About us

The Food Intolerance Network consists of over 20,000 families, mostly in Australia and New Zealand but with members in USA, UK, EU, Canada and several other countries. A grateful member just summarised what we do as "helping families and taking corporations to task". We'd say that's exactly what we do.

The Network provides

• independent information about the effects of food on behaviour, health and learning in both children and adults, and

• support for families using a low-chemical elimination diet free of additives, low in salicylates, amines and flavour enhancers (FAILSAFE) for health, behaviour and learning problems.

The Network is run as a free service and is an unincorporated body whose costs have been met for the past 31 years from the sale of Sue Dengate's books and by giving talks. The business entity is Sue Dengate, registered for GST and Australian Business Number ABN 72 705 112 854. The mailing address is PO Box 718, Woolgoolga NSW 2456, Australia.

The Network runs an active Facebook page with over 18,000 members, sends an electronic newsletter to these families, has in the past arranged talks on demand, lobbies Ministers and food regulators and runs an active website which has seen nearly 14 million hits since 1999.

Media resources: contact, recent media releases and photographs

 Sue Dengate, author and food intolerance expert

Sue Dengate BA (Psych UNSW) DipEd (UNSW)

Sue Dengate is a psychology graduate and former high school teacher who became interested in the effects of food additives after the birth of her first child 20 years ago. Since then, Sue has focused on the effects of food chemicals on children's behaviour, health and learning ability. She is author of the bestselling Fed Up series, published by Random House Australia. In 2001, Sue completed a round the world 'supermarket tour' to compare the use of food additives in 15 countries. Her groundbreaking study about the behavioural effects of a common bread preservative was published in a medical journal in 2002. Sue, helped by her husband Dr Howard Dengate, a food scientist, runs the Food Intolerance Network through the website www.fedup.com.au. Sue was an Australian of the Year finalist in 2009.

Howard Dengate BSc (Food Sci UNSW) PhD (Plant Sci LC) Cert Plant-based Nutrition (eCornell)

Dr Howard Dengate studied food technology at the University of NSW, worked in dairy and wheat research before becoming Director of the Agricultural Research Institute, Wagga Wagga, NSW in 1984. He was then for 14 years in senior executive positions with Australia's Northern Territory Government, focussed on sustainable development of the Ord River Irrigation Area Stage 2 and the Katherine Daly Basin, attraction of commercial agribusiness, and development of international trade. With 34 years of experience in agribusiness, he resigned from the public service in 2003 to work on agribusiness finance and investment boards. Since 2008 his fulltime task has been consumer advocacy through the Food Intolerance Network.

Books by Sue Dengate

• Fed Up, Random House, 1998, 2008
• The Failsafe Cookbook, Random House, 2001, 2007
• Fed Up with Food Intolerance - a personal story, 2014 ebook
• Fed Up with ADHD, Random House, 2004 (No longer in print)
• Fed Up with Asthma, Random House, 2003 (No longer in print)
• Different Kids, Random House, 1994 (No longer in print)

DVD by Sue Dengate

• Fed Up with Children's Behaviour ISBN 0-646-45925-2, 2006.

Other publications

• Dengate S and Ruben A, Controlled trial of cumulative behavioural effects of a common bread preservative. J Paed Child Health, 2002;38(4):373-376.
• Dengate S, Dietary management of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Aust J Early Childhood, 1997; 22:4, 29-33.
• Other articles and presentations by Sue Dengate

Some presentation highlights include

The Fedup Roadshow in 2016 consisted of 11 talks in August-September from Brisbane to Melbourne and in between. Fedup Roadshow 2016

The Fedup Roadshow in 2015 spoke to over 1,000 people at 16 locations from Crows Nest (QLD) to Melbourne (VIC) and west to Gunnedah (NSW). Fedup Roadshow 2015

Sue Dengate spoke at Crows Nest QLD and attended the Dietitian's Day in Brisbane on March 2014. See report on the Crows Nest talk

More than 1,200 people attended 11 talks in 2013 at Coffs Harbour, Brisbane, Lismore, Sydney, Canberra, Albury, Melbourne, Clare, Barossa, Adelaide and Mildura in August and September 2013. Fedup Roadshow 2013

The Fedup Roadshow in May and June 2012 covered 13,000km of driving and 24 talks in total, from Urunga, to Kingaroy, Rockhampton, Hervey Bay, Maroochydore, Brisbane (Beenleigh), Macksville, Orange, Sydney (Denistone), Wollongong, Canberra, Albury, Melbourne (Vermont South and Essendon), Victor Harbor, Adelaide, Perth (Willetton and Claremont), and Bunbury.  Fedup Roadshow 2012

The Fedup Roadshow 2011 by Sue Dengate was attended by over 2,000 people at 15 locations in five States/Territories and went to Coffs Harbour, Brisbane, Taree, Newcastle, Sydney, Canberra, Shepparton, Albury, Melbourne (Berwick Fields), Melbourne (Mulgrave), Barwon Heads (Ocean Grove/Geelong), Ballarat, Mt Gambier, Adelaide and Clare. The efforts of the volunteer organisers at each venue are a tribute to the need for such information in the community – thank you. You can see a step by step report on the Fedup Roadshow 2011 

The Fedup Roadshow 2010 by Sue Dengate was attended by over 3,000 people in 6 States and went to Toowoomba, Brisbane, Bingara, Inverell, Gunnedah, Newcastle, Castle Hill, Canberra, Yass, Wagga Wagga, Albury/Wodonga, Launceston, Hobart, Burnie, Melbourne, Millicent, Adelaide, Whyalla, Port Lincoln and Mildura. Many thanks to the volunteer organisers at each venue – such dedication is appreciated. You can see a step by step report on the Fedup Roadshow 2010 with photos.

In 2009 Sue spoke to over 3,000 people at sell-out talks in Alstonville, Brisbane, Gladstone, Calliope, Rockhampton, Brisbane, Bellingen, Norfolk Island, Bingara, Warialda, Inverell, Richmond, Killara, Springwood, Tumbarumba, Albury/Wodonga, Wangaratta, Melbourne, Ballarat, Mildura, Bordertown, Naracoorte, Adelaide and Kimba. These talks were notable for the number of teachers who attended, which is very positive. Thanks to the many dedicated local organisers! See comment and photos of the Fedup Roadshow 2009.

In 2008 Sue spoke to over 3,500 people in a program remarkable for its warm support and increased level of knowledge of food intolerance in Port Macquarie, Wagga Wagga, Canberra, Devonport, Launceston, Hobart, Frankston, Mornington, Warrnambool, Ballarat, Mt Gambier, Adelaide, Woy Woy, Castle Hill, Ipswich, Brisbane, Maclean, Armidale and Coffs Harbour.

In 2007 Sue spoke to over 1,800 people, including more than 200 school children, in Newcastle, Wodonga, Frankston, Warrnambool, Ballarat, Cooma, Canberra and Coffs Harbour during May and in Maitland and Forster in November.

In 2006 Sue spoke to 2,000 Year 6 and Year 7 students from 80 schools in the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, to 550 of their parents and to 200 parents at Leongatha, Victoria, to 100 parents in South Grafton and 120 parents at Narranga Primary School.

In 2005 Sue addressed over 4,500 people in Christchurch NZ, Coffs Harbour NSW (Coffs Harbour NSW Association for Gifted and Talented Children), Caloundra QLD (Fostercare Qld Annual Conference), Brisbane Qld (Autism Spectrum Disorders Carers Support Group and Mansfield State School P&C), Melbourne VIC, Mullaway-Woolgoolga (Rainbow Cottage), Gladstone Qld (Calliope School Tuckshop Committee and a Healthy Schools Initiative Grant), Rockhampton, Townsville and Cairns Qld (Playgroup Association of Queensland), Canberra ACT (Fadden Primary School and Australian Primary Principals Association National Conference), Coffs Harbour (Southern Cross University), Alice Springs NT, Newcastle NSW (Federation of P&F Associations in Catholic school system), Sydney NSW (Kesser Torah College P&F Association in Jewish school system, University of NSW School of Food Science and Technology food safety class, NSW Association for Gifted and Talented Children), Wollongong NSW and Grafton NSW (South Grafton High School), Melbourne VIC (Biennial National GymbaROO Conference), Sale VIC (Catholic College Sale, Ozchild, Parentzone Gippsland and Anglicare Victoria), Bairnsdale VIC (Bairnsdale Steiner School), Yeppoon QLD (Brumby's 2005 Conference), Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Gold Coast QLD (Playgroup Association of Queensland).

• In 2004 Sue addressed over 1,500 people on the east coast of Australia (Sydney, Penrith, Newcastle, Albury, Burnie, Moe) and many others.
• Keynote speaker, Australian Association of Special Education national conference, Darwin, September 2003
• Keynote speaker, Food Intolerance National Conference, Launceston, Tasmania, September 2003
• Keynote speaker, Women in Agriculture and Business state conference, South Australia, July 2003
• Fed Up with Children's Behaviour, preschool teachers professional development, Canberra, June, 2003
• Food Intolerance, sponsored by Allergy NZ, Christchurch New Zealand, 2003
• The Breeding, Reading and Feeding Speakers Tour, Queensland Playgroup Association, Brisbane 2002
• Children's Access and Equity Resource Support Unit workshop, Brisbane 2002
• Children's Services Resources and Advisory Program presentation and workshop, Canberra 2002
• Fed up with restless babies, Australian Breastfeeding Association/Australian Lactation Consultants Association, Victorian Branch conference, Melbourne, 2002
• Food for Kids, 8-event tour of Tasmania for the Tasmania Playgroup Association and Tasmanian Asthma Foundation, 2001
• Motherinc, Sydney, 2001
• Hyperactive Children's Support Group, London, UK 2001
• Effects of food on children's behaviour, sponsored by Derry PTA, New Hampshire, USA 2001
• Youth at Risk Conference, Australian Federal Police, 2000
• National Asthma Conference, 1999

Sue also appears frequently on national television, including A Current Affair and Today Tonight

Privacy policy: no details of correspondents are provided to any other parties; where names are used it is with the express permission of those whose names appear.

Copyright: Sue Dengate ABN 72 705 112 854. All information on this website and associated newsletter and discussion groups is protected by copyright and cannot be copied for profit. It can be reproduced by non-profit organizations with appropriate acknowledgement. On this website, failsafe refers to foods that are Free of Additives and Low in Salicylates, Amines and Flavour Enhancers. Note that copyright applies to the commercial use of the term "failsafe" in the food and health context so as to control inappropriate use by the food and health industries.

Funding: Note that the Food Intolerance Network, this website and associated newsletter and discussion groups do not receive funding, services or goods from any industry or lobby group.

Disclaimer: The information given is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with your doctor for underlying illness. Before beginning dietary investigation, consult a dietician with an interest in food intolerance. Information is drawn from the scientific literature, web research, group members and personal enquiry; while all care is taken, information is not warranted as accurate and the Food Intolerance Network and Sue Dengate cannot be held liable for any errors and omissions.

Nepal information