Food Allergies? Read the Labels

Many parents of infants and toddlers are told that food allergies don’t happen that young, or that they are very rare. We have learned that food allergies certainly do happen and that they are common, affecting about one in 18 children before the third birthday. In fact according to the first federal study on the problem, about three million children are affected.

And some are never outgrown. For example, whereas most milk allergy is outgrown over time, most allergies to peanuts and tree nuts are never lost. Food allergy can be so severe that the most trivial contact with the food causes immediate itching, tingling, and/or swelling of the lips, tongue, and throat.

A food allergy can be life-threatening triggering anaphylactic shock. Most life threatening food allergies are to peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, or fish. In adults, the most common foods that cause allergic reactions are shellfish, such as shrimp, crayfish, lobster, and crab; nuts from trees, such as walnuts; fish, eggs and peanuts. In children, the pattern is somewhat different from adults, and the most common foods that cause allergic reactions are eggs, milk, peanuts, and fruits, particularly tomatoes and strawberries. Children sometimes outgrow their allergies but adults usually do not lose theirs.

Foods that trigger reactions are often almost hidden in the foods that we buy. So it’s very important to read the labels. But sometimes those aren’t easy to understand.

Here’s help. It will tell you how to read a label for a milk-free diet, or a peanut-free diet or a wheat-free diet…and others with a list of ingredients to avoid for that particular problem.  It’s from the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network. You might want to copy it and carry it with you when you shop.

Click here for more.

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