower school staff through training about food allergy, its symptoms and psycho-social-emotional aspects, as well as the use of emergency medication. Training led by experts, including patient organisations can improve awareness.
- Focus on prevention through internal policies that prioritise clear food labelling in both prepacked and non-prepacked foods, proper cleaning of eating areas and addressing stigma related to students with food allergies.
- Prepare school establishments for emergencies, including the availability and storage of adrenaline devices, and clear processes in case of a student requiring emergency care.
- Build an inclusive school culture and wider awareness, that informs all school population about food allergy, while aiming to reduce isolation and bullying.
Bridging the gap between policy and practice
Many countries have policies addressing these aspects, but inconsistent implementation undermines their effectiveness, leaving patients unsecured and even unprotected. Educational settings and their workers can learn from best practices where comprehensive approaches have succeeded, demonstrating the life-saving potential of coordinated action.
EFA is grateful to our community of members involved in this invaluable and empowering scientific publication for the whole Food Allergy patient community.
You can access the full paper here.