WIC Works Resource System
U.S. Department of Agriculture
A food allergy is a serious and potentially life-threatening immune system reaction that occurs soon after eating a certain food. Even a tiny amount of the allergy-causing food can trigger signs and symptoms. Below are some resources for information on food allergies.
Nutrition Tailoring
Nutrition tailoring is the process of modifying food packages to better meet the supplemental nutrition needs of individual participants. Based on a comprehensive WIC nutrition assessment of the participant’s supplemental nutrition needs, it entails making substitutions, eliminations, and/or reductions to food types (e.g., dry beans vs. peanut butter) and physical food forms (e.g., dry milk vs. fluid milk). See more on nutrition tailoring in the WIC Food Package Policy and Guidance.
Allergies and Food Safety Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, FSIS
FAQs regarding food allergies including topics such as symptoms, causes, specific foods, how to know if a food contains a major allergen, and more. This site is also available in Spanish.
Food Allergies: What You Need to Know Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, FDA
A downloadable material (also in Spanish) that reviews most common food allergens, how these are listed on food labels, symptoms of food allergies, anaphylaxis (severe reaction), and what to do if symptoms occur. Also provides contact information for reporting adverse effects and labeling concerns.
Have Food Allergies? Read the Label Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, FDA
Reviews most common food allergens and the different meanings of "contains" and "may contain."
Build a Healthy Eating Routine for Your Baby (Birth to Age 2) Source: DietaryGuidelines.gov
Fact sheet with providing information about foods that cause allergies, and how to tell when baby is ready for solids.
Peanut Allergies: What You Should Know About the Latest Research & Guidelines Source: American Academy of Pediatrics
Reviews previous recommendations and new research and guidelines on introducing peanut products to infants, and provides additional resources. This site is also available in Spanish.
Addendum Guidelines for the Prevention of Peanut Allergy in the United States Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease
Provides guidelines for early introduction of peanut-containing foods into the diets of infants at various risk levels for peanut allergy.
'Gluten-Free' Means What it Says Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, FDA
Provides information on gluten (what it is), how the FDA defines "gluten-free," the types of foods for which this definition is enforced, and information for reporting a product with unclear labeling or that may be mislabeled.
Food Allergy vs Food Intolerance Source: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
PDF that reviews the difference between food allergy and food intolerance.
