Ken Wyatt (Hasluck, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the motion put by my colleague the member for Chisholm on this very important issue in our local community. I would like to associate myself with the comments that she has just made. Food allergy has the potential for severe and life-threatening reactions. It affects an estimated four to six per cent of children and one to two per cent of adults. My first experience of this was as a former teacher. I remember having to be particularly careful when a student of mine had an allergy to nuts. I remember that it was incredibly difficult to monitor the food that was in the classroom and in the playground because it may cause a severe allergic reaction in this student.

It is interesting to note that only nine foods cause 90 per cent of allergic reactions—that is, cow's milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame seeds, soy, fish, shellfish and wheat, among other things. I agree that more needs to be done to increase the awareness of food allergy and anaphylaxis in our local community, and the impact that it can have on individuals and their families. The Australian government is strongly committed to ensuring that there is sufficient information to make informed choices about the foods that consumers purchase. Food labelling in Australia is regulated by the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, which has strict and comprehensive requirements on labelling standards. In addition to this, the National Healthy School Canteens project that commenced in 2008 and was funded by the Australian government as part of the Australian Better Health Initiative has also been a positive step.

I know that many schools in my electorate of Hasluck have found this project beneficial and it has increased the awareness of food allergies and their impact. Despite this, hospital admissions in Australia for severe allergic reactions have doubled over the last decade; equally in the USA and UK. In Australia, admissions for anaphylaxis due to food allergy in children aged zero to four are five times higher. Whilst out doorknocking in the northern region of my electorate, I met Sandra and talked about these issues and the increasing prevalence of anaphylaxis. Sandra's child suffers from a severe peanut allergy and she herself has a severe food allergy. Sandra believes that there is a lot that can be done to greatly improve the quality of life for those who live with the risk of anaphylaxis. I have had several discussions with Sandra and she has some interesting practical ideas as a mother and as a parent which I will be sharing with the Minister for Health.

Currently, there are no standardised protocols for acute food allergy management across Australia. In Western Australia, there are three different protocols and I know that the Minister for Health in Western Australia, Dr Kim Hames MLA, is very aware of the issues surrounding food allergy and anaphylaxis. I commend the WA state government for some of the actions they have taken to increase the awareness and response protocols for food and allergy anaphylaxis. I also note and commend the COAG Legislative and Governance Forum on Food Regulation. In May 2011, they endorsed the 2010 FSANZ review report and recommendations into determining whether improvements could be made to the existing regulatory approach, which allows wider food choices for allergic consumers without compromising their safety. This resulted in the creation of the Allergen Collaboration, which is a forum of representatives from state, territory and New Zealand governments, Australian and New Zealand allergy support associations and the food industry, including the food service sector. This is an excellent initiative and I look forward to the positive progress in the field of food allergy and anaphylaxis awareness in the very near future.

Among the challenges that we often face, as was referred to by the member opposite, is the level of understanding of the sudden and rapid impact on a child if they have an allergy. As a teacher, I did not understand the use of the EpiPen at the time. I think that we need to give greater attention to some of the preventative measures that would ensure that no child loses their life because we do not understand their needs. The comment that I often hear, which the member also raised, is 'Eat more—you'll grow out of the allergy.' But you do not know what the tolerance level is. You do not know what the reaction or response is. When that occurs, what we need to have is the knowledge to be able to help. I would certainly support any initiative that addresses the needs of those who experience anaphylaxis or food allergies.

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