Allergens in food
This post is also available in:
This post is also available in:
Español (Spanish) 
Ελληνικά (Greek)
What are the major allergens in food?
Allergens in food are substances that can trigger an allergic reaction in individuals. Food allergies are abnormal responses to food. The immune system is involved as a defense mechanism that identifies the specific food as an invader or allergen. Then the immune system reacts to the invader by producing immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies. The type of IgE produced depends on the type of allergen. A food allergy can cause life-threatening reactions by eating, touching, or inhaling even microscopic amounts of food.
Depending on the country you are probably more or less allergens have been identified as majors and is imperative to list them:
The major identified food allergens are:
- Milk
- Eggs
- Fish (e.g., bass, flounder, cod)
- Crustacean shellfish (e.g., crab, lobster, prawns, shrimp)
- Tree nuts (e.g., almonds, walnuts, pecans)
- Peanuts
- Wheat
- Soybeans
- Sesame
- Celery
- Cereals containing gluten (wheat, barley, oats)
- Lupin
- Mollusks (mussels, oysters)
- Mustard
- Sulfur dioxide and sulfites (if they are at a concentration of more than ten parts per million)
Food allergy Vs. Food intolerance
What is food intolerance?
It is important to note that food allergens are different from food intolerances. Food intolerance involves only the digestive system. Food intolerance occurs when the person is unable to break down the food properly. Reasons for that might be sensitive to food additives/ingredients, enzyme deficiencies, or other naturally occurring reactions. If the person eats small amounts of the food possible, he will not experience any symptoms.
Which are the food safety hazards?
References,
ESFA, Chemical contaminants in food and feed
Government of Canada, Chapter 4: Food Safety Hazards
Antonella Cianferoni, Jonathan M Spergel, Food Allergy: Review, Classification and Diagnosis, Allergology International, Volume 58, Issue 4, 2009, Pages 457-466, ISSN 1323-8930, https://doi.org/10.2332/allergolint.09-RAI-0138.
Food Standards Agency, Government of UK, Allergen guidance for food businesses
Government of Canada, Province of Manitoba, Physical Hazards in Food
Iweala OI, Choudhary SK, Commins SP. Food Allergy. Curr Gastroenterol Rep. 2018 Apr 5;20(5):17. doi: 10.1007/s11894-018-0624-y. PMID: 29623490; PMCID: PMC5940350.
Harvard Medical School, 2021, Common food additives and chemicals harmful to children
Jain A, Mathur P. Evaluating Hazards Posed by Additives in Food- A Review of Studies Adopting A Risk Assessment Approach. Curr Res Nutr Food Sci 2015;3(3). http://dx.doi.org/10.12944/CRNFSJ.3.3.08
University of Nebraska, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Food Allergy research and resource program
Forbes JD. Clinically Important Toxins in Bacterial Infection: Utility of Laboratory Detection. Clin Microbiol Newsl. 2020 Oct 15;42(20):163-170. doi: 10.1016/j.clinmicnews.2020.09.003. Epub 2020 Oct 7. PMID: 33046946; PMCID: PMC7541054.
Senesi S, Ghelardi E. Production, secretion and biological activity of Bacillus cereus enterotoxins. Toxins (Basel). 2010 Jul;2(7):1690-703. doi: 10.3390/toxins2071690. Epub 2010 Jun 29. PMID: 22069656; PMCID: PMC3153264.
Rather IA, Koh WY, Paek WK, Lim J. The Sources of Chemical Contaminants in Food and Their Health Implications. Front Pharmacol. 2017 Nov 17;8:830. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00830. PMID: 29204118; PMCID: PMC5699236.
Ssemugabo C, Bradman A, Ssempebwa JC, Sillé F, Guwatudde D. Pesticide Residues in Fresh Fruit and Vegetables from Farm to Fork in the Kampala Metropolitan Area, Uganda. Environ Health Insights. 2022 Jul 10;16:11786302221111866. doi: 10.1177/11786302221111866. PMID: 35846167; PMCID: PMC9277444.
