But I suppose it is more about the act of coming together to enjoy one another’s company, in order to make something that will bring joy to those we love, which invokes the spirit of Christmas for us at this time of year.
Another environmental topic worth mentioning is food allergies. As we mentioned earlier, nearly three million Americans are now living with a gluten allergy. Other common food allergies in America include peanut, dairy, and shellfish allergies. In recent years, it seems that both our general awareness of food allergies, as well as allergen-friendly food options have been increasing. This is a topic of which many people remain divided. Some people argue that we are simply becoming overly sensitive to food allergies in America because of our access to allergen testing. Other people argue that we are developing food allergies because of changes in our agriculture—namely because of industrialization, genetically modified crops, and the vast amount of processed, packaged foods we now consume on a regular basis. Although the reasons behind food allergies in America are not yet fully understood, the prevalence of gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free foods now being produced here is significant. What’s more, this issue remains deeply connected to our environment, and we are very curious to see how food allergy awareness and diagnoses will continue to evolve and adapt in our country.
