The document provides an overview of food allergens, detailing major allergens, their sources, symptoms of allergies, and methods for diagnosis and management. Key allergens include gluten, eggs, fish, peanuts, milk, and crustaceans, with various testing methods such as skin prick tests and blood tests outlined for diagnosis. It also emphasizes the importance of allergen information for consumers and proper food handling to prevent allergic reactions.

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2. FOOD ALLERGENS
By: Rana Kinza Akhtar
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3. CONTENTS
 DEFINITION
 MAJOR FOOD ALLERGENS
 FOOD ALLERGEN ANALYSIS
 EFFECTS OF ALLERGENS
 SYMPTOMS
 HOW TO PROVIDE ALLERGEN
INFORMATION
 DIAGNOSIS FOR FOOD
ALLERGENS
 MANAGEMENT AND
TREATMENT
 REFERENCES
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4. Allergenic Substance
ALLERGEN
 Any substance that cause allergic reactions
 Type of antigen
 Produce abnormally vigorous immune system response
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Rashes And Itching
On Body
FOOD ALLERGY
 Unusual immune system response
 Occur soon after eating certain food
 Symptoms- rashes, itching, fever, anxiety in humans

6. MAJOR FOOD ALLERGENS
 Gluten
 Eggs
 Fish
 Peanut
 Milk
 Crustaceans
 Sesame Seeds
 Mustard seeds
 Celery
 Lupin
 Soy
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7. GLUTEN
 Gluten is a protein
 Found in wheat, rye and barley
 Trigger inflammation, allergy, depression, digestive
issues and intestinal damage
 Effect 1% population
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8. Eggs
EGGS
 Common allergens- Ovalbumin and Ovocumoid
 Make up to 65% of the composition of egg white
 Found in cakes, mayonnaise, pasta, sauces, bakery
products
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9. Fish Product
FISH
 Major fish allergen- Par albumins
 Cause allergenic reaction at any age
 Common trigger of severe allergic reactions
 Found in fish sauces, pizzas, salad dressings etc.
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10. Peanut Products
PEANUTS
 Allergens- Glycoprotein, Legumin and Conglutin
 Roasting of peanuts decreases the risk of allergenic
reactions
 Found in biscuits, cakes, desserts, groundnut oil and peanut
flour
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11. Milk Products
MILK
 Major allergens in milk- Betalactoglobulin (BLG) and Casein
 BLG- most abundant whey protein
 Represents 50% of total whey protein
 Found in butter, cheese, cream, milk powder and yogurt
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12. Crustaceans- Lobster,
Prawns, Crabs
CRUSTEACEANS
 Tropomyosin- Major allergen found in crustaceans
 Muscle cell protein
 Found in shrimp paste used in Thai curries or salads
 Handling and consumption can induce allergenic
reactions
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13. Sesame Seeds
SEASAME SEEDS
 Major allergen- Oleosins
 Extremely potent allergens
 Cause severe allergenic reactions
 Found in breads, burgers and sesame oils
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14. Mustard
MUSTARD
 Major allergen- Sinapsis Alba 1(Sin a 1)
 Resistant to heating and proteolysis
 Found in bread, curries, meat products, sauces and soups
 Allergic patients will react to any food comes from mustard
plant, mustard oil, mustard powder etc.
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15. Celery
CELERY
 Includes celery stalks, leaves and seeds
 Major allergen of celery- Apium Graveolens (Api G 1)
 Found in salads, meat products, soups
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16. Lupin Seeds
LUPIN
 Major lupin allergen – Lupan 1, Beta- conglutin
 Cause allergic reactions
 Found in chocolates, pastries and pasta
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17. Soy Products
SOY
 Major allergen- Glycinin, Beta- conglycinin
 They both are globulins
 Found in some desserts, ice creams, meat products,
sauces, soy flour etc.
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18. FOOD ALLERGEN ANALYSIS
‘‘Testing of a material or surface to identify presence of
food allergens’’
FAA is useful:
 For allergen management in food processing
 Establish allergen status of ingredients
 Monitor effect of critical changes
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19. EFFECTS OF ALLERGENS
Allergens effect:
 Brain
 Lungs
 Gut
 Skin
 Eyes
 Mouth
 Heart Body Parts Effected By
ALLERGENS
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20. Symptoms
o Headache
o Fever
o Shortness of breath
o Nausea
o Vomiting
o Rashes and Eczema
o Swelling of Mouth
o Heart Palpitation
o Watery eyes
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21. HOW TO PROVIDE ALLERGEN INFORMATION:
1- KEEP YOUR STAFF TRAINED AND INFORMED:
 Staff must be aware of procedures to handle allergenic
information
 Must be aware of ingredients present in food that may
cause allergic reactions
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Staff Training

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Conti…
2-WRITTEN ALLERGEN INFORMATION
 Provided on menus, menu boards or on websites [when selling online]
For Example:
• Chicken Korma- contains Milk, Almonds
• Carrot Cake- contains Milk, Eggs, Wheat, Walnut
• Hamburger- contains Sesame Seeds, Wheat/Barley

23. Allergen Info Chart
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24. Customer Guidance
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Conti…
3- EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
 Allergen information should be provided through
conversation with customer
 Ensure the customers about food allergen
 Consumer should be given accurate information
 Ensures that the information provided is correct

25. DIAGNOSIS FOR FOOD ALLERGENS
Skin Prick Tests Oral Food Challenge
Blood Tests Food Elimination Diet
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SKIN PRICK TEST
 In this test :
• Food allergens solution are placed on forearm
• Solution is placed by scratching the skin
• Results will obtain after 30 minutes
• Positive result is confirmed by a wheal

27. Skin Prick Test
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 COST EFFECTIVE TEST
 GIVE QUICK RESULTS
 SIMPLE TEST
 NO PAIN OR BLEEDING

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BLOOD TEST
In this test:
 Blood sample of a person is taken
 Blood Sample is then sent to laboratory
 In lab blood sample is subjected to battery of tests
 To measure antibodies developed in response to specific allergens

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CONT…
 Also known as Radioallergosorbent Test
 Blood test is done to measure IgE antibody response to
certain foods
Blood Samples

30. OFC
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Oral Food Challenge
In this test:
 Food is eaten slowly in increasing amount
 Suspected food of causing symptoms is added or
eliminated from diet
 If there is no reaction then this food may include in diet
again

31. Eliminated Food
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Food Elimination Diet
 Temporary elimination of reactive foods from diet
 Aids in diagnosis of food allergen
 Test takes 2-4 weeks
 During this period individuals are advised to avoid suspect
food
 Doctors regularly monitor the symptoms

32. Treatment:
Two main types of medication-to
relieve the symptoms
1. Antihistamines (for mild
allergic reactions)
2. Andrenaline (for severe
allergic reactions)
Management:
 Always read labels
 Take care when cooking
 Avoid foods that cause allergic
reactions
 Always carry your medication
MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT
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33. REFERENCE
 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225
071089_Food_Allergens
 https://allergenbureau.net/food-
allergens/food-allergen-analysis/
 Boye, J.I. , A.O. Danquah and X. Zhao. 2012.
Food Allergen, 2nd. John Willey And Sons.
799-808pp
 https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/6-
tips-for-managing-food-allergies
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