Cork, 28 March, 2008 – Ford, the only car brand that offers a range of cars officially accredited as “allergy-friendly”, has announced a partnership with the Asthma Society of Ireland as part of its campaign to improve the lives of the 470,000 people with asthma in this country.

The association will involve sponsorship of the Asthma Society as well as tangible support from a company which has invested for a number of years in making life easier for allergy-suffering car users.

  

The Ford car range has received official allergy friendly accreditation for its range of cars including the Ka, Fiesta, Focus, C-MAX, Mondeo, S-MAX and Galaxy. The accreditation has been provided by the German standards authority TUV following a series of rigorous tests, assuring that all interiors of Ford cars minimise the allergy risk to the lowest possible level. The Ford range of allergy-friendly cars has also received the official approval from the British Allergy Foundation and the European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation (ECARF).

 

Allergies are one of the key triggers of asthma and, as a result, any reduction in allergens should have a positive impact on people with asthma. Ford cars have received the certification for the following attributes:

“Asthma is a serious problem in Ireland with as many as 470,000 individuals estimated to have the condition,” said Jean Holohan, CEO of the Asthma Society. "We applaud efforts by companies like Ford to develop ‘allergy-friendly’ products that will help to make life easier for individuals with asthma triggered by allergies.”