A European multicentre study has investigated “real-life situations” where food allergens have accidentally been consumed by people with food allergies. The aim was to determine links between the nature and amount of food allergens consumed and the severity of the symptoms.
Conducted between December 2020 and December 2021, the study analysed accidental allergic reactions in 147 people, primarily children, across various settings, including emergency departments, schools, and outpatient clinics. Researchers collected 115 samples from foods responsible for these reactions, quantifying allergen content and correlating it with the severity of symptoms experienced.
The findings revealed that most reactions were triggered by common allergens such as tree nuts, cow’s milk, peanuts, and hen’s eggs, often present in prepackaged foods. Seven reactions occurred after consumption of foods that had either no allergen labelling or featured only Precautionary Allergy Labelling (PAL).
The severity of symptoms varied widely and showed no direct correlation with the amount of allergen ingested, suggesting that sensitivity is highly individual. According to the study authors, this finding raises critical concerns about the reliability of allergen labelling in protecting allergic consumers and highlights inconsistencies in allergen levels found in foods labelled as ‘may contain’ or ‘contains traces.’ However, other experts have responded to the publication, emphasising the need for further research and analysis to address certain areas of the study before any definitive conclusions can be drawn.
These experts point out that factors such as processing methods, cross-reactivity and uneven allergen distribution within food samples can complicate accurate quantification. These and other variables impact the relationship between allergen dose and reaction severity.
Study Reference: Piletta-Zanin, A., et al. (2025). The severity of allergic reactions in a real-world environment is independent of the eliciting amounts of foods. Allergy, 80(1), pp.238-247. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/all.16413.
Correspondence: Po-Huai Su, et al. (2024) Correspondence: Severity of Allergic Reactions Is Independent of the Eliciting Amounts of Foods. Advance. DOI: 10.22541/au.173434746.69025261/v1
