Good morning.
I hope everyone enjoyed their breakfast. If you happen to have a food allergy, your decision of what to eat today would have been a life-or-death decision. With this medical condition, constant vigilance is required to prevent a severe allergic reaction and a trip to the hospital.
My name is Jennifer Gerdt. I'm the executive director of Food Allergy Canada, and I'm here representing the three million Canadians who live with food allergies.
The public and private burden of food allergy is enormous, with three million Canadians, of which 600,000 are children, and 50% of households impacted by this condition. It has an overall economic impact of $1.3 billion, but there is new and emerging research that is charting a path of hope for this community.
Food Allergy Canada has detailed plans to act on this knowledge. You will find them in the Food Allergy Canada national food allergy action plan in front of you.
We've put in a budget submission in 2024 to request $4.5 million in funding to initiate practical evidence-based measures that further food allergy education, improve treatment access, close gaps in ingredient labelling and take steps to prevent food allergies. This will reduce the incidence and the risk associated with food allergy, improve lives and alleviate the societal burden of this condition.
For more details on our written submission, please take a look at what we've submitted. I would be happy to answer any questions.
Thank you.