Food allergies seem to be on the rise, and learning how to deal with them is important for educators and staff in the school environment. JSI offers two food allergy training options for Massachusetts schools: an online food allergy training and a Workshop To Go training option. Both trainings meet the requirements of the Massachusetts Allergen Awareness Act, and provide valuable information on how to differentiate between food allergies and intolerances, read food labels for potential allergens, and identify which foods commonly cause allergic reactions
The 2013 Summer Institute included a session on Aug 14th for Meeting the Nutritional Needs of Children with Special Dietary Requests. This session, presented by Linda Fischer, RD, LDN, educational specialist from DESE, provided an update on the USDA’s recent policy memo regarding special dietary needs including food allergies. Download the presentation, handout and USDA memo.
For more information check out the JSI Resource Center which also provides valuable information on food allergies in the school environment; what school staff need to know, how to recognize the symptoms of an allergy attack, and special dietary needs of children affected by celiac disease, peanut allergies and many others.
~blog written by Farah Khan, FSU graduate food and nutrition student
