It's Time To Improve Food Allergy Education
We recently carried out research that showed 80% of British schoolchildren now have a classmate with an allergy but over half (51%) of the children surveyed in the South East claimed to have never been taught about food allergies by a teacher. What’s more, almost one quarter (23%) of those surveyed thought that those with an allergy to eggs can still eat them if they are scrambled or in an omelette and nearly 1 in 5 (17%) believed people with a nut allergy can still enjoy peanut butter.Following this research which revealed a significant lack of knowledge and understanding amongst UK schoolchildren when it comes to food allergies and ingredients, we have partnered with Allergy Adventures and the Anaphylaxis Campaign to help combat the problem.
As a result, we are delivering a series of workshops in schools across the country, to increase knowledge and awareness of food allergies amongst children. Classes get to take part in a fun-filled workshop with Genius founder Lucinda, creating a delicious allergy-free dish to take home.
The first workshop took place at Wootey Junior School, Hampshire in March with teacher Katherine Monston saying: “The children thoroughly enjoyed having Genius Gluten Free and Allergy Adventures in the school. It was a brilliant way to help children with allergies feel included and understood, and to really focus on those who often miss out on food sharing experiences because of their allergies.”
This week Lucinda visited Rednal Hill Junior School, Birmingham along with Hayley Phillips from Allergy Adventures. Talking ahead of the visit Lucinda said: “These statistics show the reality of how little our children know about allergies and food ingredients. It is so important that children learn about different dietary requirements from a young age, and it’s equally important they are aware of the symptoms associated with different food allergies. “We are delighted to be working with Allergy Adventures and the Anaphylaxis Campaign to help children gain a better understanding in a fun and engaging way.”
