Mechanisms of food allergy

The prevalence of food allergy continues to rise, particularly in 'westerni zed' societies; it has been linked to the 'hygiene hypothesis' and the incr eased diversity of food consumption worldwide. The pathogenic mechanisms an d Th1/Th2 paradigm are being closely examined with respect to the occurrenc e of inflammatory and injury/repair responses at different mucosal sites. G enetically modified plants as potential food sources and allergenicity are current topics of controversy.