AllergyEats Sponsors FAAN Walk in Long Branch, NJ

AllergyEats Sponsors FAAN Walk in Long Branch, NJ,

To Increase Awareness about Food Allergies & Help Find a Cure

Boston, MA (September 7, 2010) – AllergyEats (www.allergyeats.com), the fastest growing source for finding allergy-friendly restaurants, is proudly sponsoring the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) walk in Long Branch, NJ to increase awareness about food allergies, raise funds, advocate for more research and, ultimately, find a cure.

AllergyEats provides valuable peer-based feedback about how well (or poorly) restaurants accommodate the needs of food-allergic customers. Most restaurant review sites include information about establishments’ food, ambiance or service, but AllergyEats is singularly focused on food allergies, with peer reviews spotlighting where people with food allergies or intolerances can more comfortably eat.

The FAAN walk will be held on Saturday, September 11, 2010 at the Great Lawn in Long Branch, NJ, North of Pier Village at McKinley Street, Boardwalk at Pier Village (Chelsea and Ocean Ave). Checkin begins at 9:00 a.m. and the 3 mile walk begins at 10:00 a.m.

Through education and advocacy, FAAN and its sponsors strive to change federal and state laws, improve school policies, raise public awareness, improve the daily lives of individuals with food allergies, and provide education for patients, caregivers, and health care professionals.

“As a father of food-allergic children, I wholeheartedly support FAAN’s mission to improve the lives of people with food allergies, and I’m delighted to sponsor this upcoming walk,” said Paul Antico, the “Founding Father” of AllergyEats.

There’s no known cure for food allergies, and people with food allergies must carefully avoid all “trigger foods,” as even trace amounts can cause a reaction. Reactions can include hives and swelling, severe digestive damage and/or anaphylactic shock, which can be fatal. Food allergies are the leading cause of severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) outside of the hospital setting in the U.S., causing between 50,000 and 125,000 emergency room visits per year.

“I know from experience how frustrating, scary and even maddening food allergies can be. People with food allergies must be vigilant at all times, whether they’re at school, a birthday party or dining out at a restaurant,” Antico continued. “I realized that other food-allergic families were facing similar challenges, and I started AllergyEats to be a valuable resource to the millions of people in the food allergy and intolerance community.”

AllergyEats has exploded in popularity, growing to thousands of members and restaurant ratings since its February launch, demonstrating that the site meets a huge need within the food allergy community. AllergyEats has also experienced a tremendous surge of interest on its social media sites, with food-allergic “fans” regularly sharing ideas, recommendations and feedback on Facebook, Twitter and the AllergyEats Blog. Interest in AllergyEats has been accelerating dramatically as word spreads virally about the service AllergyEats provides to the food-allergic community.

A number of highly-respected food, health and allergy organizations endorse AllergyEats, including the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Gluten Intolerance Group, and the Massachusetts Restaurant Association. Additionally, AllergyEats is forming exciting partnerships with other organizations, including restaurant chains, food allergy organizations and more.

“As a parent of food allergic children, it’s important to know in advance whether a restaurant can accommodate my kids’ unique food requirements. AllergyEats provides a forum where food-allergic families can exchange feedback and review restaurants’ menus, websites, certifications, allergen and nutrition info, plus directions and other helpful information,” Antico explained.

AllergyEats lists well over 600,000 restaurants nationwide, which food allergic diners can rate. The site also offers information on restaurants’ menus (including gluten-free menus), allergen lists, nutrition information, certifications, web links, directions and more. AllergyEats has become the fastest-growing source for finding allergy-friendly restaurants.

“AllergyEats combines the best of Internet technology with peer-to-peer feedback to help people select restaurants that cater to individuals with food allergies – and to avoid the ones that won’t accommodate their needs,” Antico continued. “It’s exciting to see how well the food allergy community is galvanizing around AllergyEats. They understand the value of the site’s ratings and comments, which represents real experiences from real people.”

Users are encouraged to answer three simple questions about their dining experience, which takes less than a minute. The answers are compiled into an objective “allergy-friendliness rating” that provides at-a-glance information about the “allergy friendliness” of specific restaurants. There’s also a section for written comments, which focuses specifically on food-allergy related information.

AllergyEats is searchable by geographic location, and includes maps and driving directions to restaurants nationally.

To learn more about the upcoming FAAN walk, please visit http://www.foodallergywalk.org/. For more information about AllergyEats, please visit www.AllergyEats.com.