Survey on Food Allergies and Thresholds

390 Pages·2013·0.96 MB·English

Survey on Food Allergies and Thresholds
1. Tell us about yourself.
Response Response

Percent Count
I am an adult with food allergies. 20.3% 1,131
I am the parent/guardian of a
child/children with food 84.7% 4,722
allergies.
I am a caregiver to a child with
food allergies, but not the
3.5% 195
parent/guardian (e.g. grandparent,
babysitter, older sibling)
Other (please specify)
3.9% 215

answered question 5,578
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2. How many people in your household have food allergies?
Rating
0 1 2 3 4+
Count
66.0% 27.1%
Adults 6.1% (338) 0.6% (36) 0.2% (11) 5,578
(3,681) (1,512)
68.3%
Children 11.5% (640) 17.7% (986) 2.1% (119) 0.5% (26) 5,578
(3,807)
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3. Please select the foods to which each individual is allergic. Check all that apply.
Tree
Milk Egg Peanut Wheat Soy Fish Shellfish Other
Nuts
28.9% 30.0% 68.1% 59.9% 12.6% 13.0% 8.8% 18.7% 34.8%
Person one
(1,603) (1,666) (3,777) (3,322) (696) (719) (487) (1,038) (1,927)
28.8% 28.1% 51.8% 47.5% 15.2% 12.6% 8.3% 17.8% 37.7%
Person two
(573) (558) (1,031) (944) (302) (251) (166) (355) (749)
33.6% 24.6% 39.3% 37.8% 19.4% 13.3% 9.0% 18.4% 44.2%
Person three
(194) (142) (227) (218) (112) (77) (52) (106) (255)
33.3% 25.5% 37.6% 33.9% 24.8% 14.5% 7.9% 17.0% 51.5%
Person four
(55) (42) (62) (56) (41) (24) (13) (28) (85)
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4. The food allergy/ies in your family were diagnosed by (check all that apply):
Response Response

Percent Count
Allergist 87.8% 4,900
Family Physician 10.9% 608
Pediatrician 34.1% 1,900
Emergency Physician 18.2% 1,013
Self-diagnosis 16.3% 908
Other (please specify)
4.8% 270

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5. How long ago was the diagnosis of the food allergy? If more than one family member is
food-allergic, how long ago was the first diagnosis of food allergy?
Response Response

Percent Count
<1 year 6.9% 387
1-3 years 22.7% 1,265
4-9 years 40.3% 2,250
10+ years 30.0% 1,676
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6. Has anyone in your household ever experienced an allergic reaction to a food? (For the
purposes of this question, please do not consider a positive skin test alone, without a
reaction from the food, to be an allergic reaction.)
Response Response

Percent Count
Yes 97.1% 5,418
No 2.9% 160
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7. Has anyone in your household ever experienced a severe food allergy reaction, such as
anaphylaxis; difficulty breathing; a drop in blood pressure; swelling of the tongue, lips, face
or throat; loss of consciousness; or shock?
Response Response

Percent Count
Yes 70.2% 3,916
No 29.8% 1,662
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8. Do you purchase pre-assembled or processed food, such as crackers, cookies, mixes,
breads, frozen entrees, canned goods, candy, waffles, cereals, etc.?
Response Response

Percent Count
Yes 96.0% 5,354
No 4.0% 224
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9. How often would you purchase a product (intended for your family member who has food
allergies) if the food label contained the phrases below. Please note that the word
"allergen" should be understood as the specific allergen(s) to which your family member
with food allergies is allergic (e.g., peanut, egg, milk, etc.)
Rating
Never Sometimes Always
Count
a. "Contains Allergen" 97.8% (5,437) 1.7% (95) 0.5% (26) 5,558
b. "Contains Allergen Ingredients" 97.4% (5,414) 2.1% (117) 0.5% (26) 5,557
c. "May Contain Allergen" 90.1% (4,995) 9.2% (510) 0.7% (41) 5,546
d. "May Contain Traces of Allergen" 85.7% (4,757) 13.0% (719) 1.3% (73) 5,549
e. "Manufactured in a Facility that
59.1% (3,277) 34.9% (1,936) 6.0% (335) 5,548
Also Processes Allergen"
f. "Manufactured in a Facility that
60.3% (3,340) 33.5% (1,853) 6.2% (345) 5,538
Also Uses Allergen"
g. "Manufactured on the Same
Equipment as Products Containing 82.5% (4,582) 14.7% (815) 2.8% (155) 5,552
Allergen"
h. "Manufactured on Shared
Equipment with Products Containing 82.9% (4,612) 14.5% (806) 2.6% (142) 5,560
Allergen"
i. "Manufactured on a Line that
Processes Products Containing 82.2% (4,551) 15.2% (843) 2.6% (144) 5,538
Allergen"
j. "Packaged in a Facility that Also
Packages Products Containing 58.3% (3,223) 35.3% (1,953) 6.4% (356) 5,532
Allergen"
k. "Free From Allergen" 2.5% (138) 16.0% (883) 81.5% (4,489) 5,510
l. "Allergen Free" 2.5% (136) 17.5% (966) 80.0% (4,408) 5,510
m. "Good Manufacturing Practices
Used to Segregate Ingredients in a
24.1% (1,334) 41.8% (2,318) 34.2% (1,894) 5,546
Facility that also Processes
Allergen"
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10. How knowledgeable do you think you are about allergen thresholds?
Response Response

Percent Count
Not knowledgeable 28.3% 1,578
Somewhat knowledgeable 45.7% 2,551
Very knowledgeable 22.7% 1,267
Expert 3.3% 182
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11. Based on what you know about thresholds, how do you feel about them?
Response

Count
2,881
answered question 2,881
skipped question 2,697
12. Current law requires that food labels identify the food source names of all major food
allergens used to make the food.
Response Response

Percent Count
True 70.1% 3,909
False 18.2% 1,014
I don't know 11.7% 655
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13. Advisory labeling such as "may contain soy" or "this product is produced on equipment
shared with tree nut products" is mandated by law.
Response Response

Percent Count
True 26.3% 1,467
False 57.2% 3,190
I don't know 16.5% 921
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14. Advisory labeling is not based on specific amounts of the allergen present in the foods.
Response Response

Percent Count
True 63.3% 3,531
False 8.6% 477
I don't know 28.1% 1,570
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15. Scientific thresholds exist to determine how much food would cause an allergic
reaction.
Response Response

Percent Count
True 18.5% 1,030
False 39.8% 2,220
I don't know 41.7% 2,328
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16. Would you purchase a food that contains the allergen(s) you are avoiding if you could be
assured that the amount of that allergen present in the food is not capable of triggering an
allergic reaction?
Response Response

Percent Count
Yes 17.1% 955
No 64.8% 3,615
I don't know 18.1% 1,008
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17. Would you purchase a food that contains the allergen(s) you are avoiding if you could be
assured that the amount of that allergen present in the food is only capable of triggering a
mild allergic reaction, such as tingly lips or an itchy throat?
Response Response

Percent Count
Yes 2.2% 120
No 93.3% 5,203
I don't know 4.6% 255
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18. Thank you for providing your feedback. Please include any additional comments below
Response

Count
1,804
answered question 1,804
skipped question 3,774
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