A New York congresswoman from the Hudson Valley says a food allergy bill she authored has resulted in the first federal guidelines for schools.
Congresswoman Nita Lowey, the senior Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, hailed new guidelines issued Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how schools should prevent and respond to potentially fatal allergic reactions among students. The guidelines were required under Lowey’s Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act, which directed the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary to develop guidelines for schools to voluntarily implement measures to prevent students’ exposure to food allergens and ensure a prompt response when children suffer a potentially fatal anaphylactic reaction. The bill was enacted as part of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act in 2010.