Food allergy affects up to 6 to 8 percent of children under the age of 3 and close to 4 percent of adults.

Question: What is a food allergy?

Answer: Food allergy is a reaction of the body's immune system to something in a food or an ingredient in a food-usually a protein. It can be a serious condition and should be diagnosed by a board-certified allergist. A true food allergy (also called "food hypersensitivity") and its symptoms can take many forms.

Question: Which foods cause food allergy?

Answer: There are eight most common food allergens:

1. Milk,
2. Eggs,
3. Peanuts,
4. Tree nuts,
5. Soy,
6. Wheat,
7. Fish, and
8. Crustacean shellfish- cause most food allergic reactions.

However, many other foods have been identified as allergens for some people, such as certain fruits or vegetables and seeds. Most children with food allergies to milk, eggs, soy, and wheat will outgrow their allergy. Yet, allergy to peanuts, tree nuts, and fish usually last. Shellfish allergies often develop during later in childhood or adulthood, and the most common food allergy among adults is shellfish. Peanuts and tree nuts account for most of the severe cases of food allergy.

Question:What can happen if you have food allergies?

Answer: Allergic reactions to food can cause serious illness and, in some cases, death. Symptoms of a food allergy can include:

• wheezing and difficulty breathing,
• itchy skin rashes,
• hives,
• vomiting,
• diarrhea,
• nausea,
• abdominal pain and
• swelling around the mouth and in the throat.

Symptoms may be mild or very severe, depending on how much of the food your child ingested and how allergic s/he is to the food. Symptoms usually begin immediately, seldom more than 2 hours after eating. Rarely, the symptoms may begin hours after eating the offending food.

Question:should you do if you have food allergies?

Answer: If you have a food allergy, it is extremely important for you to work with your healthcare provider to find out what food(s) causes your allergic reaction. Sometimes, a reaction to food is not an allergy at all but another type of reaction called "food intolerance." Food intolerance is more common than food allergy. The immune system does not cause the symptoms of food intolerance, though these symptoms may look and feel like those of a food allergy.

Question:Where else can I get information?

American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI)
Patient Information and Physician Referral Line:
(800) 822-2762
www.aaaai.org

The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network
(800) 929-4040
www.foodallergy.org

Stay Informed, Get free Alerts:

On the Web, visit:

USDA/Food Safety and Inspection Service http://www.fsis.usda.gov/

Thermy^™ Web page www.fsis.usda.gov/thermy

FightBAC!^™ http://www.fightbac.org/

Gateway to Government FoodSafety Information http://www.foodsafety.gov/

FDA/Center for Food Safety andApplied Nutrition http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/

USDA/FDA Foodborne Illness Education Information Center www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodborne

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/default.htm

Other Resources

Tips and resources for managing a food allergy are available through FAAN such as Understanding Food Labels & Cross Contact.

Cookbooks

• The Food Allergy News Cookbook
• FAAN Holiday Cookbook National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Allergies:

Upcoming Conferences:

http://www.foodallergy.org/conferences.html