Food Allergens

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Summary:

There are 14 types of food allergens that can affect us from birth and carry on for the duration of our lives. These must be declared by law on restaurant/take away menu’s as well as on food packaging.

Statistics:

Charities:

Not-Profit Groups:

Organisations	Location	Est.	Services
Irish Food Allergy Network	Nationwide	2013	The site content is intended for use by regulated healthcare professionals. Its aim is to help in diagnosing and managing suspected food allergy by regulated health care staff in community and hospital settings.
Irish Nutrition & Dietetic Institute	Dublin	1958	We WORK WITH policy makers, health professionals, the public and individual patients, families and carers to inform them on nutrition and diet. We also ADVOCATE for adequate resources to deliver quality services.
Food Safety Authority Ireland	Nationwide	1999	The principal function of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland is to protect consumers and raise compliance through partnership, science and food law enforcement. We are a statutory, independent and science-based body, dedicated to protecting public health and consumer interests in the area of food safety and hygiene.
Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) Formerly known as the Irish Medicines Board (IMB)	Dublin	2014	We grant licences for medicines following a review of their safety, quality and effectiveness.
Safe food	Cork	1999	Promotion of food safety, Research into food safety, Communication of nutritional advice, Promotion of scientific co-operation and laboratory linkages, Provide independent scientific advice, Deliver consumer focused review

Information:

Food Allergens

There are 14 types of food allergens that can affect us from birth and carry on for the duration of our lives as listed below. These must be declared by law.

Cereals containing gluten – wheat (such as spelt and khorasan wheat), rye, barley, oats Note: The cereal name e.g ‘wheat’, must be declared and highlighted, not ‘gluten’
Crustaceans e.g. crabs, prawns, lobsters
Eggs
Fish
Peanuts
Soybeans
Milk
Nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecan nuts, brazil nuts, pistachio nuts, macademia/Quensland nut) Note: The name of the nut, e.g. ‘almond’, must be declared and highlighted, not ‘nuts’
Celery
Mustard
Sesame Seeds
Sulphur Dioxide and sulphites (at concentrations of more than 10mg/kg or 10mg/L in terms of total sulphur dioxide) – used as a preservative
Lupin
Molluscs e.g. mussels, oysters, squid, snails

Note: there are some derivatives of these allergens which are so highly processed that they are not considered an allergenic risk and so do not need to be highlighted as allergens. View the full list of allergens and exemptions

Allergen	Allergens are antigenic proteins which cause allergy
Allergic Sensitisation	Occurs when an individual who produces IgE to a particular allergen (atopic) does not have a clinical allergic reaction when exposed to it. This is why using specific IgE as an allergy screen is inappropriate as many people are sensitised to an allergen rather than allergic to it.
Allergy	An abnormal immune reaction to a substance which is not in itself harmful. It can be described as immediate or delayed. Immediate allergy is usually, but not exclusively, mediated by IgE and is also known as type 1 hypersensitivity
Anaphylaxis	A serious allergic reaction that involves more than one organ system (for example, skin and respiratory tract and/or gastrointestinal tract), can begin very rapidly, and can cause death.
Angioedema	Angioedema is characterized by: A sudden, pronounced swelling of the lower dermis and sub cutis Sometimes pain rather than itching Frequent involvement below mucous membranes Resolution that is slower than for wheals and can take up to 72 h
Asthma	Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways in which many cells play a role, in particular mast cells, eosinophils and T lymphocytes, causes recurrent episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and cough particularly at night and/or in the early morning. These symptoms are usually associated with widespread but variable airflow limitation that is at least partly reversible either spontaneously or with treatment.
Atopy	Atopy is a personal and/or familial tendency, usually in childhood or adolescence, to become sensitized and produce IgE antibodies in response to ordinary exposure to allergens, usually proteins. The production of specific IgE in response to exposure to common environmental allergens such as pollens, animal dander or food. Atopy can also be defined as the presence of certain conditions such as eczema, asthma, hay fever or food allergy.
Eczema	The umbrella term for a local inflammation of the skin should be dermatitis. What is generally known as “atopic eczema/dermatitis” is not one, single disease but rather an aggregation of several diseases with certain characteristics in common. A more appropriate term is eczema. The subgroup related to allergic asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis, i.e. eczema in a person of the atopic constitution, should be called atopic eczema. Close contact with low molecular–weight chemicals may provoke a predominantly TH1 lymphocyte mediated allergic contact dermatitis. The non-allergic variety can also be described by terms like irritant/toxic contact dermatitis.
Food allergy	An immune-mediated hypersensitivity reaction to food divided into IgE (immediate onset) and non IgE mediated (delayed onset) reactions.
Intolerance	A reaction to certain food ingredients or food additives.
RAST	This term no longer used. It refers to obsolete technology. The correct term is serum specific IgE testing.
Rhinitis	Inflammation of the nasal mucosa may be allergic or non-allergic. Referred to rhinoconjunctivitis when also involving conjunctiva. Characterised by 4 cardinal clinical features: Nasal discharge, blockage itch and sneezing.
Urticaria	Urticaria is characterized by the sudden appearance of wheals and/or angioedema. A wheal consists of three typical features: 1. A central swelling of variable size, almost invariably surrounded by a reflex erythema 2. Associated itching or, sometimes, burning sensation 3. A fleeting nature, with the skin returning to its normal appearance usually within 1–24 hrs