New FSA study highlights nuts as the main cause of allergic reaction.
The study shows that more than 30% of adults reported having food hypersensitivity. However when this was investigated further through a clinical assessment, it was found that only 6% of the UK adult population have a clinically confirmed food allergy.
It found that:
1. Foods such as peanuts and tree nuts like hazelnuts, walnuts and almonds, are most likely to cause an allergic reaction
2. Many individuals also had allergies to fresh fruits such as apple, peach and kiwi frui. These are associated with allergies to birch pollen, also known as pollen-food allergy syndrome or oral allergy syndrome
3. Other foods currently on the allergy schedule such as soybean, celery, mustard, fish, shellfish and lupin, rarely caused IgE*-mediated food allergy
*IgE is a type of antibody in your immune system. It leads to quick reactions in the body after eating food, usually after a few minutes. Small quantities of food protein bind to IgE receptors in the body. This causes inflammatory chemicals to release, leading to a reaction.