Allergen Component Testing 101
The most powerful and potentially life-changing diagnostic tool in the food allergy community is also the least known: the allergen component test. We partnered with Allergy Insider, an education platform from Thermo Fisher Scientific who conducts the majority of allergy blood testing in the US and is considered the gold standard, to provide the details you need to know so you can understand if component testing is right for you. Spoiler alert: if you manage allergies to peanut, most tree nuts, milk, egg, soy, wheat, or sesame we think the answer is a resounding YES!The Basics | Am I a Candidate For Component Tests | How to Get Tested | Understanding Components | Peanut Component Results | Wheat Component Results | Sesame Component Results | Tree Nut Component Results | Soy Component Results | Milk Component Results | Egg Component Results
Sesame List
A shocking number of food companies and restaurant chains have added sesame to their breads, buns, and bagels to, we believe, avoid the effort and expense of the FASTER Act’s cleaning requirements. As the sesame allergy community scrambles to place safe bread on their tables, Spokin has reached out to over 130 brands to confirm their sesame details, including information on facilities, lines, ingredient and label changes, and more. We’ve created the Spokin Sesame List as a resource for the sesame allergy community. Categorization is based on responses we’ve received directly from each manufacturer. We will continue to update this list as we receive confirmed information. This list was published on 1/9/2023 and was last updated on 1/24/2023.⭐️ Dedicated Sesame-Free Facilities | 🧩 Some Facilities Are Dedicated Sesame-Free | 🚫 Newly Contains Sesame | 🙌🏽 Dedicated Sesame-Free Lines | ⚠️ Sesame Warning Labels | 🔎 Brand's Response Is To Check Label | 🤔 Contacted + Waiting For Confirmation | 🍔 Restaurants | ✅ Spokin Verified
Allergen Component Testing: Alyssa’s Story
Alyssa Bauder scheduled what she thought was a routine appointment with an allergist but received news that changed her life. While she still had a life-threatening allergy to peanuts, she no longer was allergic to tree nuts, fish, shellfish, or chickpeas—news that seemed almost too good to be true. Learn how she tackled 13 food challenges and worked with her therapist to manage food allergy-related anxiety with a strategy that led to wins like her first Starbucks at 24 years old and a lot of fun along the way.
Alyssa is thankful for the freedom she’s gained and is glad to still be a part of the food allergy community, one that she’s passionate about and plans to continue advocating for through both her platform and career.
Auto-Injectors 101
From EpiPen to AUVI-Q and all the options in between - auto-injectors are life-savers. Get up to speed on the latest prices, brands and how-to info.
Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT)
Welcome to the second issue of Treatments and Therapies. In our first issue we brought you an inside look into Oral Immunotherapy (OIT), and in this issue we are exploring Sublingual Immunotherapy—commonly referred to as SLIT. Spokin had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Mary Morris, a renowned SLIT specialist from Allergy Associates of La Crosse. Dr. Mary eplains SLIT treatment and provides insight on the clinic's unique treatment, The La Crosse Method™ Protocol. We also hear from Spokin users, Karin Teglia and Eun Lee, who share their children's first-hand experience with SLIT.
Disney World With Food Allergies
Food allergy mom Rachel McFall dreamed of taking her family to Disney World. With the help of travel advisor Taylor Gordon, who not only specializes in food allergy travel but also manages her own allergies, Rachel’s family managed to eat every meal out, enjoying character breakfasts, Mickey Mouse ice cream bars, and a visit to Erin McKenna’s Bakery. See her 527 reviews on the Spokin app @allergene, including 14 from her trip!
Join our Insta Live with Rachel to hear how her family dined out safely with peanut, egg, and wheat allergies, and how Taylor "did it all", planning every detail of their fairytale vacation. Tune in Wednesday, 5/18 at 12 PM CT/1 PM ET for the Insta Live and enter to win a Disney World trip of your own!
Specific IgE Blood Based Allergy Testing
As food allergy parents we become experts at everything from label reading to interpreting a cough. But even the most experienced have questions on the widely used IgE blood tests. So we went directly to the company whose ImmunoCAP lab tests represent the gold standard in specific-IgE blood testing globally, Thermo Fisher Scientific. This feature answers the most commonly (and not so commonly) asked questions from the food allergy community — 42 in total — including a special deep dive on component tests. An additional resource is their recently launched educational site, AllergyInsider.
New Year, New Map!
When a food allergy mom told us she was trying to find a safe sushi spot for her teen with a sesame allergy, Spokin got to work! Introducing the NEW Spokin Map Filter! Now you can find new safe places to eat in your hometown, plan that trip (hello, Spring Break), or build your restaurant […]
Food Allergy Institute TIP Patient Interview: Liz Gilligan
Liz Gilligan is a food allergy mom to Jack, an 11 year old allergic to peanut and tree nuts. They live in Pacific Palisades, a suburb of Los Angeles. Jack is on maintenance for tree nuts and currently dosing peanuts but has been cleared for cross-contact. Liz’s advice to anyone interested in TIP is to join the waitlist while you learn about the program; it’s been life changing for Jack and her family. Her favorite moment from Jack’s time in the program was when he no longer needed to ask what kind of oil a restaurant used in their fryer and was able to safely eat at Chick-fil-A, which uses peanut oil.
Food Allergy Institute (formerly SoCal)
The Food Allergy Institute, formerly known as SoCal, is on a mission to change lives and with the highest global success rate of food allergy treatment, they are succeeding. Their revolutionary treatment program has allowed thousands of patients to safely eat whatever they want with a near perfect success rate. The results are lasting, as the program’s initial graduates completed treatment over a decade ago and continue to freely eat their allergens. To celebrate our partnership with Food Allergy Institute, we are hosting a TIP Trip Travel Giveaway! Enter for your chance to win a trip to SoCal including a $1,000 airfare credit, a stay at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Huntington Beach, and a $200 gift card to Noble Bird Rotisserie.* Join the TIP waitlist to enter! We are also hosting two Spokin exclusive events with Dr. Randhawa including an Insta Live today, 10/21, and a private Q+A event where you’ll be able to ask Dr. Randhawa your questions on January 11th, 2022. Invitations to the Q+A event will be sent in early January. Space will be limited but the first 1,000 people that join the TIP waitlist using the Spokin link will be guaranteed a spot!
