The 14 most common foods that are known to cause allergies in Europe are celery, gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, peanuts, sesame, soybeans, sulphur dioxide and sulphites. In North America, tree nuts cannot be exempt from that list.

So far there is not only one cause known to be responsible for the growth of allergies worldwide. Medical experts consider a mix of factors such as pollution, dietary changes and less exposure to microbes, which change the way our immune systems respond to causing the rise of food allergies. 

While we have yet to find a cure for peanut allergies, the good news is that there are new innovations in food allergies that are making the quality of life for people with allergies a little bit better. 

Food Allergen Detection Device 

More positivity in the field of food allergies, aiming to keep people with allergies safe are food sensors- detecting whether your food contains allergens. One of these revolutionary products is Nima Sensor.

Nima Sensor is a practical solution for people with allergies that love to travel and visit restaurants. Unfortunately, many restaurants do not understand the severity of allergies and sometimes can unintentionally serve food that has in near contact to the food known to cause allergies. Although this technology is not perfect and has certain limitations (such as testing peanut contained in alcohol) it is a step in the right direction. 

“I have yet to try one of these myself. My questions are around cross-contamination however for my celiac little sister, Hyped Up Harvest, these seem like an absolutely perfect fit.”

Jennifer, Her Allergic Travels
Anaphylactic to Peanuts & Tree Nuts

Early-age Food Allergy Treatments 

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, an estimated 4-6% of children have some sort of food allergy. Recent studies have shown that early introduction to peanuts and nuts can possibly prevent future food allergies, thus making early introduction for allergen food from an early- age, even infant, potentially very important. 

Luckily medicine has made progress. New products such as Aralyte and Hello, Peanut, that can even be mixed with formula and inserted into a baby’s diet as early as 4-5 months old.  

“This has continued to be a controversial point because this is not proven to be the case for everyone, and exposure to a food allergen does generate a very different response depending on how allergic you are. I personally am still told, probably once a month, by someone (other than my allergist) that “they say if you have peanuts in small doses it actually can improve.” Not if you’re me. I am far too allergic for which my allergist, unfortunately, agrees. It’s extremely important to get your information from professional sources. They have the latest information the tools to test you before trying a DIY immunotherapy treatment.”

Jennifer, Her Allergic Travels
Anaphylactic to Peanuts & Tree Nuts

New alternatives to EpiPen

EpiPen is known as the most common and standard option for people who experience a life-threatening allergic reaction – anaphylaxis. And it is also quite pricey. Reaching even  600 USD per purchase depending on the country. 

During the last several years, new alternatives to EpiPen such as Emerade, Adrenaclick and Symjepi have emerged, some of which are at a more affordable price range. 

“The premium of this household brand used to come with a certain the comfort of quality, but with an Epipen’s needle length put into question following a recent tragedy, in addition to the frequent shortages we’re having (here in Canada at least) I currently am carrying only have one Epipen, Allerject and Emerade.”

Jennifer, Her Allergic Travels
Anaphylactic to Peanuts & Tree Nuts

New Treatments

So far there is no cure for food allergies. On the positive note, new treatments have emerged which can improve the quality of life for people with allergies. If your severity is low enough, you may be eligible for Oral Immunotherapy or a “food challenge”

Oral Immunotherapy includes feeding a patient with small doses of the allergen food under medical supervision. This type of therapy does not cure food allergy, but it makes patients tolerant to small doses of the food protein causing the food allergy. These treatments are still in the development stages, but they are bringing a positive outlook for the quality of life of people with allergies. 

“I actually had a severe allergic reaction 10 years after doing my food challenge for tree nuts. I no longer can eat them and am told by my allergist that my scenario is a common one: 10 years ago no one was telling patients they had to keep eating the allergen in small doses after the challenge was complete. It is, quite tragically, for that reason that I ate Nutella (hazelnut) at breakfast last year, however, am now told to avoid all tree nuts thanks to an Almond later that night”

Jennifer, Her Allergic Travels
Anaphylactic to Peanuts & Tree Nuts

Allergen Sniffing Dogs 

Yes! Organizations training dogs to detect allergen food that exist in the world. For example, a dog is being trained to detect peanuts. Once the dog scents peanuts it will sit as an alert that the allergen is present nearby. 

Hopefully, all this is making you feel positive about the future. For more information about allergies, we advise you to consult with a local allergist.

Unfortunately, the number of people allergic to food is growing by the day. According to data by The Food Allergy Organization approximately 32 million people have some sort of a food allergy in the USA alone.  It is also estimated that at least two children in one classroom are likely to be allergic to some food. 

More than 170 foods are reported to cause allergy, with eight being most common: milk, peanuts, eggs, tree nuts, shellfish, wheat, soy, fish. In some cases they cause severe allergic reactions called anaphylaxis. 

Food allergies have been increasing constantly for the last 30 years. With no link to only one factor, some of the elements causing the increase of allergies to food worldwide may include pollution, dietary changes and less exposure to microbes, which change the way our immune systems respond.

Common food allergies and food families 

The most common allergies in adults are: peanuts, tree nuts, milk and shellfish . Although some allergies can be outgrown, for the previously mentioned food allergies it is generally considered that they cannot be outgrown. 

Because different foods belong to different food families it is quite possible for one person, allergic to one member of a certain food family to be allergic to other members of the same food family as well. This is called cross- reactivity. The food proteins are similar and the body recognises the protein of the food you are allergic to when you are consuming food from the same food family, thus causing an allergic reaction. 

For example: Peanuts belong to the pea family. Beans, soybeans, black-eyed peas, licorice and tragacanth also belong to the same food family. Thus, people allergic to peanuts in some cases may also be allergic to beans and peas, but not necessarily allergic to other nuts. Because they are not related. Another example is with people allergic to potatoes. They may also be allergic to tomatoes, but not to sweet potatoes, because sweet potatoes do not belong to any food family. 

According to some studies there is a 90% risk that a person allergic to cow milk will also have allergic symptoms when consuming goat and sheep milk. The risk is much lower (5%) for mare’s milk. 

Because the protein is the same, during an allergies blood test, the allergy may be recognised because your immune system will recognise the protein, but you may actually be able to tolerate consuming that food. For example studies have shown that 50% of people allergic to peanuts will be allergic to other legumes as well, but 95% of them can tolerate and eat the cross-reactive legumes. 

Individual reactions to foods from the same family vary therefore one must always consult with an allergist. 

Below we are adding a list of food families. If you or any of your loved ones  are sensitive to one food, be careful with all related foods. 

Although there are new modern approaches to the treatment of food allergies, most medical experts on food allergy recommend avoiding the foods you are allergic to and always being prepared in case you suffer from anaphylaxis. 

Although it is not a significant improvement of life for people with allergies, being well informed and reading the labels of the products is important to make yourself and your close ones feel safer. 

If you want to learn more about food allergies we advise you to reach out to local allergists.

Also, the number of new brands that are offering plant-based food has grown recently making people who are curious about tasting new food go part-time vegan. 

Sadly, for people with peanut allergies, which is 1 in 50 children and 1 in every 200 adults, switching to a plant-based diet is even more challenging. But, not impossible. 

We asked our team’s expert and committed vegan, Sofi, for her advice:

So here are some quick “entry-level” vegan meals that are easy to prepare and very delicious. Most importantly, they do not contain peanuts, soy or legumes. 

Vegan Pizza

Honestly sometimes I go with the flow. I find a recipe that is not typically known as plant-based and I veganize it. That is how I started making yummy vegan pizza for myself. 

You will need: 

• Vegan Cheese – While there are many cashew vegan cheese, mine is typically made from coconut and other extracts. There are different brands of vegan cheese, you can choose the best fit for you. 

• Tomatoes 

• Olives 

• Mushrooms 

• Origano 

• Ready pizza dough (if you do not have time to make the dough by yourself) 

Pit the ingredients on the pizza dough in the following order: cheese, tomatoes, mushrooms, olives and add in origano at the end. Add the quantity of ingredients you find suitable for the people to whom you want to serve delicious vegan pizza. Bake for 15 -20 minutes at 250 degrees. 

Quinoa with vegetables 

This is also a very simple  and tasty recipe. You will need: 

• Quinoa – I usually put around 100 grams for 2 meals. Therefore I recommend you measure 50grams per serving. 

• Zucchini – 2 small ones (for 2 servings)

• Potatoes – 3 small ones (for 2 servings)

• Onion – 1 is enough for rich flavor

• And my favorite – Origano 

• 2 tablespoons of oil (any kind you use) 

Wash the vegetables and cut them in small circles. Oil the baking pot and start laying out the ingredients in the following order: first the potatoes, second the quinoa seed, third the zucchini and last the onion circles. Add in the origano and bake for 25-30 minutes at 250 degrees. 

Pasta with vegan cheese and broccoli 

Again. A very simple everyday recipe that can be -veganized. 

For this one you will need: 

• Vegan pasta – I usually use 100g per serving 

• Vegan cheese – as mentioned previously – most of them are made by coconut oil and extracts therefore feel free to choose any brand that suits you. I usually put 30-50 grams per serving. 

• Fresh broccoli – 200 grams per serving. 

• 0.5 tablespoon oil (any kind) 

• 2 tsp salt 

• And… you guessed it -origano. 

Follow these steps. Boil the pasta like you usually do with 1 teaspoon of salt and 0.5 tablespoon of oil. Meanwhile, boil the fresh broccoli with 1 teaspoon of salt. Once the pasta and the broccoli are cooked, put them in an eating bowl. Cut the cheese into small pieces of dice. Add in the origano and mix the ingredients. 

For extra taste you can add in a tomato sauce. 

My tips is to experiment with taste within your range of possibilities. Google a famous recipe and try to make it suit your lifestyle. With time you will learn and you will make it a routine. 

I hope you will have an enjoyable time cooking and tasting new food. 

Bon Appetit!