ADVERSE REACTIONS TO FOOD CONSTITUENTS - ALLERGY, INTOLERANCE, AND AUTOIMMUNITY

Food allergies and intolerance represent important health concerns to consumers who are predisposed to these illnesses. Unlike many current food safety issues, food sensitivities are complicated by both complex and multiple individual adverse reactions, which can vary from emotio nal to pathophysiological ailments. In some instances, the underlying mechanisms that result in the development of food allergies or intoler ance have marked differences but produce common symptoms. The present- day diagnosis of these disorders can be impeded by intrinsic limitatio ns in generating accurate information from patient history and biochem ical, physicochemical, and immunochemical tests. Oral challenge tests represent effective methods for confirming and testing food allergens and food intolerance; however, these procedures are often restricted t o clinical trials. It is important to be able to distinguish among foo d allergy, intolerance, and autoimmune disease in the management of th ese disorders. The role of food in the development of autoimmune disea se may be exemplified by celiac disease, a food-induced enteropathy, r equiring exposure to prolamins in wheat, rye, and barley. Various whea t and soy protein sources, including the soy protein isolates used to make infant formulas, have been related to juvenile or insulin-depende nt diabetes mellitus (IDDM), a common chronic disease of childhood. Em ploying food process technologies to eliminate food constituents with potential for intolerance in some individuals is a potentially viable approach for reducing risk to food-related disorders. Finally, the dev elopment of food labelling regulations that require the identification of potential food allergens or agents for intolerance in the ingredie nt declaration on prepackaged food is a positive step toward the preve ntion of severe adverse reactions in hypersensitive individual.