Below are some common questions asked when talking about food allergies and the F.A.D.
Q: What is food allergy?
A: An abnormal response to a food triggered by the immune system.
Q: What are common food allergy
symptoms?
A: Hives, mouth itch, lip or tongue swelling, vomiting, diarrhea,
stomach cramps, trouble breathing, throat tightening, weak pulses, or
a drop in blood pressure.
Q: What are the most common food
allergens?
A: Milk, eggs, peanuts (groundnuts), tree nuts (including Brazil
nuts, hazelnuts, almonds, and walnuts), fish, shellfish (including
mussels, crab and shrimps), soya, and wheat.
Q: Is food allergy common in America?
A: Approximately 12 million Americans suffer from food allergies.
Q: How many Americans are harmed due to
food allergies?
A: There are about 30,000 emergency room visits and 150 deaths each
year because of food allergies.
Q: Why is the F.A.D. easier to use than
current tests?
A: It is efficient and small, so it is easier to carry around.
Additionally, it has a touch screen for accessibility. Most of the
current tehnologies are very expensive.
Q: How do you use the F.A.D. when there
is a heterogenous dish, like a salad?
A: Since the F.A.D. only tests what's on the surface, users may need
to do multiple tests, or create a small mixture/mash to conduct the
test.
Q: Does the F.A.D. have all possible
allergens?
A: No, currently, it only has the 50 most common allergens. As more
consumers use it, more allergens will be added.
Q: Is the F.A.D. completely foolproof?
A: No, it might encounter a food item not in its database or offer a
false negative. Therefore, users should carry epi-pen injections
as a precautionary measure.
Some common allergies that would be listed on the F.A.D. are peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, milk, cereals containing gluten, shellfish, fish, and sulphites.