[Press Release]

Millions of Individuals Across The U.S. Trust the asthma & allergy friendly® Certification Program When They Select Products and Services for Their Healthy Home

Landover, Md. April 25, 2016 – This spring allergy season marks the 10th anniversary of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America’s (AAFA) asthma & allergy friendly® Certification Program. The 60 million Americans with asthma and allergies have learned to trust certified consumer products and services when they see the Certification Mark on a product label.  Certified products and services have been tested against strict scientific standards and shown to be suitable for families with asthma or allergies in their household.

AAFA, the leading patient advocacy organization for individuals living with asthma and allergies in the United States, partnered with Allergy Standards Limited (ASL) 10 years ago to create a scientifically based program to validate product claims. The Certification Program serves as a lighthouse in the fog for families navigating the sea of manufacturer claims about allergen reduction.  Core to AAFA’s mission, the asthma & allergy friendly® Certification Program helps patients live a life without limits.

The program broadens options for those with asthma and allergies.

• The Certification Program tested and certified over 300 products.
• The program tested and certified products for over 25 manufacturers.
• The program tested and certified products in over 22 various product categories that are vital to a healthy home.

The program shaped the allergen-reduction product market.

• The Certification Program developed over 30 product category standards that are reviewed by a medical board and used for testing a wide range of household products and services.
• Certified products appear in over 20 retailers nationwide.

“I am proud of the impact the asthma & allergy friendly® Certification Program has had over the past 10 years,” says Dr. Cary Sennett, President and CEO of AAFA. “To provide patients living with asthma and allergies a trusted source for suitable products for a healthy home is vital to AAFA’s mission. I am optimistic and excited to see the expansion of our program over the next 10 years.”

The asthma & allergy friendly® Certification Program was born out of the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma. According to the NIH, reducing your exposure to asthma and allergy triggers in your home—such as dust mites, pet dander, cockroaches, smoke and other allergens and irritants—is a vital component of asthma and allergies management. This idea of “environmental control” outlined in NIH’s clinical guidelines specifically addresses the use of mattress covers, vacuum cleaners, air filtration systems and other tools in improving your home’s environment.

“Our joint venture with AAFA, the leading patient advocacy organization for individuals living with asthma and allergies in the United States, has meant the science behind the standards reaches millions more in America using an educational platform,” says Dr. John McKeon, CEO of ASL.

The asthma & allergy friendly® Certification Program is administered by AAFA in partnership with the international standards organization, ASL. For more information about the program, visit www.aafa.org/certified.

About the asthma & allergy friendly™ Certification Program

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) is the leading national nonprofit organization fighting asthma and allergic diseases. AAFA provides free information, conducts educational programs, fights for patients' rights and funds research to find better treatments and cures. The asthma & allergy friendly™ Certification Program is jointly run by AAFA and Allergy Standards Limited (ASL), a physician-led global certification company that prepares independent standards for testing a wide range of products to determine their suitability for asthma and allergy patients. The Certification Program is an independent laboratory-based product-testing program that helps families with asthma and allergies find more suitable products for their homes. Visit www.aafa.org/certified to see the full catalog of Certified products and get a free guide on how to reduce allergens and irritants in your home.

About AAFA

Founded in 1953 and celebrating over 60 years of service, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) is the oldest and largest nonprofit patient organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with asthma, allergies and related conditions through education, advocacy and research. AAFA provides practical information, community-based services, support and referrals through a national network of chapters and educational support groups. Through its Kids With Food Allergies division, AAFA offers the oldest, most extensive online support community for families raising children with food allergies at community.kidswithfoodallergies.org. In addition, AAFA sponsors and advocates for research to advance the basic science relevant to treatment and cure. It also champions translational research so that the science that we have is applied more consistently and reliably. For more information, visit www.aafa.org. 

About ASL

Allergy Standards Limited (ASL) is an international certification company that prepares independent standards for testing a wide range of products to determine their suitability for asthmatics and individuals with allergies. ASL has devised a series of proprietary testing protocols and suitability specifications for products to meet in order to be eligible for certification as asthma & allergy friendly®. ASL developed the Certification Mark to identify products that consumers can trust have been subject to rigorous testing to determine their relative suitability for people with asthma and allergies. ASL has applied internationally recognized asthma and allergy trigger avoidance recommendations including both allergens and irritants. For more information, visit www.allergystandards.com.

Media Contact:

Alex Burgess
AAFA Marketing & Communications
202-550-1339
aburgess@aafa.org