Cow’s milk is generally the first foreign food to which small
infants come in contact and very often a cause of food allergy in
infants and small children (up to 2-3 years of age). However, many
children allergic to milk outgrow their allergy, only few
continuing to manifest symptoms by the age of six.
Milk allergens are present both in the white part of the milk
(which is called casein) and in the whey.
Intense heating can destroy the allergens in milk but not
necessarily all of them. Even more, heating to temperatures lower
than the boiling one (as in the pasteurization process) may
increase rather than decrease the allergenic potential of milk.
Therefore if you are allergic to milk it is not safe to drink raw,
boiled or pasteurized milk.
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Allergens > Food allergens
The most frequent causes of food allergy
Cow’s milk
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Risk of reaction with other foods
A person allergic to cow’s milk has around 90% chances to react to
another kind of milk such as goat or sheep’s milk. Therefore all
kind of animal milk should be avoided.
A small number of people allergic to cow’s milk (approx. 10%) might also present allergic reactions when eating beef or veal meat, especially when eaten as raw meat. Since this kind of associated allergy is not very common people allergic to milk should not avoid eating beef meat, unless they have known allergy to the later or if instructed otherwise by their doctor.
A small number of people allergic to cow’s milk (approx. 10%) might also present allergic reactions when eating beef or veal meat, especially when eaten as raw meat. Since this kind of associated allergy is not very common people allergic to milk should not avoid eating beef meat, unless they have known allergy to the later or if instructed otherwise by their doctor.
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Hen’s egg
Eggs are most frequent cause of food allergy in children. Very
often allergy to eggs subsides as the child gets older. Only around
1/3 of the children allergic to egg in infancy continue to present
symptoms by the age of 6.
Egg allergens are found mostly in the white. However, the yolk is not completely allergen free and thus should not be considered safe to administer in children or adults allergic to egg.
Cooking the eggs, particularly for longer time, can destroy some of the egg allergens which is why some patients allergic to egg can eat without problems egg containing foods that have been extensively heated such as cakes or cookies. However this is not a general rule applicable to all people allergic to eggs and the best approach would be to avoid eating eggs and egg containing products and to discuss this matter with your doctor.
Egg allergens are found mostly in the white. However, the yolk is not completely allergen free and thus should not be considered safe to administer in children or adults allergic to egg.
Cooking the eggs, particularly for longer time, can destroy some of the egg allergens which is why some patients allergic to egg can eat without problems egg containing foods that have been extensively heated such as cakes or cookies. However this is not a general rule applicable to all people allergic to eggs and the best approach would be to avoid eating eggs and egg containing products and to discuss this matter with your doctor.
Risk of reaction with other foods
There are high chances to develop allergy symptoms when eating
other kind of eggs than hen’s eggs; therefore a person allergic to
hen’s eggs should avoid ingestion of any kind of eggs. (Of course,
if your doctor has performed tests showing that you are not
allergic to a particular kind of egg you are then allowed to eat
them).
Peanuts
Peanuts are the most allergenic of all foods and a very frequent
cause of allergy both in adults and children.
Peanut allergy requires particular
attention
Allergy to peanut can be very severe, often threatening
patient’s life.
If you have experienced only mild symptoms so far there is no
guarantee that next time the reaction won’t be more
severe.
Tip: Due to the potential severity of reactions,
whenever you suspect that you or a member of your family is
allergic to peanuts, you should address immediately to a specialist
for detailed evaluation and recommendations for treatment.
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Another aspect that makes peanut allergy different from most food
allergies is the fact that it is life long in most individuals,
only approximately 20% of patients outgrowing their sensitivity
(compared with around 60-80% of patients allergic to milk or egg).
Tip: NEVER try to reintroduce peanuts in your
alimentation even after several years in which you didn’t
experienced symptoms. It is only your doctor that may allow you to
eat them but only after performing a challenge test to prove that
you are not allergic anymore to peanuts. Tests should always be
carried in the hospital, to ensure that emergency equipment is
available in case that you experience a severe reaction.
Which people are more at risk for developing peanut allergy?
There are a series of factors which could warn about the risk of
your child to develop allergy to peanuts:
- Other family members allergic to peanuts (the risk is almost 7 times higher than in the children having no relative allergic to peanuts)
- Children of allergic mothers
- Children allergic to other allergens
- Children with eczema
- Children fed with soy milk during infancy
How do we become allergic to peanuts?
There are different ways in which we can become exposed to peanut
allergens.
Most often we come in contact with peanut by ingestion of peanuts or other foods containing peanuts or peanut products, such as crude peanut oil. Roast peanuts are more allergenic than raw peanuts.
Most often we come in contact with peanut by ingestion of peanuts or other foods containing peanuts or peanut products, such as crude peanut oil. Roast peanuts are more allergenic than raw peanuts.
Tip: Peanut and peanut oil is very often used as
an ingredient in restaurant foods, especially in the oriental
restaurants. Sometimes you are not aware that the food you are
eating contains them, unless you specifically ask about the content
of the food. Also sometimes foods that normally do not contain
peanuts or peanut product may become accidentally contaminated with
peanuts if they are prepared in a restaurant that uses these
ingredients. You should be therefore very careful and ALWAYS check
the composition of the meal when eating foods prepared outside the
house.
There is also a possibility that the baby can be exposed to peanuts
before birth, while in utero, or in the first months of life
through their mother’s milk, if mother consumes peanuts or foods
containing peanut oil. This would explain why a large number of
people (up to 80%) develop symptoms on the first known exposure to
peanuts (normally allergic symptoms do not occur first time when
coming in contact with an allergen, but on the second time or even
after several times when the person has been exposed).
People can also become exposed to peanuts through vapours resulting from cooking peanuts or peanut products. In this case the allergen is inhaled rather than ingested and can cause either respiratory allergy or generalized allergic symptoms.
People can also become exposed to peanuts through vapours resulting from cooking peanuts or peanut products. In this case the allergen is inhaled rather than ingested and can cause either respiratory allergy or generalized allergic symptoms.
Risk of reaction with other foods
Most people allergic to peanuts express a great deal of concern
regarding the possibility to develop symptoms when consuming other
kind of nuts.
It is important to know that peanuts do not belong to the same botanical family as tree nuts but to legumes or beans family which includes also beans, soy and peas. However, up to half of individuals allergic to peanuts eventually become sensitized to tree nuts. Therefore if you are allergic to peanuts you should avoid tree nuts altogether.
Knowing that peanuts belong to the same family as soy, peas and beans raises an obvious question about the potential of developing allergy symptoms when eating these foods. Fortunately, most people (probably more than 95%) would not have any problems when eating other legumes. Therefore, peanut allergic subjects should not avoid legumes as a group or as individual foods unless they are known to react to that individual legume.
It is important to know that peanuts do not belong to the same botanical family as tree nuts but to legumes or beans family which includes also beans, soy and peas. However, up to half of individuals allergic to peanuts eventually become sensitized to tree nuts. Therefore if you are allergic to peanuts you should avoid tree nuts altogether.
Knowing that peanuts belong to the same family as soy, peas and beans raises an obvious question about the potential of developing allergy symptoms when eating these foods. Fortunately, most people (probably more than 95%) would not have any problems when eating other legumes. Therefore, peanut allergic subjects should not avoid legumes as a group or as individual foods unless they are known to react to that individual legume.
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Tree nuts
Walnuts, cashews, almonds, pecan and pistachio have been most often
identified as causes of allergy but all the other types of nuts can
be a cause of allergy.
Allergens can be present both in raw and in roasted or processed nuts.
Risk of reaction with other foods
If you are allergic to one type of nuts it is not a rule that you will develop when eating other kinds of nuts. However, a large number of people present allergy to several different types of nuts so you should be cautious in eating nuts in general.
Up to 50% of people allergic to tree nuts develop symptoms after consuming peanuts so be careful when consuming them.
Allergens can be present both in raw and in roasted or processed nuts.
Risk of reaction with other foods
If you are allergic to one type of nuts it is not a rule that you will develop when eating other kinds of nuts. However, a large number of people present allergy to several different types of nuts so you should be cautious in eating nuts in general.
Up to 50% of people allergic to tree nuts develop symptoms after consuming peanuts so be careful when consuming them.
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Fish
Fish is one of the most common causes of food allergy and, along with peanuts, one of the major triggers of severe, life threatening, generalized allergic reactions (anaphylaxis). Fish allergy occurs most often in adulthood but it can affect children as well. Also similar with peanut allergy, fish allergy is very often life long.
Fish allergens are in general proteins from the fish
flesh.
Cooking of the fish can very often destroy the allergens. Sometimes
people allergic to raw or freshly cooked fish can eat canned fish.
However, freshly cooked fish can be very allergenic.
Tip: some people are so sensitive that they develop allergic
symptoms even when inhaling vapours from cooking fish
Therefore avoiding fish consumption all together would be the best
solution for allergic people.
Risk of reaction with other foods
If you have developed allergy after eating one particular kind of fish you have a high risk to manifest similar symptoms when consuming any kind of fish. The best way to protect yourself would be to avoid consumption of any kind of fish, or fish products.
Risk of reaction with other foods
If you have developed allergy after eating one particular kind of fish you have a high risk to manifest similar symptoms when consuming any kind of fish. The best way to protect yourself would be to avoid consumption of any kind of fish, or fish products.
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Shellfish and crustacean
Both shellfish (molluscs, mussels, oysters, octopus etc) and
crustaceans (shrimps, prawn, lobster, crabs etc) are very often
causing food allergy in adults.
Allergens can be present both in raw and in cooked form.
Risk of reaction with other foods
If you are allergic to any shellfish or crustacean you have high chances to develop an allergic response when eating other shellfish or crustacean. Therefore is it advised that you should avoid eating all kind of shellfish or crustacean altogether.
Allergens can be present both in raw and in cooked form.
Risk of reaction with other foods
If you are allergic to any shellfish or crustacean you have high chances to develop an allergic response when eating other shellfish or crustacean. Therefore is it advised that you should avoid eating all kind of shellfish or crustacean altogether.
Wheat
Wheat (as well as other cereals) are very often used in infant
meals and consequently they are a common cause of allergy in
children. Usually wheat does not cause very severe allergic
reactions and in most cases is not life long and disappears in most
children around the age of 6.
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Food Additives:
In some people the allergic reactions are caused not by the true
food constituents but by substances that have been introduced in
the food while being processes – food additives. Generally these
natural or synthetic substances are added to a processed food for
helping to preserve it, to enhance the flavour or to improve its
aspect (for example colorant additives). Among the 3000 commonly
used food additives, the ones that are the most often involved in
hypersensitivity reactions are:
Identifying the food additive responsible for the allergic response is generally difficult. Once the food additive causing your symptoms has been identified you should carefully check all packed or restaurant foods if they contain the additive and avoid eating them.
- preservatives such as benzoic acid and its derivatives (E 210 to 219), sodium sulfite and derivatives (E 220 to 227), nitrites (E 249 to 252) or also salycilic acid.
- food colorings for example: tartrazine (E 102), cochineal red (E 124), erythrosine (E127).
- taste enhancers, for example glutamates (B 550 to 553).
Identifying the food additive responsible for the allergic response is generally difficult. Once the food additive causing your symptoms has been identified you should carefully check all packed or restaurant foods if they contain the additive and avoid eating them.