Food Allergy: An Overview

All of us eat to survive, and most of us enjoy eating. However, recent studies have found that almost 1 in 20 young children under the age of 5 years and almost 1 in 25 adults are allergic to at least one food. Other studies indicate that food allergy, especially allergy to peanut, is on the rise. As a result, more and more people are becoming aware of food allergy, making it a subject of increasing public concern.

When one person in a family has a food allergy, the whole family is affected. There may be day-to-day anxiety that a loved one may accidentally eat a food that could lead to anaphylaxis, a dangerous allergic reaction.

This booklet will help you understand allergic reactions to foods and their possible causes, and it explains how a healthcare professional diagnoses and treats food allergy.