A short educational video explaining prevalence, symptoms, and key facts about food allergies and sensitivities in the U.S. It lists the FDA’s nine major food allergens, differentiates allergies from intolerances/celiac disease, gives age-specific prevalence and prognosis for several allergens (milk, egg, peanut, tree nut, fish, shellfish, wheat, soy, sesame), and notes U.S. labeling guidance by the USDA and FDA.
Questions this video answers
6% of adults and 8% of children have some type of food allergy (per the transcript).
Milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame.
2–3% of children under age three have cow’s milk allergy; about 80% outgrow it by age 16.
Egg allergies: ~2% of children; Peanut allergies: ~2.5% of children; Fish: ~1% of Americans; Shellfish: ~2% of Americans; Wheat: ~1% of children; Sesame: ~0.23% of Americans.
Chapters
Millions of people suffer from food allergies and food hypersensitivities. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and prevention estimates that 6% of adults and 8% of children suffer from some type of food allergy. A food allergy is when the body's immune system reacts to specific proteins in food, causing everything from hives and lip swelling to anaphylaxis, which is a life threatening symptom that causes shock and respiratory problems. Other symptoms of food allergies include flushed skin or rash, an itchy sensation in the mouth, vomiting, abdominal cramps, coughing, dizziness and a drop in blood pressure. Now, symptoms usually arise within minutes to up to two hours after ingesting the food allergen. While there's currently no cure for food allergies, learning what foods to avoid and recognizing the symptoms of a food allergy are important steps to preventing even the most minor of symptoms. The Federal Food and Drug Administration, or FDA has identified the nine leading causes of food allergies in the United States, like milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. An allergy to cow's milk is the most common food allergy amongst children. The American College of Asthma, Allergy and immunology estimates that 2 to 3% of children under the age of three have a cow's milk allergy. The good news is that 80% of these can outgrow the allergy by the time they're 16. A milk allergy is different than lactose intolerance though, even though the two are often confused. Lactose intolerance means that your body's got difficulty digesting the sugar that's found in milk. An allergy, on the other hand, means that your body produces an immune response to the milk that could then lead to anaphylaxis. That's a big and important difference. Egg allergies affect about 2% of children and they involve the body producing an immune reaction to the protein in the egg. Some people are specifically allergic to the egg whites, while others are allergic to the egg yolks. Unfortunately, there is no good way to separate the whites from the yolks in a completely allergy safe way. Peanut allergies are one of the most common and life threatening allergies associated with anaphylaxis and affect about 2.5% of children. A peanut allergy is different from a tree nut allergy because peanuts are considered legumes, not actually nuts. Now that said, as many as 40% of peanut allergic people also suffer from a tree nut allergy and the Number of those suffering from tree nut allergies is increasing. Tree nuts include almonds, cashews, walnuts and pine nuts. Cross contamination from food processing facilities increases the risk for those suffering from a peanut or tree nut allergy. About 1% of all Americans are allergic to fish, but unlike most other allergies, it's not usually discovered until adulthood. Fish allergies are specific to finned fish like tuna, halibut and salmon. And some people with a fish allergy are only allergic to to one type of fish, so guidance from an allergist is definitely recommended. Crustaceans or shellfish include shrimp, lobster and crab. About 2% of Americans are allergic to shellfish, making it the most common food allergy amongst adults. Those with shellfish allergies can often still eat mollusks like oysters, clams and mussels. Approximately 1% of children in the US suffer from a wheat allergy, but about 2/3 of them are going to outgrow it by age 12. Unlike other allergies, wheat allergies aren't always limited to food items and can mean avoiding other products like modeling clay or certain cosmetics that might contain wheat. A wheat allergy isn't the same as celiac disease, which is an autoimmune disorder triggered by the proteins in wheat, barley and rye. Those with a wheat allergy can usually eat items labeled as gluten free as they don't contain wheat. People with a soy allergy need to avoid raw ingredients like soybeans and tofu, but they can often eat processed items like refined soybean oil. They also need to be careful of the dairy free versions of foods like milk, ice cream or cheese, as they often use soy as a dairy replacement. You know, interestingly, research has shown that up to 88% of people with a soy allergy also have a peanut allergy. Sesame is actually the most recent food allergen. It was added to the list in 2023 and it affects about 0.23% of Americans. But you know, sesame is often called different names like Bennet or Tahini. It makes it pretty hard for those that do have a sesame allergy to actually identify safe food products. Luckily, the United States Department of Agriculture or the USDA and the FDA have clear guidelines on food labeling as it relates to food allergens. These directives help to keep those who are suffering from food allergies safe from what could really be a life threatening reaction.
