Here are useful resources for people with allergies visiting Japan and other countries.
IFAAA (International Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Alliance) developed these resources in collaboration with advocacy groups in each respective country.
Link to resources on Japan
https://www.foodallergy.org/sites/default/files/migrated-files/file/Travel-Tips-Japan.pdf
Link to resources on Australia
https://www.foodallergy.org/sites/default/files/migrated-files/file/Travel-Tips-Australia.pdf
Link to resources on Hong Kong
https://www.foodallergy.org/sites/default/files/migrated-files/file/Travel-Tips-Hong-Kong.pdf
Those travelling to other parts of the world, please refer to the following FARE website (US).
Link to the FARE website
Date: 2nd week of April 2019 (Date TBD)
Host: ATOPICCO Network for Children of the Earth
Place: The Nippon Foundation
Representative/contact person: Ms. Maria Said, CEO
Website: https://www.allergyfacts.org.au
About A&AA :
Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia (A&AA) is a charitable, not-for-profit organisation established in 1993.
Their aim is to improve awareness of allergy in the Australian community and they do this by sharing current information, education, advocacy, research, guidance and support.
Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia’s outreach extends to individuals, families, school, workplaces, health professionals, government, food industry and all Australians.
Living with one or more allergic conditions impacts on quality of life. With more than 20 years of experience and a Medical Advisory Board to consult for advice, they do their best to assist people in a world where research into allergic disease continues.
A&AA are part of an international alliance of like-minded organisations and work closely with peak medical bodies including the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA).
Representative/contact person: Dr. Ashok Gupta
Website: http://www.allergycareindia.org/
About Allergy Care India :
Allergy care India is a non-profit organization made up of patients, adults and parents of children with allergies and food intolerance, and has been founded with the intention of increasing the sensitivity of all against this disease, widespread but often overlooked.
The patients and the families lack proper information about food allergy additionally they also have psychological problems coupled with economic constraints.
Allergy Care India has been proposed to become a support in all possible ways to patients suffering from food allergy.
Representative/contact person: TBD
Website: http://www.allergyhk.org
About Allergy HK :
The Hong Kong Allergy Association, Allergy HK in short, was founded by allergy patients, their care givers and medical professionals in 2008 as an allergy patients self help group.
We are a tax exempted charity under Section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance (IR 91/10057).
Despite its high prevalence, the education and awareness for allergy is seriously insufficient. Therefore, the Hong Kong Allergy Association aims to provide the most accurate and latest information and support for the allergy community.
Allergy HK organize public talks on various allergy topic at different location. We also organize group sharing for patients to share their feeling, experience and knowledge on caring for allergy.
In 2017, Allergy HK Allergy Education Center starts its operation. Patients and public can visit to get information of allergy and join allergy related activities.
We have launched an Allergy Knowledge Web, an allergy e-learning system. We upload videos of our previous public talk to this system so the public can obtain correct information about allergy anytime and anywhere they want.
We also accept interview from various media to provide correct information about allergy.
We also publish newsletter every quarter to distribute our news about Allergy HK.
Participated in the 2nd AAFAA Meeting for the first time.
Information on the patient organization will be available when it is well established. Currently in the forming process.
Representative/contact person: Ms. Tomomi Akagi
Website: http://www.foodallergy-forum.org/
About FAF :
-Raise the society’s consciousness towards food allergy (Help create such an environment).
-Provide an opportunity for Food related companies (manufacturing, distribution, development, detection, analysis, allergen control) to learn mutually
-Support the lives of food allergy patients by providing safe food choices
Representative: Mr. Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman
Website: https://www.nippon-foundation.or.jp/en/
About The Nippon Foundation :
The Nippon Foundation was established in 1962 as a non-profit philanthropic organization, active in Japan and around the world.
Initially our efforts focused largely on the maritime and shipping fields, but since then the range of our activities has expanded to education, social welfare, public health, and other fields—carried out in more than 100 countries to date.
Together with our morethan 20 partner organizations in Japan and worldwide we are funding and assisting community-led efforts aimed at realizing a more peaceful and prosperous global society.
Representative/contact person: Ms. Tomomi Akagi
Website: http://www.atopicco.org/
About ATOPICCO :
We are a non-profit organization, with the goal of improving the lives of people with allergy by working to change the social environment.
Activities include: (1)telephone consultation service (2)research business (3)environmental education business (4)information provider (research report / manuscript writing / books, etc.) (5)increase public awareness of allergy (hold lectures, seminars & workshops / dispatch lecturers) and (6)run a summer camp program (for allergy patients and their families).
In Asia, there are very few physicians with sufficient knowledge of food allergy compared to Europe, therefore, patients are seeking more active support from the society.
By sharing information on the current situation in Asia, we intend to come up with answers to overcome various food allergy related tasks together.
Participating countries: Australia, India, Hong Kong, Thailand and Japan.
AAFAA started as a region-specific subgroup/offshoot of the International Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Alliance (IFAAA).
What is IFAAA?
“The International Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Alliance is a coalition of patient advocacy groups working to advance the interests of the food allergy community worldwide. The Alliance’s mission is to unite organizations focused on food allergy and anaphylaxis in order to exchange information and advance key issues of importance to those with food allergies and at risk for anaphylaxis. Comprising more than 20 international food allergy organizations, the Alliance was formed in 1999.”
(Text from FARE website: https://www.foodallergy.org/education-awareness/advocacy-resources/international-food-allergy-anaphylaxis-alliance)
Symposium held on Feb. 4th and 5th, 2018.
Day 1 Focus on the Food Labeling, Dietary Habits and Allergy-Friendly Products
Day 2 Focus on Food Allergy at Schools (AM) and Food Allergy Issues and Epidemiology (PM)
Sunday, 4 February 2018
| PM | Purpose of the Gathering |
Tomomi Akagi, Managing Director ATOPICCO Network for Children of the Earth |
|---|---|---|
|
Food Allergy - India Report Labelling and Dietary Habits |
Dr. Ashok Gupta Chairman, Allergy Care India |
|
| Food Allergen Labelling in Australia |
Maria Said CEO, Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia |
|
|
Dietary Habits & Allergy-friendly products in Hong Kong |
Daisy Bo, Secretary The Hong Kong Allergy Association |
|
|
Thailand - Dietary Habits and Allergens free product for Thai food allergy patients |
Assoc. Prof. Pantipa Chatchatee Allergy&Immunology Division, Department of Pediatrics, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand |
|
|
Dietary Habits of Food Allergy Patients & Allergy-friendly products in Japan |
Tomomi Akagi, Managing Director ATOPICCO Network for Children of the Earth |
|
| Teatime / Networking | ||
| Closing address | ||
Host: ATOPICCO Network for Children of the Earth
Cooperation: The Nippon Foundation
Supported by: House Foods Group Inc.
Place: The Nippon Foundation
Participants: approx.40
Monday, 5 February 2018
| AM | Purpose of the Meeting |
Tomomi Akagi, Managing Director ATOPICCO Network for Children of the Earth |
|---|---|---|
| Food Allergy Management in School |
Dr. Noriyuki Yanagida, Department of Pediatrics, Sagamihara National Hospital |
|
|
From paper to practice – implementing the National Allergy Strategy |
Maria Said National Allergy Strategy Steering Committee Co-chair / CEO, Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia |
|
| Situation of Allergy Accommodation at Schools |
Daisy Bo, Secretary The Hong Kong Allergy Association |
|
| Open Discussion | Life at school for children with food allergy | |
| Lunch - lunch box | ||
| PM | Re-thinking on Food Allergy Issues |
Dr. Eiji Marui University of Human Arts and Sciences |
|
Present State of Nutritional Interventions for Food Allergy |
Dr. Akihiro Kimura Pediatrician / Hospital Director Itayado Clinic Pediatrics, Kobe |
|
|
Epidemiology and situation of food allergy in Thailand |
Assoc. Prof. Pantipa Chatchatee Allergy&Immunology Division, Department of Pediatrics, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand |
|
| Prevalence of Food Allergy in Australia |
Maria Said CEO, Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia |
|
| Panel Discussion |
India, HK, Thailand, Australia, Japan What is happening to childrens' bodies |
|
| Closing address |
Dr. Akihiro Kimura Pediatrician Hospital Director Itayado Clinic, Kobe |
Host: ATOPICCO Network for Children of the Earth
Supported by: House Foods Group Inc.
Cooperation: The Nippon Foundation
Japan Society for Food Allergy Forum
Place: The Nippon Foundation
Symposium held to introduce the current situation of the participating countries
Food related companies (i.e., manufacturing, distribution, detection, allergen control) together with industries promoting food safety and quality improvement and patient organization groups gathered at once
Participating countries: Australia, India, Hong Kong and Japan.
Host: ATOPICCO Network for Children of the Earth
The Nippon Foundation
Participants: approx. 140
| AM | Purpose of the Meeting |
Tomomi Akagi, Managing Director ATOPICCO Network for Children of the Earth |
|---|---|---|
| Food Labeling in Japan | Naoto Maruko,Assistant Manager,Food Labeling Planning Div. Consumer Affairs Agency |
|
| Threshold for Food Allergy Labeling in Japan |
Dr.Hiroshi Akiyama, Head, Div. of Foods National institute of Health Sciences |
|
| Characteristics of Japanese Food Allergen Analysis System |
Dr.Masahiro Shoji, Adviser Morinaga Institute of Biological Science, Inc. |
|
| Food Allergy Practice Environment in Japan |
Dr.Motohiro Ebisawa, Direcctor Clinical Research Center for Allergy and Rheumatology Sagamihara National Hospital |
|
| Material to be passed out | ||
| Discussion Time (55min.) Moderator: Keiko Hamada, Journalist The Asahi Shimbun Company (Newspaper) |
To Raise Patients’ QOL-future tasks | |
| Lunch Break | Lunch Box (provided by Natural House) | |
| PM | Toward a More Comprehensive Food Labeling |
Hiromi Ohta, Chairperson Japan Society for Food Allergy Forum |
| Australian Progress and Food Import Concerns Situation in Australia |
Maria Said, CEO Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia |
|
| Q&A (20min.) | ||
| Food Allergy & Celiac Disease Situation in India |
Dr. Ashok Gupta, Chairperson Allergy Care India |
|
| Allergy in HK Situation in Hong Kong |
Elaine Chan, Program Officer The Hong Kong Allergy Association |
|
| Q&A (20min.) | ||
| Coffee/Tea Break | with a variety of snacks available for people with food allergy (provided by il sole (parent-child café) , elfin international) |
|
| Progressing Food Allergy Management Globally |
Maria Said, CEO Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia |
|
| Discussion Time (50min.) Moderator: Keiko Hamada, Journalist The Asahi Shimbun Company (Newspaper) |
Asian Alliance- what to expect from this new international cooperation |
|
| Closing Remark | Yuji Mori, Executive Director The Nippon Foundation |
|
| Welcome Dinner Hosted by Japan Society for Food Allergy Forum (FAF) |
||
| Hiromi Ohta, Chairperson Japan Society for Food Allergy Forum |
||
| Participants (with a membership fee) | Industry Groups, Companies, Patient Organizations approx. 30 groups |
Dr. Hiroshi Akiyama
National Institute of Health Sciences
Dr. Motohiro Ebisawa
Sagamihara National Hospital
Naoto Maruko
Consumer Affairs Agency
Dr. Masahiro Shoji
Morinaga Institute of Biological Science, Inc.
Asian Alliance for Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis
E-mail: aafaa@atopicco.org
Address: Takeuchi Laurier Bldg. 503
1-34-12 Takadanobaba, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
169-0075 JAPAN