# An investigation of a novel milk allergy-friendly food supplement program

## TL;DR

A new program providing milk allergy-friendly food supplements was tested to reduce costs and improve food security for families with young children who have dairy allergies.

## Contribution

The novel milk allergy-friendly food supplement program was developed and piloted for low-income families managing dairy allergies in young children.

## Key findings

- Participants reported reduced indirect food costs and zero costs related to lost time from work or school at the end of the program.
- Despite some cost benefits, food insecurity remained high among participants during the study period.
- The program helped keep grocery costs below inflation rates.

## Abstract

Compared to households not managing food allergy, households managing food allergy are faced with greater direct and indirect costs. To address these cost burdens, we developed and piloted a milk allergy-friendly food supplement program for lower- and middle-income households managing a dairy allergy in a child age <6 years. Herein, we aimed to evaluate to the impact of this program on food costs, food security, and caregiver mental health using a longitudinal design.

Participants living in or near the city of Winnipeg, in Manitoba, Canada were recruited from January to February 2022 via social media, word-of-mouth, and a database maintained by the principal investigator. Consenting participants took part in a 6-month allergen-friendly food supplement program that provided them with biweekly deliveries of allergen-friendly foods free of charge. To evaluate the impact of the program on food costs, food security, and well-being, participants completed a series of questionnaires at baseline, mid-point, and at the end of the program. Changes in these variables were assessed via a series of Friedman tests.

The final sample was comprised of 8 households. Relative to baseline, participants reported higher total direct food costs at midpoint (+5.6%) and endpoint (+13.5%), but these changes did not reach statistical significance. In contrast, total indirect food costs decreased over the course of the study relative to baseline (midpoint = −28.2%; endpoint = −18.5%), but the changes were not found to be statistically significant. Participants did, however, report a statistically significant decrease in costs related to lost time from work or school as a result of their child's food allergy at endpoint relative to baseline (−100%). Few changes in food security, caregiver well-being, or child food allergy quality of life were noted.

The provision of allergen-friendly foods helped keep grocery costs below the pace of inflation. Participants also reported reduced costs associated with missed time from work or school as a result of their child's food allergy. Despite these encouraging findings, a relatively high proportion of the current sample reported experiencing food insecurity throughout the study period, suggesting that additional financial support for families is needed.