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Allergic reactions to the allergens (mostly proteins) in certain foods can range from mild to severe. However, all allergic symptoms should be taken seriously, no matter how mild.
Symptoms of food allergies vary and can affect the skin, the gastrointestinal tract, the respiratory system, and even the cardiovascular system. Think hives, eczema, redness of the face or eyes, an itchy mouth or ear canal, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach pain, respiratory distress or a strange taste in the mouth.
Typically, symptoms appear within minutes of eating the offending food, but sometimes it can take several hours.
The top five common food allergens are:
• Peanuts
• Eggs
• Dairy
• Wheat
• Soy
While avoiding eggs or dairy might seem simple enough at first, it can be a real challenge to avoid your food allergen if you eat out regularly or indulge in processed foods.
It’s therefore wise to brush up on the most common ways these top five food allergens are hidden in everyday foods.
Peanuts: Foods that may contain peanuts include salad dressings, nougat, baked cookies, chocolate, chilli sauce, commercial marinades and marzipan. Steer clear of these foods if you have a peanut allergy.
Eggs: The white of the egg contains the allergy-causing proteins, but it’s best to avoid the entire egg if you have a known allergy. Egg protein often lurks in foods such as baked goods, batter-fried foods, cream pastries and mayonnaise.
Dairy: An allergy to dairy is very different from being lactose intolerant. An allergy involves the immune system, which reacts adversely to a protein in the milk, whereas lactose intolerance occurs when your body doesn’t produce the enzyme lactase, required to digest the milk sugar lactose. Watch out for foods that contain custard, cake mix, nougat, salad dressings, sherbet, ghee and whey if you’re allergic to dairy.
Wheat: Avoiding wheat can prove very challenging as there are so many products that use it as a binding or thickening agent. A wheat allergy differs from a gluten allergy, and can be very severe. Foods to avoid include cereal extract, couscous, ice cream, ready-made burgers, beer and soy sauce.
Soy: Soybeans are used in most processed foods. This means it’s hidden in virtually everything! Some of the most common foods that contain soy are tofu, vegetable broth, peanut butter, and canned soups.
How to avoid hidden food allergens
If you have a food allergy, it’s vital to read all food product labels carefully and to make sure you understand the various names certain allergens can hide behind. If you’re ever in doubt, call the manufacturer before you eat the food.
A few last tips:
• Print out a list of all potential food allergens and the various names they appear under and take it along to the shops to cross-check ingredient lists.
• Cook with fresh ingredients wherever possible.
• Avoid all processed foods.
- (Amy Froneman)
References:
- The most common food allergens, http://www.healthline.com/health/allergies/most-common-food-allergens#1
- All about food allergies, http://www.foodallergy.org/allergens
- What is a food allergy? http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/page/what-is-a-food-allergy.aspx
