NEW YORK — The Food Allergy Fund (FAF) has launched a new public service announcement (PSA) aimed at empowering children and raising national awareness about food allergies, a growing public health issue that affects millions of Americans. The campaign will run throughout May, which is Food Allergy Awareness Month, and will air across Nickelodeon’s platforms from May 1 through May 31.
The PSA features Emmy Award-winning culinary social media character Tiny Chef from The Tiny Chef Show and popular content creator Merrick Hanna, who has food allergies himself. Together, they deliver a message of empowerment and safety for kids navigating life with food allergies. The initiative seeks to bring greater visibility to the condition and promote simple, inclusive actions that can protect children in everyday settings like classrooms and social gatherings.
Food allergies now impact one in 13 children and one in 10 adults in the United States. According to FAF, someone visits the emergency room every three minutes due to a food allergy reaction. “Food allergies are not a lifestyle choice—they are a serious chronic health condition,” said Ilana Golant, founder and CEO of the Food Allergy Fund. “As a food allergy parent, I’m grateful to Nickelodeon for using their creative platform to spotlight this public health crisis. Through greater awareness and thoughtful action, we can ensure that kids with food allergies feel safe, included, and protected.”
In the PSA, Hanna, known for his viral dance and cooking content, shares his personal experience with food allergies. “I love to dance, but I also love to cook,” he says. “The reason I cook is because I have serious food allergies. I have to be careful because every single bite counts.”
The campaign was unveiled during FAF’s Annual Summit, an event that gathers scientists, healthcare professionals, advocates, and policymakers to advance food allergy research. The summit highlighted recent scientific breakthroughs and the growing momentum behind efforts to improve treatment, prevention, and quality of life for people with food allergies.
By collaborating with Nickelodeon and leveraging familiar, family-friendly figures like Tiny Chef and Merrick Hanna, the Food Allergy Fund hopes to make the realities of food allergies more visible and relatable—especially for younger audiences and their families.
