Anaphylaxis Community Experts Share Ways to Celebrate Without This Key Ingredient

MCLEAN, Va., March 11, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Easter and Passover traditions often include eggs, either as part of a fun holiday activity or a recipe. For people with life-threatening egg allergies, the key to staying safe is to be aware and prepared for an unexpected exposure.

"Approximately 1.5 percent of young children have life-threatening egg allergies," says Nancy Sander, President and Founder of Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics. "Creating Easter traditions without the threat of egg exposure is easy to do. A little planning and creative thinking is what's required to have a fun and tasty celebration."

Kids with egg allergies can participate in Easter games and Passover activities. Consider the following ideas:

• Coloring eggs is a safe activity, as long as the person with egg allergies does not eat the eggs. Touching the hard shell poses no threat.
• Instead of placing a hard-boiled egg on a Seder plate, consider using a flower or a plastic egg.
• Use plastic eggs for your Easter egg hunt and fill them with toys, money, stickers, or candy. Just be sure to read candy labels first! You can also use plastic eggs instead of real ones when playing the "egg in a spoon" race.

Getting together with family for the holiday? Be sure to include egg-free recipes when cooking meals and ask about ingredients in recipes made by others.

For each egg required in a recipe, substitute one of these mixtures:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons water, 1 1/2 tablespoons cooking oil and 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 tablespoon water and 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 teaspoon apricot puree
• 1 packet of plain gelatin mixed with 2 tablespoons of warm water.

"Easter and Passover celebrations should be fun and inclusive," Sander says. "But everyone with life-threatening food allergies should be prepared for the unexpected accidental exposure. Preparation includes always carrying two doses of your prescribed epinephrine auto-injector and knowing what the signs and symptoms are of an anaphylactic reaction."

About ACEs
The Anaphylaxis Community Experts (ACEs) program is developed by Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA) and the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI), sponsored by Mylan Specialty, LP. The ACEs program goal is to save lives through showing parents, teachers, school nurses, emergency responders, and others how to recognize and respond immediately to anaphylaxis symptoms.  To request an ACE team presentation, contact Brenda Silvia-Torma at 800-878-4403 or bsilvia-torma@aanma.org.

About AANMA
Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA) is the leading national nonprofit organization dedicated to ending needless death and suffering due to asthma, allergies and related conditions. AANMA specializes in sharing family-friendly, medically accurate information through its award-winning publications Allergy & Asthma Today magazine and The MA Report newsletter, its web site at www.aanma.org and numerous community outreach programs. Follow AANMA on Facebook at facebook.com/AANMA and on Twitter at twitter.com/AANMA.

About ACAAI
The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology is a professional association of allergists/immunologists and allied health professionals dedicated to promoting excellence in the practice of allergy and immunology.  www.acaai.org

Contact: Gary Fitzgerald
Allergy & Asthma Network
Mothers of Asthmatics
703-641-9595
gfitzgerald@aanma.org

SOURCE Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics