Food, a necessity for everyone and something very delicious, but also deadly for some people. Not everyone can live without food allergies. Food allergies occur in 1 in 13 children. This indicates that more than fifteen million people worldwide suffer from food allergies. The food epidemic poses a threat to many citizens with food allergies due to improper labeling, distribution, and safety in food preparation. My research highlights two key elements: (1) the definition of food allergies and how they affect the daily lives of those who live with them and (2) the importance of knowledge of food allergies and how Educating people about food allergies will hopefully jump-start progress toward finding a cure. Food allergies were reported but not formally researched until 1976, when the public became aware of the immune system's response to certain foods. The data collected showed that certain foods caused reactions in people, prompting further research into these topics. Awareness of food allergies emerged in 1976 through newspapers and periodicals due to reports that people were dying after ingesting foods to which they unknowingly had an allergic reaction. A huge movement has taken place around the world to show the dangers of food allergies. A few years later and following this movement, the first Epi-Pen was launched in the United States in 1980. Truly considered an astonishing new beginning because every three minutes, a food allergy reaction sends someone to the emergency room. (“Food Allergy Facts and Statistics – FAAN”). What exactly are food allergies? Food allergies essentially occur when the immune system attacks the wrong food protein or allergen. When this attack on food...... middle of paper ...... Works Cited "Food allergies and intolerances". WebMD - Better Information. Better health. WebMD, LLC and Web. March 12, 2014. “Food allergies.” KidsHealth – the most visited children's health website. Np, and Web. March 17, 2014. “Food Allergies: What You Need to Know.” Home page of the United States Food and Drug Administration. Np, and Web. March 19, 2014. "Food Allergy - MayoClinic.com." Mayo Clinic medical information and tools for healthy living - MayoClinic.com. Mayo Clinic, February 14, 2009. Web. March 7, 2014. “Food Allergy Facts and Statistics – FAAN.” Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. NP, 2010. Web. March 11, 2014.Johannson, Mark. “Foodfacts.com.” Food facts, nutrition facts, health food recipes, healthy eating guide. Np, and Web. March 19, 2014. Stoppler, Melissa C. and William C. Shiel. “Food allergy”. Medicinenet.com. Np, and Web. March 17. 2014.