All About …Food Allergies

02• Affect 6 to 8% of children 4 years of age and

under• Affect 5.9 million kids in the U.S. (1 in 13 kids or

about 2 per classroom)• Affect almost 4% of adults• Account for 35 – 50% of all cases of anaphylaxis

in emergency care settings• Cause about 30,000 episodes of anaphylactic

shock with 100 to 200 deaths per year

Food allergies

http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/foodAllergy/research/Pages/ReportFoodAllergy.aspxhttp://www.foodallergy.org/about-food-allergieshttp://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/foodallergies/pdf/13_243135_A_Food_Allergy_Web_508.pdf

02• A food allergy is an abnormal reponse triggered

by the body’s immune system to an otherwise harmless food.

• These reactions can cause serious illness and, in some cases, death.

What is a food allergy?

True or False

An allergic reaction will occur the first time a person comes in contact with the food they are allergic to and every time thereafter.

Answer:

False:

According to the National Institutes of Health, the first time a person with food allergy is exposed to the food, no symptoms occur; but the first exposure primes the body to respond the next time. When the person eats the food again, an allergic response can occur.

What is a first exposure to food?

• Can be when you eat it• Can occur without your knowledge

– Example: peanut allergy – A person who experiences anaphylaxis on the first known exposure to peanuts may have previously

• Touched peanuts•Using a peanut-containing skin care product

• Breathed in peanut dust in the home or when close to other people eating peanuts

Components of a food, called “allergens,” trigger the immune system.

The body produces antibodies that attach to cells throughout the body. (IgE antibodies)

With the next exposure, antibodies recognize the allergen and signal the body to release histamine and other chemicals that cause the physical signs of an allergic reaction.

What happens in a food allergy?

02Allergic reactions can include:• Hives • Flushed skin or rash • Tingling or itchy sensation in the mouth • Face, tongue, or lip swelling • Vomiting and/or diarrhea • Abdominal cramps • Coughing or wheezing • Dizziness and/or lightheadedness • Swelling of the throat and vocal cords • Difficulty breathing • Loss of consciousness • Anaphylaxis (“anaphylactic shock”)

What are the symptoms of a food allergy?

How do you know if a person is having an anaphylactic reaction?

Anaphylaxis is highly likely if at least one of the following three conditions occurs:

1. Within minutes or several hours, a person has skin symptoms (redness, itching, hives) or swollen lips and either

• Difficulty breathing, or

• A drop in blood pressure

2. A person was exposed to an allergen likely to cause an allergic reaction, and, within minutes or several hours, two or more of the following symptoms occur:

• Skin symptoms or swollen lips

• Difficulty breathing

• A drop in blood pressure

• GI symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, or cramping

3. A person exposed to an allergen previously known to cause an allergic reaction in that person experiences a drop in blood pressure

http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/foodAllergy/understanding/Pages/anaphylaxis.aspx

02• An intolerance is a reaction to food that does not involve

the immune system or production of IgE antibodies. • Examples:

– Lactose intolerance – body lacks the enzyme, lactase, to break down lactose (milk sugar). Symptoms include gas, bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea.

– Gluten intolerance – associated with Celiac Disease, an inherited autoimmune disorder in which foods that contain gluten cause damage to the intestines and can prevent the proper absorption of nutrients- does not involve IgE antibodies.

– Reactions to additives (msg, sulfites).

Difference between allergy and intolerance

02A physician can use

• diet histories• diet elimination• skin tests• blood tests

How do you know if you have a food allergy?

0290% of total food allergies are caused by these 8 foods:• Peanuts• Tree nuts (such as almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc.)• Milk• Eggs• Soy• Wheat• Fish (such as bass, cod, flounder)• Crustacean shellfish (such as crab, lobster, shrimp, etc.)

What foods cause food allergies? – The “Big 8”

02Some people are so allergic, they can experience

symptoms without ingesting the food.• Airborne allergens in steam during cooking• Cross-contamination and the spread of allergens• Kissing someone who has eaten the allergen

Do people have to eat a food to have an allergic reaction?

02The best treatment for food allergies and celiac

disease is:

strict avoidance

of the foods that cause the problem.

What is the treatment for food allergy?

02Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection

Act of 2004 (FALCPA) effective since 2006

• Labels must clearly identify the source of all ingredients that are — or are derived from — the eight most common food allergens.

Laws about food allergies

02Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection

Act of 2004 (FALCPA) effective since 2006

• Labels must clearly identify the source of all ingredients that are — or are derived from — the eight most common food allergens.

Laws about food allergies

Label Examples:

Label Examples:

Label Examples:

Label Examples:

“May contain” labeling – not mandated, but companies may use it to warn

consumers and reduce liability

http://www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm254504.htm

“May contain” labeling – not mandated, but companies may use it to warn

consumers and reduce liability

http://www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm254504.htm

More Label Reading

More Label Reading

More Label Reading

More Label Reading

In addition to avoidance, additional treatments that may be prescribed…

• Antihistamines/Bronchodilators• Epinephrine

Epinephrine

www.epipen.com/en/about-epipen

Directions say patient should always carry 2 doses. Available in single and 2-pak cartons.

Prevention Starts In the Kitchen!

Food Service should:

•Keep a list of ingredients in every food served.•Read food labels.•Know what to avoid and how to substitute.•Designate an allergy-free zone where allergy-free meals can be made.•Avoid cross-contamination and follow safe food handling practices.

Food Service Assistants should:

•Understand the school’s allergy plan.•Identify the students with documented food allergies. •Develop standardized cleaning procedures for the cafeteria.•Learn to recognize signs of anaphylaxis, and know how to activate the school’s emergency plan if anaphylaxis should occur in a student with a life threatening food allergy.

Preventing exposure to allergens school cafeterias and throughout the school

Handwashing or hand sanitizers?

• Hand sanitizers are not as effective at removing allergens

• Washing with soap and water is more effective

Wash for as long as it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice!

Hygiene and cleanliness

It is also important for foodservice, teachers in schools and caregivers to:

• Wash their hands thoroughly and often• Clean and sanitize utensils, equipment,

surroundings, toys, etc.

Best Methods of “Cleaning”To Remove Allergens?

According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services:

• Simple measures of cleanliness can remove most allergens from the environment of a person with food allergy.

• Simply washing your hands with soap and water will remove peanut allergens, and most household cleaners will remove allergens from surfaces.

Methods of “Cleaning”

Research has found that:• Conventional cleaning methods are effective in removing

the protein of a food allergen such as peanut. • Bar and liquid soaps are effective for removing the

protein from hands, while alcohol-based sanitizer is not.• Soaps and commercial cleaning agents effectively

removed peanut protein from table tops, while dishwashing liquid alone did not.

(J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 2004;113:973-6.)

Resources Available

– Food Allergy – An Overview, booklet from NIH – National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (~40 pages) www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/foodallergy/documents/foodallergy.pdf

– AAAAI (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology)

www.aaaai.org/conditions-and-treatments/allergies/food-allergies.aspx

– FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education) www.foodallergy.org/

www.foodallergy.org/most-popular-resources

–About Food Allergies–Managing at Home–Dining Out & Travel–Awareness & Educational Materials

Food Allergy is a Serious Health Threat

• It can be deadly• Avoidance is the key

Judy A. Harrison, Ph. D., Professor and Extension Foods SpecialistDept. of Foods and Nutrition

College of Family and Consumer SciencesUniversity of Georgia.

2015

The University of Georgia and Ft. Valley State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and counties of the state cooperating. Cooperative Extension, the University of Georgia Colleges of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and Family and Consumer Sciences, offers educational programs, assistance and materials to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, age, gender or disability. 

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All About …Food Allergies