Food Allergies and Their Economic Cost

What is the Economic Cost of Food Allergies on Allergic Individuals and Their Families and What Can be Done to Lower this Cost?

I’ve lived with food allergies for my entire life. My family has always been incredibly supportive of me and helped me find foods that won't trigger a reaction, but allergy-free food can be expensive and hard to find. This research topic appealed to me because of my own journey with food allergies and the idea that, by learning about the cost of living for those with food allergies, I can advocate for better allergy support throughout multiple areas. I believe having a knowledge of the facts and struggles behind an obstacle is incredibly important in order to understand the overarching reasons for advocacy.  Researching the cost of living with food allergies has revealed how hard living can be in areas that don’t have access to specialized grocery stores, medical care, or medications. Losing wages for medical visits, spending more on allergy-free alternatives, and paying hundreds of dollars for medication that could potentially save lives is only a portion of the cost of living, and it continues to increase with inflation. In order to truly relieve this burden, there needs to be support and less expensive alternatives for the food-allergic. If I have more time, I’d love to go more in depth in researching alternatives, what food alternatives are already on the market, and what new alternatives are in development. Ultimately, food allergies and their cost on the diagnosed is an increasingly widespread issue, one that, with advocacy and access to resources, can be made easier. 

Gupta, Ruchi et al. “The Economic Impact of Childhood Food Allergy in the United States.” 

JAMA pediatrics vol. 167,11 (2013): 1026-31. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.2376. Accessed 09 Nov. 2023.

According to Gupta, “food allergy [in children] costs $24.8 billion annually, or $4184 per child” (1030). This number 

includes costs of medical visits, epinephrine injectors such as the Epipen, antihistamines used to treat mild reactions, allergy-free diets, counseling, and other various costs. The study finds out-of-pocket costs associated with special diets is the highest overall out-of-pocket cost, at $1689 million. The lowest out-of-pocket cost, at $55 million, was legal guidance. Assuming parents of children with allergies are the ones purchasing this legal guidance, it can be presumed that legal guidance in this context correlates to the use of legal advice to make decisions regarding allergy treatment, or to sue medical practices for certain treatments. 

“The Economic Impact of Childhood Food Allergy in the United States” was accepted for publication in 2013, and published in the popular academic journal Jama Pediatrics. While the article is from ten years ago and costs must be adjusted for inflation, it still lays important groundwork for future research and an informative basis for advocacy. The article covers costs relating to food allergies, and delves deeper into potential issues that arise from lack of resources. The authors, the head being Ruchi Gupta, all have doctorates, most in medical, but some in philosophy and public health. The information comes from the authors’ past research along with information from various pediatric and allergy journals. Ultimately, the article serves to examine the economic cost of living for those with food allergies and produce ideas for solutions. 

Joneja, Janice M. Vickerstaff. “Dealing with Food Allergies in Babies and Children.” 1st 

ed, Bull Pub. Co, 2007. Accessed 22 Oct. 2023

Dr. Janice Vickerstaff Joneja, an expert with scientific and clinical experience in the field of food allergies, presents a scientific explanation of food allergies and their prevention throughout her research. She instructs parents to,“breast-feed [their children] for the first 6 months… avoid cow’s milk-based formulas… introduce complementary foods at the start of the sixth month… and [avoid] the main foods posing allergy risk… until the baby is 12 months old…”, among others (42). Later, she lays out several tables giving nutritional alternatives for those avoiding the top ten allergens. Not only is this useful for those on an elimination diet, a treatment often used to identify what food is causing a reaction, but also gives parents resources from a professional without going to a doctor’s office. 

Although the book was published in 2000 and some information is out of date, the resources and preventative measures given by Joneja are still practical tools for food-allergy sufferers and their families. Dr. Joneja was the former head of the Allergy Nutrition Program at the Vancouver Hospital and Health Science Centre, according to her biography at the back of the book, and had over twenty-five years of experience in the fields of biochemical and immunological reactions in food allergies at the time of publication. Along with this, the information given is taken from both Joneja’s own research and scholarly sources cited at the beginning of the book. All in all, Joneja’s book gives a scientific perspective on food allergies, prevention, and treatments. 

Minaker, Leia M., et al. "Exploring Low-Income Families' Financial Barriers to Food Allergy 

Management and Treatment." Journal of Allergy, annual 2014. Gale OneFile: Health and Medicine, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A420324858/HRCA?u=txshracd2478&sid=bookmark-HRCA&xid=fe1a0954. Accessed 12 Nov. 2023.

Published in 2014, Minaker’s research highlights the economic struggle of living with food allergies for those with low income. The research takes an interesting approach in making its point, as it uses quotes directly from participants alongside diagrams. Ultimately the research finds that EAIs (epinephrine auto injectors) are one of the most expensive barriers to anaphylaxis treatment, as they usually cost around $100. One participant said, “When you have an anaphylactic reaction you don’t just have fear in that whole process… your body is feeling terrible for two to five days after, [and] you have just lost $100 or $200” (2). After this, purchasing safe foods, costs from misinformation (primarily in relation to insurance and benefits for those with food allergies), and “at risk” groups took on the highest economic costs. “A newcomer who participated in [the] research had difficulty articulating her son’s allergies… knew no one in her home country with a food allergy, and had an EAI trainer device… but did not have an EAI for her son” (5). 

The article, written by several experts in the fields of medicine, allergy, chemical safety, pediatrics, and various others, illustrates how low income has a direct effect on the health and well-being of those living with food allergies. It’s about nine-years-old as of 2023, and does well with investigating the emotional and mental impact of food allergies as well as the economic and monetary. It cites several scholarly articles along with its research, and was funded by the Allergy, Genes, and Environment Network (AllerGen NCE Inc.) of Canada, a group of experts in the fields of allergy, asthma, and immune disease. 

Schwartz, Mireille. “When Your Child Has Food Allergies: A Parent’s Guide to Managing It 

All--from the Everyday to the Extreme.” AMACOM, 2017. Accessed 22 Oct. 2023

Throughout Schwartz’ food allergy research and advice for those struggling with food allergies, several interesting points are made in regards to how to control food allergies and the costs that come with them. She describes the importance of Epinephrine Injectors for anaphylaxis treatment, and gives less expensive alternatives for those hoping to save money on their medication. Along with this, she dedicates a chapter to allergy-safe cooking tips, because “it’s a tremendously useful skill to be able to adapt your own favorite family recipes or those you find in cookbooks and magazines” (171). These recipes and tips allow food-allergic families the opportunity to make their own food and teach food-allergic children how to safely cook for themselves. Ultimately, Schwartz’ research and advice gives those with food allergies the chance to learn more about their diagnosis and lower its economic cost. 

According to the author’s biography in the back of the book, Schwartz has received several awards for her allergy research, including the 2009 California State Senate Award for “commitment to raising awareness, education, and advocacy on food allergies and anaphylaxis” (213). She also founded the San Francisco-based Bay Area Advisory Board. The book itself, published in 2017, takes care in blending Schwartz’ own experiences as someone with food allergies and the parent of a food-allergic child, with her research on allergies, medication, and costs. Ultimately, the book is a useful resource for those with food allergies, those with food-allergic children, and those who simply want to learn more about the disease. 

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