What does food allergy safety look like when systems don’t work equally for everyone?

In this episode, I’m joined by Erin Malawer, founder of Allergy Strong, to explore how inequities in education, resources, and institutional support shape the lived experience of food allergy families. Erin’s work focuses on improving safety and access at the community level so that protection doesn’t depend on privilege or proximity.

Together, we discuss:

• How gaps in food allergy education and policy disproportionately impact certain families

• Why awareness alone isn’t enough without structural change

• The emotional toll of navigating systems that don’t reliably protect children with food allergies

This conversation invites listeners to move beyond individual responsibility and consider what it means to build food allergy care that is safer, fairer, and more inclusive for everyone.

In this episode, I’m joined by Renia Butler, founder of Black Allergy Mama, for an honest and powerful conversation about race, food allergy advocacy, and mental health.

Renia shares her personal journey navigating food allergies as a Black mother, the systemic gaps she witnessed firsthand, and how those experiences fueled her advocacy work. We explore the emotional labor families carry, the importance of representation and trust in medical care, and how food allergy spaces can—and must—become more inclusive and trauma-informed.

This episode is essential listening for parents, clinicians, advocates, and anyone who wants to better understand the full human experience behind food allergy care.

https://blackallergymama.com/
@blackallergymama

What Makes Food Allergy Anxiety Different?

What Makes Food Allergy Anxiety Different?