What is a Food Allergy Anyway?
We hear the term “food allergy” often, but we must understand it for the “medical condition” it is. A food allergy occurs when the body’s immune system mistakes food, or protein in a food, for a foreign substance which then triggers an immune response. This can result in reactions ranging from mild to serious. Tingling lips, itchy skin, and hives are examples of mild reactions, whereas swelling of the tongue and tightening of the throat are examples of more severe reactions.
Anaphylaxis is the most severe reaction to a food allergen. The effects of anaphylaxis are immediate and cause the blood pressure to drop and the airways to narrow. Anaphylaxis can result in death if not treated with the drug epinephrine. Currently, there is no cure for food allergies. In the absence of a cure, strict avoidance is the only strategy to prevent allergic reactions to food!
Food allergy consumers find labels confusing. Fortunately, Eatiquette can help them to quickly make informed choices when they shop.
Who is Allergic to Food?
According to the Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), 32 million Americans are at risk of anaphylaxis due to eating a food allergen, including 5.6 million children under age 18 (1). That is 10% of the entire United States Population. While you may not have a food allergy, it is likely someone you know, and love does suffer from this medical condition.
85 Million Americans avoid purchasing top 9 allergens because of their, or someone in their household’s, allergy or food intolerance. Some may even avoid foods they could eat because of confusing food allergy labels on packaged food.
The Big 8 & The Big 14 Food Allergens
While the US government recognizes that more than 160 foods can cause allergic reactions, the eight major food allergens identified by Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) account for over 90 percent of all food allergies in the US. These allergens are also the most likely to result in severe or life-threatening reactions.
FALCPA requires that a food label that includes any of the 8 major allergens or derivatives must declare that allergen’s presence. The United States recognizes 8 foods/food groups as major allergens:
- Cow’s Milk
- Eggs
- Fish (finfish – i.e., bass, flounder, cod, etc.)
- Crustacean shellfish (i.e., crab, lobster, shrimp)
- Tree nuts (i.e., almonds, walnuts, pecans)
- Peanuts
- Wheat
- Soybeans
Legislation is underway for a 9th allergen, Sesame, to be declared by food manufacturers.
Hop on over to Europe, and you’ll notice that the European Union recognizes 14 major allergens; that’s six more allergens than are formalized in the US! Here are the additional allergens:
- Not only wheat, but all cereals containing gluten (including specific varieties like spelt and Khorasan/Kamut, as well as rye, barley, oats, and derivatives thereof)
- Not only cow’s milk but also milk from any farmed animal (goats, buffalo, sheep, etc., even camels)
- Celery (including leaves, seeds, stalks, and celeriac)
- Mustard
- Sesame seeds
- Lupin (a flour/seed often found in bread, pastries, and some pasta)
- Molluscs (i.e., clams, oysters, scallops, squids, etc.)
What about Sulfites and other Sensitivities or Intolerances?
Sulfites, Tartrazine (FD&C Yellow #5), and Lactose are just some examples that do not elicit true allergic reactions despite giving severe discomfort. They cause a form of food intolerance. Sensitive people may tolerate some amounts in their diets with no ill effects but naturally will want to avoid these ingredients.
So buying what types of foods puts you most at risk, of accidentally eating an allergen?
We reviewed our over 18,000 products in 7 categories and found the common allergens are everywhere, except maybe fruit sauces. We’ll update this blog and some of these graphs once we include more products in our database!
As can be expected, Ice cream most commonly contains milk products (88%). What surprised us more is that in the cereal & granola bars category 72% contain soy and 66% contain milk. In general, there is a high chance of this product category containing one of the 9 most common allergens except for the fish allergens.
Many people suffer from food allergies, 8mln alone suffer from shellfish allergies. While shellfish may not be found in many products. it is a different kind of risk for the 4mln people suffering from a tree nut allergy while 26% of products in our database contain this ingredient!
How Can Eatiquette Help?
At Eatiquette, our focus is on ingredients. We can help you reduce your exposure to food allergens by quickly identifying which products contain the ingredients that are safe for your consumption.
Pull up your Eatiquette app, and let’s get started!
We have already developed a default list of Ingredient Concerns that includes 4 of the 14 internationally recognized allergens as default ingredients: milk, eggs, peanut, and sulfate/sulfites. But what about all the other any other allergens?
Eatiquette is designed for your personal preferences, so you can search for and add any specific allergens to your list of Ingredient Concerns. We’ll capture more than just the 14, so even chili, bell pepper, banana, apple, mushrooms, you name it. But let’s use “almonds” as an example.
Adding an Allergy to Your Eatiquette App
Search for the term “almond”, and you’ll see this:
By clicking on the “+” sign to the right, you’ll include any ingredient that contains ‘almond’ as your concern, including almond extract and almond oil. Any ingredient with ‘almond’ in it is now part of your personalized list of Ingredient Concerns! Then make sure to scroll the bottom to “Save Changes.”
Get Food Allergen Alerts in Eatiquette
Now, let’s see how this works by searching for tasty granola. While this “Soft Baked Whole Grain Granola” from Vans looks pretty good, you will notice that in the list of ingredients the word “Almonds” is highlighted in red!
Click the red hexagonal symbol on the left until it is highlighted in red and that item is now on your “Stop List.”
If the product did not contain an ingredient of concern, then you will tap the green outlined star on the right until it is highlighted in green, and that item would be on your “Go list.”
Next time you’re searching for granola in the Eatiquette app, you’ll see that the thumbnails of items are highlighted either in red (Stop), green (Go) or not at all.
Allergen Synonym & Different Spelling Alerts
Our Eatiquette app captures permutations of ingredient spellings. For instance, there are over 22 different permutations including synonyms for “Yellow Dye No. 5,” and the Eatiquette app will catch them all!
While artificial colors aren’t listed as major allergens by the U.S. or EU, they are an ingredient of concern for many people. We plan on publishing a blog post dedicated solely to artificial colors soon, so subscribe to our Blog updates and don’t miss a beat on ingredients.
The Eatiquette app can also be used in real-time at the grocery store by using the scan option over a product’s barcode. So whether you are on the go or cozy at home, the Eatiquette app is an excellent tool in your allergy toolbox.
Disclaimer
People, and parents of children with food allergies, spend their lives in a constant state of risk. This may sound hyperbolic, but food presents a real danger for people with food allergies. The Eatiquette app can help you be vigilant about choosing allergen-free items for your family and loved ones.
However, be aware that if you, or your child’s, allergic condition is serious, do not depend solely on the Eatiquette app. We are here to provide an ingredient tool, but we can’t take the place of your own label scanning and research.
If you know someone who suffers from food allergies and the burden of buying safe products, then share this post with them! Thanks for reading.
