Food Allergy Initiative
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1998 |
| Headquarters | New York, NY |
| Website | www.faiusa.org |
The Food Allergy Initiative (FAI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1998 with the mission to fund food allergy research that seeks a cure, to improve diagnosis and treatment, and to keep patients safe through advocacy and education. FAI is the largest private source of funding for food allergy research in the United States. As of 2011, the organization has raised more than $72 million[1] towards these goals. FAI consistently receives a four-star rating—the highest available—from Charity Navigator, the largest independent charity evaluator in the United States.
Research
While working within the guidelines set forth by the National Institutes of Health in the Report of the NIH Expert Panel on Food Allergy Research,[2] FAI works to increase:
- The number of researchers and research projects that focus on food allergy
- The number of institutions with food allergy clinical programs
- The number of fellows and physicians trained to treat food-allergic patients
- The amount of government funding allocated to food allergy research
FAI sponsors food allergy research across the United States at institutions such as Harvard Medical School, the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and Mount Sinai School of Medicine of New York University.
Advocacy
FAI played a key role in passing the Food Allergen Labeling & Consumer Protection Act of 2004[3]
Education and patient services
By working with the media, health care workers, camps, restaurants, food manufacturers, and education and childcare professionals, FAI tries to increase awareness of food allergies and anaphylaxis. Some of the prominent restaurateurs (and restaurants) that have worked with FAI include:
- Mario Batali (Babbo)
- David Bouley (Bouley)
- Daniel Boulud (Daniel)
- Tom Colicchio (Craft restaurants)
- Emeril Lagasse
- Thomas Keller (French Laundry, Per se (restaurant))
- Sirio Maccioni (Le Cirque)
- Danny Meyer (Union Square Hospitality Group)
- Drew Nieporent (Myriad Restaurant Group)
- Jacques Pépin
- Alain Sailhac
- André Soltner (French Culinary Institute)
- Marcus Samuelsson (Acquavit)
- Alex von Bidder and Julian Niccolini (The Four Seasons Restaurant)
