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Food for Thought: Robyn O’Brien ’93 on #epigate

“Food allergies are not a niche,” said Robyn O’Brien, a 1993 graduate of Washington and Lee University and founder of the AllergyKids Foundation. “It is a growing epidemic that is challenging how we think about our food and how it is made. Genetic factors don’t change this quickly, environmental factors do. Are we allergic to food or to what’s been done to it?”

Described by the New York Times and Bloomberg as “food’s Erin Brockovich,” Robyn has turned her attention to the skyrocketing cost of EpiPens, a life-saving device carried by millions of Americans at risk for food allergies and insect bites.

Over the past few weeks, she’s used her blog to highlight different perspectives on the issue, posting stories from doctors, Congressional representatives, grieving families and financial analysts. Robyn has also appeared on Fox Business News calling for a Congressional investigation.

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