Research

Why look at research on food allergies? Studies include a lot of great information, ranging from how risky things can be (e.g. eating a “may contain”) to how many teens with allergies carry an epinephrine auto-injector to a school dance.

Browse through some of the key findings in the food allergy studies below. You’ll be surprised by what you can learn!

• Food allergy management from the perspective of restaurant and food establishment personnel
• "May Contain Peanuts" What does it mean to you?
• Presence of Undeclared Peanut Protein in Chocolate Bars Imported from Europe
• Risk-taking and coping strategies of adolescents and young adults with food allergy
• The hazards of kissing when you are food allergic
• Canadians lack awareness on how to respond to potentially fatal allergic reactions

In a nutshell: This study examines the knowledge of foodservice staff, their perception of key elements of a safe eating experience, and their ability to provide allergen-safe meals.

Who took part?
42 managers
32 servers
24 chefs
2 others

Representing:

48 restaurants
18 fast food
34 take-out (e.g. bakeries, pizza)

Results:

What was their comfort level with providing an allergen-safe meal?

• 72% were ‘somewhat or very comfortable’
• 70% provided a guarantee

Could they recognize common food allergens?

• 80% correctly identified peanut, seafood and milk
• 61% identified egg
• 46% recognized ‘casein’ as milk

Would they be able to manage a food allergy emergency?

• 42% were ‘somewhat or very comfortable’
• 42% received some form of training

How much did they know about allergies?

• 24% thought allergic individuals could safely consume a small amount of an allergen
• 35% thought that intense heat would destroy an allergen
• 25% thought that removing an allergen from a finished food (e.g. taking nuts off) was enough to provide a safe meal

Wrap up:

This study shows that employee comfort level exceeded their actual knowledge of food allergy. Allergic consumers need to be vigilant in making food choices and help foodservice staff understand the importance of an allergy safe meal.
 

Source: R Ahuja and SH Sicherer. Food-allergy management from the perspective of restaurant and food establishment personnel. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2007;98:344-348.

In a nutshell: With an increasing number of manufacturers placing precautionary statements on their product labels, it can be confusing for food allergic consumers to know what risks are associated with these products. This type of precautionary labelling is examined in this study with two key aims:

1. To determine whether food allergic consumers pay attention to advisory labels.
2. To determine whether products with advisory labels actually contain detectable peanut protein.

Who took part?
Consumers
Total 1,270
- 625 in 2003
- 645 in 2006
- 96% were parents of food allergic children.

How much food was tested?
200 packaged foods (2 lot #s, 400 samples)
- 179 had allergy advisory labels for peanuts
- 21 listed peanuts as a minor ingredient

Results:
Do consumers pay attention to label warnings?

• Consumers in 2006 (75%) were less likely to pay attention to label warnings than in 2003 (85%)
• 86% avoid ‘may contain’ statements
• 79% would avoid a product with “manufactured in a facility…” statement
• 58% avoid "packaged in a facility that packages products containing ‘X’"

Do labels that have precautionary statements (e.g. "may contain") actually contain any peanut?
Products with allergy advisory label for peanuts:

• 7% had detectable levels of peanuts in amounts that could elicit allergic reactions
• Highest residue found on products with a “shared facility” statement. (Remember only 58% of participants said they avoid products with this statement)
• Products with peanuts listed last on ingredient list: 33% had detectable levels of protein
• Peanut residue was also found in 2 of 51 products with a “may contain” statement, 3 of 57 products with a “shared equipment” statement, and 1 of 3 products with a unique allergy statement

Wrap up:

Food allergic consumers should not ignore precautionary warnings! It is simply not worth the risk, since there is always a chance that the product actually contains peanut.

Source: Hefle, S.L., T.J. Furlong, L. Niemann, H. LemonMule, S. Sicherer, S.L. Taylor, (2007), "Consumer Attitudes and Risks Associated With Packaged Foods Having Advisory Labeling Regarding the Presence of Peanuts,'' Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 120(1):171176.

In a nutshell: Researchers compare food labelling between chocolate bars manufactured in North America and Europe. Testing was done on products with precautionary labelling (e.g. "may contain") and without (no advisory statement and peanuts were not a listed ingredient) from both continents to see if one had more detectable peanut protein than the other.

What was tested?
92 Total Chocolate Bars
32 Manufactured in North America
60 Manufactured in Europe

Results:

• None of the 32 North American chocolate products, including 19 with precautionary labeling (i.e. statements such as "may contain"), contained detectable peanut protein.
   
• 30.8% of products from Western Europe without precautionary labeling contained detectable levels of peanut protein.
   
• 62% of products from Eastern Europe without precautionary labeling contained detectable levels of peanut protein.

Wrap Up:
Those with a peanut allergy should be wary of chocolate bars from Europe. If unsure, don’t take the chance and stick to a brand you are familiar with. Although none of the 32 North American chocolate products showed detectable peanut protein in this study, an allergic individual should never take the chance on any precautionary labelling on food products.
 

Source: Vadas P, Perelman B. Presence of undeclared peanut protein in chocolate bars imported from Europe. Journal of Food Protection 2003, Vol. 66, No. 10, pp. 1932-1934.

In a nutshell: This study examines when food allergic teens and young adults carry their auto-injectors, if they eat potentially unsafe foods, and whether or not they tell their friends about their food allergies.

Who took part?
174 youth
49% male, 51% female
Average age = 16
75% had a peanut allergy
75% had 2 or more food allergies
87% had been prescribed epinephrine auto-injectors

Results:

When do teens/young adults carry an auto-injector?

• 61% reported that they “always” carry an epinephrine auto-injector

This frequency varied according to activity:

• 94% - travelling
• 81% - restaurants
• 67% - friend’s home
• 61% - school dance
• 53% - wearing tight clothes
• 43% - sports

Eating unsafe foods

• 54% - indicated purposefully ingesting a potentially unsafe food
• Of these:
  • 17% - did this a few times a month or more
  • 44% - a few times a year
  • 39% - only once or twice in their lifetime
  • 42% - were willing to eat a food labelled “may contain” an allergen.

When do food allergic teens/young adults read labels?

• 64% - always
• 18% - most of the time
• 15% - only for foods never eaten before
• 4% - half of the time or less

How many tell their friends about their allergy?

• 60% tell their friends about their allergy
• 68% believe education of their friends would making living with food allergy easier

Wrap up:

Teens and young adults are taking a surprising amount of risk when it comes to life-threatening food allergies. Those at risk for anaphylaxis should carry their epinephrine auto-injector with them everywhere they go, regardless of the perceived risk. They should never eat something that they are not 100% sure is safe, and they will likely find life easier the more educated their friends are.
 
Source: Sampson MA, Muñoz-Furlong A, Sicherer SH: Risk-taking and coping strategies of adolescents and young adults with food allergy. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2006, 117:1440-1445.

In a nutshell: This research study addresses the question of whether or not it is safe for an allergic individual to kiss someone who has recently ingested something to which the allergic individual is allergic.

Who took part?
1139 patients
34.5% male, 65.5% females
Average age = 29

Results:

Kissing

• 12% of patients experienced allergic symptoms when in close contact (e.g., kissing) with a person who had eaten a non-tolerated food prior to contact.
• Some case histories suggested that the symptoms only appeared if the food intake had occurred immediately before the kiss.

Other Findings

• 55% had problems in daily life finding tolerable food
• 44% were afraid of a severe reaction from eating non-tolerated food
• 13% could experience symptoms when sitting beside a person who was eating such a food
• 17% could experience symptoms in the kitchen when someone else was preparing such food

Wrap up:

Kissing someone who has ingested an individual’s allergen can cause an allergic reaction. Experts advise that brushing one’s teeth and waiting for an extended period of time after eating the allergen will reduce the risk.
 

Source: Eriksson NE, Moller C, Werner S, Magnusson J, Bengtsson U. The hazards of kissing when you are food allergic. A survey on the occurrence of kiss-induced allergic reactions among 1139 patients with self-reported food hypersensitivity. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol 2003; 13:149-54.

In a nutshell: A national survey examines the allergy awareness of non-allergic Canadians and their perceived ability to help in an allergy emergency situation.

Who took part?

1,502 Canadians

Do Canadians know what the term "anaphylaxis" means?

• About one-in-three Canadians say they know what anaphylaxis is (27%), with women more familiar with the term than men (34% vs. 20%)

Would Canadians know what to do if they saw someone having an allergic reaction?

• 45% say they would know what to do if they saw someone having an allergic reaction
• Older Canadians tend to know what to do if they saw someone having an allergic reaction more so than younger adults: only 36% of 18-25 year olds said they would know what to do
• 55% say they would be comfortable administering EpiPen^®, if necessary

How much do Canadians know about reactions?

• 55% realize that the very first allergic reaction may require hospitalization
• 40% falsely believe that the first allergic reaction, such as to a bee sting, probably won't be severe enough to require hospitalization
• Only one-in-five Canadians correctly stated that milk and peanuts can both cause a serious reaction
• 75% of Canadians think peanuts will cause a more serious allergic reaction than milk

Wrap up:

Average Canadians may not be as educated and aware about allergies as an allergic individual would hope for. This makes it very important for those with allergies to educate family and friends on anaphylaxis and what they can do to help.

Source: King Pharmaceuticals. New study shows most Canadians not prepared for potentially fatal allergic reactions. August 21, 2007.