Severe Food Allergies Are Way Up For Black People

By Jennifer Porter Gore | Word In BlackOverview: Research finds that Asian American, Black, and Hispanic people were more likely to report having food allergies than white people, and no one knows exactly why. Researchers found the trend is strongly tied to household income.(WIB) – As the cofounder of Black Girl Disney in 2018, online influencer Dominique Brown was an obvious choice to attend a Dec. 5 holiday event in Los Angeles. As one of the 20 million people with food allergies, she purportedly knew to ask an obvious question: Does the food include peanuts? Not long after food was served however, the deejay suddenly stopped the music and urgently asked if anyone at the event had an Epipen — a device that delivers life-saving medicine to someone having a dangerous allergic reaction. That day, it was Brown.& Within hours, the Disney superfan with dimples and a bright smile, known as Domo to her friends, was dead.& RELATED: Is Our Food System Safe?The tragedy brought to light an overlooked medical issue: the number of severe allergic reactions to food has been climbing over the last two decades, and Black people account for a disproportionate number of those affected. Studies also...