Food Allergies and Intolerances
Under the umbrella term adverse food reactions, fall two distinct groups; immune mediated and non immune mediated reactions to food. Immune mediated reactions to food include Food allergy and allergic diseases, such as celiac disease. Non immune mediated reactions are primarily food intolerances.
Food Allergy:
An exaggerated response by the immune system to a food protein.
People with food allergies have immune systems that are sensitive to one or more normally harmless proteins found in food and drink. These substances are called allergens. The immune system registers the allergen as a bad protein and attacks it.
Various clinical syndroms may occur as a result of a food allergy. Food induced anaphylaxis, a serious reaction to food that may cause death, eosinophilic gastroenteritis, an array of symptoms that vary depending on the portion of the gastrointestinal tract involved and atopic dermatitis, also known as atopic eczema is an irritation of the skin, are all examples of conditions that may occur due to food allergies.
Food Intolerance:
An adverse reaction to a food that does not involve the immune system.
A food intolerance or sensitivity is not a food allergy. Food allergies are diseases of the immune system. Intolerances and sensitivities, however, are reactions of one’s digestive system, not the immune system, to certain substances.
The terms allergy, intolerance and (hyper)sensitivity often get confused. There are two predominant umbrella terms for food allergies and food intolerances: "Adverse reactions to food", used by the World Allergy Organisation (WAO) for example, and "food hypersensitivity", used by the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) among others.
You can find information on diagnosis of food allergies and intolerances here
Prevalence:
Recent studies have concluded that the prevalence of food allergies is on the rise. There are a lot of different theories as to why this is. One is the hygiene hypothesis, which theorises that growing up in more sterile environments is a cause. Another theory is that people are exposed to more new foods now that we're a more international community. Many people also hold the belief that by avoiding foods early in life, people may not build up a tolerance to them and have an adverse reaction to the foods when introduced later in life.
Some Common Food Allergies and Intolerances:
| Food allergies | Food intolerances and more |
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Fructose and Sorbitol Malabsorption Gluten Intolerance / Celiac Disease Histamine Intolerance |
DELICARDO Foodcards:
DELICARDO Foodcards are available for sufferers of food allergies and intolerances. For people who have multiple adverse reactions to food there is the possibility of configuring a personalised card in the Foodcard Configurator. DELICARDO Foodcards are chef cards, also known as food allergy and intolerance cards, that help people avoid long explanations when placing orders at restaurants, traveling abroad or other occasions. DELICARDO Foodcards have been recognized by the European Center for Allergy Research Foundation (ECARF) as a product that can help give back quality of life despite allergies.
Standard DELICARDO Foodcards can be found here
To create a personalised DELICARDO Foodcard click here
Resources and sources:
European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (EAACI)
www.eaaci.net
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
www.niaid.nih.gov
(The Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Food Allergy in the United States are particularly useful and can be found here)
The World Allergy Organisation (WAO)
www.worldallergy.org
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA)
www.aafa.org
The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA)
www.allergy.org.au
European Center for Allergy Research Foundation (ECARF)
www.ecarf.org
The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN)
http://www.foodallergy.org/
The Food Standards Agency UK
http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/
The Food Intolerance Network
http://www.food-intolerance-network.com
