Allergen Fact Sheets provide easy-to-read information about food allergies and intolerances, while helping your business meet customer obligations.
Food law mandates that pre-packaged foods with potential allergens such as peanuts, milk, eggs, soy, wheat tree nuts fish and shellfish all must contain an allergen warning label.
In 2024, sesame was added to the list of major food allergens.
What is an Allergy?
People often associate allergies with symptoms like sneezing, runny nose and itchy hives; however, these are only part of the picture; allergies involve an intricate interaction between genes, the environment and particularly your immune system.
Normal functions of the immune system involve protecting against bacteria and viruses that might pose risks, like viruses. But when its function goes awry and targets harmless substances like peanuts or pollen – otherwise known as allergens – such as peanuts or pollen, such as peanut allergy symptoms arising. When this happens, your body’s defenses overreact by producing antibodies targeting these molecules which then release chemicals such as histamine which then cause allergy symptoms.
Allergens can be found anywhere and in many forms, such as food, pollen, medications, insect stings or bites, chemicals and latex. Allergens may be inhaled through breathing air or swallowed through food; or they may absorb through skin contact and be inhaled directly.
An important distinction to understand between an allergic reaction and food sensitivities or intolerances that don’t involve the immune system is between true food allergies and intolerances, which don’t necessitate medical intervention. A true food allergy poses a life-threatening medical risk; those living with one must therefore remain diligent to avoid eating any allergenic food items.
Symptoms
Allergies cause various symptoms that can impact many areas of the body, including skin, airways and mucous membranes. Their exact manifestation depends on which allergen enters our bodies first and where. Common examples are:
When an allergen enters a person’s system, their immune system responds by producing antibodies to target it and defend against it. This response may release chemicals such as histamines, cytokines and leukotrienes which induce allergic symptoms in their bodies such as swelling and itching.
Histamines produced by our immune systems cause the nasal lining to become inflamed and produce extra mucus, leading to runny nose. Itchy and watery eyes are other symptoms. Allergies can also trigger asthma symptoms – wheezing or tightening of chest that makes breathing more difficult; more seriously (anaphylaxis), your throat could close off completely resulting in difficulty swallowing or even possible choking – depending on their severity.
Allergens that can cause reactions include airborne allergens such as pollens, mould spores, animal dander and animal fur. They can also be found in foods like peanuts, fish and shellfish as well as medicines like penicillin and latex rubber used to treat infection or insect stings. In some instances seasonal allergies occur at specific times when trees and grasses pollinate.
Diagnosis
Food allergies require a comprehensive history analysis, taking into account your personal and family medical histories, medications you take and symptoms experienced at home, work and school. Your doctor will also conduct a physical exam that includes examination of eyes, ears, noses throats chests and skin.
Allergen blood tests (also referred to as immunoglobulin E or IgE testing) measure antibodies in your blood to specific allergens. They are often performed when skin testing cannot be completed or when taking medications that interfere with skin testing; blood tests may also help diagnose food allergies but are less accurate than skin prick or patch tests.
Your doctor may recommend an elimination diet in order to identify which foods are triggering symptoms. This usually requires eating only those identified as common allergens for 2-4 weeks before gradually adding back foods into your diet and testing each individually to see if symptoms resurface; this process is known as challenge testing and must be conducted under medical supervision.
Treatment
Allergies occur when our immune systems overreact to normally harmless substances, known as allergens. Examples include pollen, fungal spores, dust mites, animal dander, mold products, drugs, insect venoms and various foods which cause our immune systems to produce antibodies which attach themselves to mast cells in our immune systems and lead to allergic reactions such as hay fever, asthma attacks, hives, nasal congestion or itchy skin symptoms.
These antibodies recognise allergens and activate another group of cells known as inflammatory cells to produce histamine, cytokines and leukotrienes that trigger allergy symptoms.
Treatment for allergies depends on the severity of each reaction, with severe allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis requiring immediate medical intervention and adrenaline (epinephrine) for treatment. Other approaches for allergies may include avoiding foods known to trigger reactions, taking antihistamines and oral steroids as prescribed, and immunotherapy (allergen desensitisation), where enzyme injections help prevent or decrease antibody production.
Food allergen immunotherapy can be challenging to administer and must be undertaken under medical and dietitian supervision. When selecting tests and treatments together with your physician, Shared Decision Making helps ensure you receive appropriate care tailored specifically to your needs.
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