Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Environmental Health Perspectives logoLink to Environmental Health Perspectives
. 2003 Feb;111(2):223–225. doi: 10.1289/ehp.5702

Food allergy: an overview.

Rhoda Sheryl Kagan 1
PMCID: PMC1241355  PMID: 12573910

Abstract

Food allergy affects between 5% and 7.5% of children and between 1% and 2% of adults. The greater prevalence of food allergy in children reflects both the increased predisposition of children to develop food allergies and the development of immunologic tolerance to certain foods over time. Immunoglobulin (Ig) E-mediated food allergies can be classified as those that persist indefinitely and those that are predominantly transient. Although there is overlap between the two groups, certain foods are more likely than others to be tolerated in late childhood and adulthood. The diagnosis of food allergy rests with the detection of food-specific IgE in the context of a convincing history of type I hypersensitivity-mediated symptoms after ingestion of the suspected food or by eliciting IgE-mediated symptoms after controlled administration of the suspected food. Presently, the only available treatment of food allergies is dietary vigilance and administration of self-injectable epinephrine.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (230.6 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bishop J. M., Hill D. J., Hosking C. S. Natural history of cow milk allergy: clinical outcome. J Pediatr. 1990 Jun;116(6):862–867. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(05)80641-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bock S. A., Atkins F. M. The natural history of peanut allergy. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1989 May;83(5):900–904. doi: 10.1016/0091-6749(89)90103-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bock S. A., Lee W. Y., Remigio L., Holst A., May C. D. Appraisal of skin tests with food extracts for diagnosis of food hypersensitivity. Clin Allergy. 1978 Nov;8(6):559–564. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.1978.tb01509.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bock S. A. Prospective appraisal of complaints of adverse reactions to foods in children during the first 3 years of life. Pediatrics. 1987 May;79(5):683–688. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bock S. A., Sampson H. A., Atkins F. M., Zeiger R. S., Lehrer S., Sachs M., Bush R. K., Metcalfe D. D. Double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge (DBPCFC) as an office procedure: a manual. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1988 Dec;82(6):986–997. doi: 10.1016/0091-6749(88)90135-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Bruno G., Giampietro P. G., Del Guercio M. J., Gallia P., Giovannini L., Lovati C., Paolucci P., Quaglio L., Zoratto E., Businco L. Soy allergy is not common in atopic children: a multicenter study. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 1997 Nov;8(4):190–193. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-3038.1997.tb00159.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Dannaeus A., Johansson S. G., Foucard T., Ohman S. Clinical and immunological aspects of food allergy in childhood. I. Estimation of IgG, IgA and IgE antibodies to food antigens in children with food allergy and atopic dermatitis. Acta Paediatr Scand. 1977 Jan;66(1):31–37. doi: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1977.tb07803.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Eggesbø M., Botten G., Halvorsen R., Magnus P. The prevalence of allergy to egg: a population-based study in young children. Allergy. 2001 May;56(5):403–411. doi: 10.1034/j.1398-9995.2001.056005403.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Ewan P. W., Clark A. T. Long-term prospective observational study of patients with peanut and nut allergy after participation in a management plan. Lancet. 2001 Jan 13;357(9250):111–115. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(00)03543-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Ford R. P., Taylor B. Natural history of egg hypersensitivity. Arch Dis Child. 1982 Sep;57(9):649–652. doi: 10.1136/adc.57.9.649. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Grundy Jane, Matthews Sharon, Bateman Belinda, Dean Taraneh, Arshad Syed Hasan. Rising prevalence of allergy to peanut in children: Data from 2 sequential cohorts. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2002 Nov;110(5):784–789. doi: 10.1067/mai.2002.128802. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hefle S. L., Nordlee J. A., Taylor S. L. Allergenic foods. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 1996;36 (Suppl):S69–S89. doi: 10.1080/10408399609527760. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hourihane J. O., Kilburn S. A., Dean P., Warner J. O. Clinical characteristics of peanut allergy. Clin Exp Allergy. 1997 Jun;27(6):634–639. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Hourihane J. O., Roberts S. A., Warner J. O. Resolution of peanut allergy: case-control study. BMJ. 1998 Apr 25;316(7140):1271–1275. doi: 10.1136/bmj.316.7140.1271. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Høst A. Cow's milk protein allergy and intolerance in infancy. Some clinical, epidemiological and immunological aspects. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 1994;5(5 Suppl):1–36. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Høst A., Halken S. A prospective study of cow milk allergy in Danish infants during the first 3 years of life. Clinical course in relation to clinical and immunological type of hypersensitivity reaction. Allergy. 1990 Nov;45(8):587–596. doi: 10.1111/j.1398-9995.1990.tb00944.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Jansen J. J., Kardinaal A. F., Huijbers G., Vlieg-Boerstra B. J., Martens B. P., Ockhuizen T. Prevalence of food allergy and intolerance in the adult Dutch population. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1994 Feb;93(2):446–456. doi: 10.1016/0091-6749(94)90353-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Magnolfi C. F., Zani G., Lacava L., Patria M. F., Bardare M. Soy allergy in atopic children. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 1996 Sep;77(3):197–201. doi: 10.1016/S1081-1206(10)63255-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. May C. D. Objective clinical and laboratory studies of immediate hypersensitivity reactions to foods in asthmatic children. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1976 Oct;58(4):500–515. doi: 10.1016/0091-6749(76)90194-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Ninan T. K., Russell G. Respiratory symptoms and atopy in Aberdeen schoolchildren: evidence from two surveys 25 years apart. BMJ. 1992 Apr 4;304(6831):873–875. doi: 10.1136/bmj.304.6831.873. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Peat J. K., van den Berg R. H., Green W. F., Mellis C. M., Leeder S. R., Woolcock A. J. Changing prevalence of asthma in Australian children. BMJ. 1994 Jun 18;308(6944):1591–1596. doi: 10.1136/bmj.308.6944.1591. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Primeau M. N., Kagan R., Joseph L., Lim H., Dufresne C., Duffy C., Prhcal D., Clarke A. The psychological burden of peanut allergy as perceived by adults with peanut allergy and the parents of peanut-allergic children. Clin Exp Allergy. 2000 Aug;30(8):1135–1143. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2222.2000.00889.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Sampson H. A. Comparative study of commercial food antigen extracts for the diagnosis of food hypersensitivity. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1988 Nov;82(5 Pt 1):718–726. doi: 10.1016/0091-6749(88)90070-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Sampson H. A. Epidemiology of food allergy. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 1996;7(9 Suppl):42–50. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-3038.1996.tb00394.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Sampson H. A., Mendelson L., Rosen J. P. Fatal and near-fatal anaphylactic reactions to food in children and adolescents. N Engl J Med. 1992 Aug 6;327(6):380–384. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199208063270603. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Sampson H. A. Utility of food-specific IgE concentrations in predicting symptomatic food allergy. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2001 May;107(5):891–896. doi: 10.1067/mai.2001.114708. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Sicherer S. H., Muñoz-Furlong A., Burks A. W., Sampson H. A. Prevalence of peanut and tree nut allergy in the US determined by a random digit dial telephone survey. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1999 Apr;103(4):559–562. doi: 10.1016/s0091-6749(99)70224-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Sicherer S. H., Sampson H. A. Cow's milk protein-specific IgE concentrations in two age groups of milk-allergic children and in children achieving clinical tolerance. Clin Exp Allergy. 1999 Apr;29(4):507–512. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2222.1999.00520.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Skolnick H. S., Conover-Walker M. K., Koerner C. B., Sampson H. A., Burks W., Wood R. A. The natural history of peanut allergy. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2001 Feb;107(2):367–374. doi: 10.1067/mai.2001.112129. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Sloan A. E., Powers M. E. A perspective on popular perceptions of adverse reactions to foods. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1986 Jul;78(1 Pt 2):127–133. doi: 10.1016/0091-6749(86)90002-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Spergel J. M., Beausoleil J. L., Pawlowski N. A. Resolution of childhood peanut allergy. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2000 Dec;85(6 Pt 1):473–476. doi: 10.1016/S1081-1206(10)62574-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Tariq S. M., Stevens M., Matthews S., Ridout S., Twiselton R., Hide D. W. Cohort study of peanut and tree nut sensitisation by age of 4 years. BMJ. 1996 Aug 31;313(7056):514–517. doi: 10.1136/bmj.313.7056.514. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Tikkanen S., Kokkonen J., Juntti H., Niinimäki A. Status of children with cow's milk allergy in infancy by 10 years of age. Acta Paediatr. 2000 Oct;89(10):1174–1180. doi: 10.1080/080352500750027529. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Vander Leek T. K., Liu A. H., Stefanski K., Blacker B., Bock S. A. The natural history of peanut allergy in young children and its association with serum peanut-specific IgE. J Pediatr. 2000 Dec;137(6):749–755. doi: 10.1067/mpd.2000.109376. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Zeiger R. S., Sampson H. A., Bock S. A., Burks A. W., Jr, Harden K., Noone S., Martin D., Leung S., Wilson G. Soy allergy in infants and children with IgE-associated cow's milk allergy. J Pediatr. 1999 May;134(5):614–622. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(99)70249-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Environmental Health Perspectives are provided here courtesy of American Chemical Society

RESOURCES