How Far Can We Control the Severity of Food Allergic Reactions by Controlling Exposure to Allergenic Foods?

How Far Can We Control the Severity of Food Allergic Reactions by Controlling Exposure to Allergenic Foods?
Brussels, Belgium
15/09/2016 – 16/09/2016

Background

An important focus of ensuring the safety of food allergic consumers is protection from severe reactions. Eliminating or controlling exposure to allergenic foods is increasingly being used by government regulators and the food industry for this purpose. However, little is known about the relationship between dose of exposure and severity of the resultant allergic reaction.

Objectives

The objective of this workshop is to understand the relationship between allergen dose and reaction severity, and to assess whether this relationship meets the conditions necessary to allow control of exposure to allergenic foods to limit the occurrence of severe reactions.

Expected Outcome

Studying the outcome of accidental reactions has proven to be methodologically and ethically difficult. The severity of reactions in graded oral challenges is thus used as the best approximation of accidental reactions despite many limitations which include optimal patient stability and prompt treatment of reactions. Several studies have shown that severe reactions to oral challenges are generally uncommon and unpredictable. A novel type of challenge study, using a single dose, is also beginning to provide valuable information.  Understanding the degree to which dose influences severity will help manage consumer expectations concerning the efficacy of measures aimed at controlling exposure to allergenic foods.

Programme

The Flyer including the programme was available here.

PRESENTATIONS

Overall Chair – Prof. Anthony Dubois (University Medical Centre Groningen, NL)
Overall Co-Chair – Dr René Crevel (Unilever, UK)
Overall Rapporteur – Dr Paul Turner (Imperial College London, UK)

Introduction and Background

Food Allergy, a Food Safety Issue
Prof. Diána Bánáti (ILSI Europe, BE)

Background and Introduction to the Workshop
Prof. Anthony Dubois (University Medical Centre Groningen, NL)  

EAACI Position Paper
Dr Antonella Muraro (European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, CH)

Single Dose Challenges
Prof. Jonathan Hourihane (University College Cork, IE)

Can We Predict Severity?
Dr Paul Turner (Imperial College London, UK)

Venue and Accommodation

The Event was held at:
Thon Hotel Brussels City Centre
Avenue du Boulevard 17
BE – 1210 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 2 205 15 11
E-mail: brusselscitycentre@thonhotels.be

Located next to Place Rogier and the Botanical Garden, the hotel is within walking distance to the railway station Bruxelles-Nord with departures to and from Brussels Airport, and connection to Bruxelles-Midi with the International lines Eurostar and Thalys. The hotel has express check-in/check-out kiosks and a fitness club with sauna. For those travelling by car, the hotel has a parking garage.

A number of standard guest rooms have been pre-booked at special rates in the Thon Hotel Brussels City Centre where the workshop will take place.

Single Room

€122.58*

Double Room

€142.58*

*Rates include buffet breakfast, free access to WiFi, to the fitness centre and €7.58 city tax and 6% VAT.

Hotel reservations and online registrations should be made together and preferably by 20 August 2016. After this date, registrations and reservations are subject to availability.

Important Date: 20 August 2016
• Online registrations
• Hotel reservations
• Cancellations of Registration and Hotel Reservations

Cancellation Policy
All modifications and cancellations of hotel reservations should be made in writing to Ms Ruth Marquet at rmarquet@ilsieurope.be.
For cancellations received after 20 August 2016 and in case of no-shows, the hotel is entitled to charge the full amount of the stay. Substitutions of hotel reservations are accepted if made in writing to Ms Ruth Marquet.

Registration and Payment

Attendance to the workshop is upon invitation only but a limited number of seats are available for interested experts subject to payment of a registration fee:

Registrant
Fees

Industry

€400

Academy / Public Sector

€200

 

If you are interested in participating, please contact Ms Ruth Marquet at rmarquet@ilsieurope.be. Requests will be considered on a ‘first come, first served basis’.

Registration covers:
• Admission to the workshop
• Workshop booklet
• Welcome dinner on 15 September 2016
• Buffet lunch/refreshments served during the conference on 16 September 2016

Registrations and hotel reservations should be made prior to 20 August 2016. An invoice will be sent to paying registrants after payment of registration fee by credit card when registering on-line. Requests of registrations and hotel reservations received after 20 August 2016 are subject to availability.

Cancellation Policy
All cancellations of registrations and hotel reservations should be made in writing to Ms Ruth Marquet at rmarquet@ilsieurope.be.

Cancellation of registrations received by 20 August 2016 will be refunded minus €100,- handling charges. Cancellations received after 20 August 2016 will not be refunded. For cancellations of hotel reservations received after 20 August 2016, the Thon Hotel Brussels City Centre is entitled to charge the full stay. Substitutions of hotel reservations are possible and should be made in writing.