Governor Proclaims Food Allergy Awareness Week 2024

FOOD ALLERGY AWARENESS WEEK

2024

BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

A PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS, food allergies affect nearly 1 in 5 adults in the United States and almost 6 million children under the age of 18; and

WHEREAS, research shows that the prevalence of food allergy is increasing among children and adults; and

WHEREAS, nine foods cause the majority of all food allergy reactions in the United States: shellfish, fish, crustacean, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, soy, and wheat; symptoms of a food allergy reaction can range from mild to severe, and can include hives, vomiting, diarrhea, respiratory distress, and swelling of the throat; and

WHEREAS, anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that is rapid in onset and may cause death; and

WHEREAS, food allergies result in more than 200,000 emergency department visits each year; reactions typically occur when an individual unknowingly eats a food containing an ingredient to which they are allergic; and

WHEREAS, the number of food allergy reactions requiring emergency treatment has increased significantly over the past decade, with a 377 percent rise in anaphylactic food reactions between 2007 and 2016; and

WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina commends organizations like Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) for their dedication to improving the quality of life and the health of individuals with food allergies, and to providing them hope through the promise of new treatments;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim May 12 – 18, 2024, as “FOOD ALLERGY AWARENESS WEEK” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.

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Roy Cooper

Governor

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina at the Capitol in Raleigh this third day of May in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-four and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.