ROLE OF NEW ALLERGENS AND OF ALLERGENS CONSUMPTION IN THE INCREASED INCIDENCE OF FOOD SENSITIZATIONS IN FRANCE

Food allergy is a group of distinct clinico-pathological entities that have an immunological basis in common, and in which an abnormal or ex aggerated immunological response to a specific food leads to disease. Some clinical pictures involving multiple organ system (anaphylaxis) a re potentially fatal. The data on the incidence, prevalence, mortality rate and food products involved in food-induced anaphylaxis and the e volution of food sensitization compared with changes in eating habits are not very reliable. In the present study we analysed, over a period of 9 years (1984-1992), a group of 580 patients with pathological rea ctions to foods, 60 of which presented severe, near-fatal reactions. W e sought the etiologic components and food sensitization in comparison with the principal tendencies of food consumption in France, Food pro ducts most frequently incriminated in anaphylactic reactions are not o f a primary nutritional importance: celery (30%), crustaceans (17%), f ish (13%), peanuts (12%), mango (6%), mustard (3%), but they are often hidden allergens in commercial foods. The sensitization to food produ cts in the group of 580 patients reveals, in decreasing order of frequ ency: wheat (39%), peanuts (37%), crab (34%), celery (30%), soy (30%). Compared with previous data, the frequency of sensitization to differ ent foods has changed; for instance, the sensitizations to wheat, soy, peanuts, celery, mustard, rice, are definitely increasing. The increa sed consumption and more attentive clinical research may be the reason s for this evolution. For products such as egg and pork, the data are stable and parallel with consumption, whilst for other products like m ilk and other dairy products, the increased consumption is accompanied by a decrease of the incidence of sensitization. The reactivity to so me allergens may be affected by the way of preparing the food.