ALLERGY TO ANTIMICROBIAL RESIDUES IN FOOD - ASSESSMENT OF THE RISK TOMAN

Meat and other dietary products from food animals and farmed fish in t he West may contain residues of many antibiotics and antibacterial age nts, or haptenised macromolecules, e.g. penicilloylated proteins. Gene ral surveys have shown a low incidence of detectable residues in most products (up to 0.5-2%). A notable proportion of the general populatio n has true allergic sensitivity to these substances (up to 7-10% to '' penicillin'') due to prior medical treatment. However, cases of proven allergy to such substances in food are extremely rare, based on clini cal and laboratory proof of an immunological reaction, whereas there a re less well substantiated reports blaming antibiotics in up to 50% of cases of chronic urticaria. Consideration of nature of haptenisation by antimicrobial substances, of the inefficiency of the oral route for immunisation, and of the transient and unrepeatable nature of most ex amples of food-related reactions all suggest that allergy to antimicro bial residues in the diet is exceedingly rare.