A food allergy is a serious medical condition that affects many people today. For example, the smallest trace of a peanut can trigger a severe allergic reaction that can be life-threatening in some cases. If the diagnosis has been made correctly, it is important to be thoroughly informed about this. This is the key to safe and healthy living with a food allergy. Just eight different foods account for 90 percent of all food allergies. These foods include eggs, milk, fish, shellfish, soy, gluten, peanuts and tree nuts. It is the protein component responsible for an allergic reaction. Even certain foods that we would not expect can contain so much protein that they can lead to an allergic reaction, for example citrus fruits and potatoes.
Be careful when eating out
It is very important to pay attention to which foods a particular cuisine uses when you go to a restaurant. Some types of cuisines often serve foods that contain peanut protein or oil, as well as gluten or soy products. Ask the waiter to check the ingredients in the dish you order. You should definitely make it clear that you are allergic to certain foods and that ignoring them could lead to serious consequences. Also make sure that when you eat out abroad, you know the translation of the food to which you may have an allergic reaction so that there can be no miscommunication.
Hidden ingredients
If you suffer from a food allergy or food intolerance, it is essential that you know and even memorize the different names of the substances that the food may contain and to which you may have an allergic reaction. Dairy products and eggs are often present in a wide range of foods, and gluten is often a hidden ingredient in deli meats, cheese, sauces, gravies, yogurt, and even frozen vegetables. If you are allergic to corn, keep in mind that many processed foods contain corn syrup, and products labeled with dextrose, fructose or even food coloring may also contain corn ingredients.
The following table provides an overview of foods that often contain peanuts, eggs, milk, gluten, or soy as an ingredient.
|
Foodstuff |
Foods to avoid |
Potential hidden threat |
|
Peanuts and nuts |
Peanuts are potentially life-threatening for anyone with an allergy to them. Avoid peanut or peanut oil, peanut butter, peanut flavor and nut butter. Allergies to nuts such as walnuts, pecans and almonds are usually not serious. To avoid discomfort, it is still important to avoid all types of nuts. |
Breakfast cereals and cereal bars, cookies, cakes and pastries, marzipan, nougat, sweets, ice cream, sauces and dressings African, Chinese, Mexican, Indonesian, Thai and Vietnamese cuisine |
|
Proteins and eggs |
Albumin, ovalbumin, egg lecithin, mayonnaise, meringue or meringue powder and surimi |
Pasta and noodles; soups, cakes, pastries and cookies, marzipan, nougat A flu vaccine may also contain proteins |
|
Milk and dairy products |
All forms and types of milk including goat’s milk, all butter products and artificial butter flavourings, buttermilk, casein, all cheese and curd, custard, yoghurt, all forms and types of ice cream, sour milk, lactalbumin and lactalbumin phosphate, lactulose |
Bread, cookies, cakes and pastries, breakfast cereals, potato dishes, soups and sauces, salad dressings and dips, margarine, cooked meats, mousses, instant and other desserts, protein shakes |
|
Gluten |
Wheat, spelt, rye, oats, bran and barley, bread and breadcrumbs, bulgur wheat, couscous, durum, all types of flour, pasta; semolina, wheat protein, hydrolyzed proteins, natural and artificial flavors |
Bread rolls, muffins, cakes and cookies, cereals, sliced meats, sausages, sauces, soups, noodles, tomato ketchup, soy sauce, pancakes, ice cream, chocolate, sweets |
|
Soy |
Soy sauce, soy beans, soy oil, soy flour, tofu, tempeh, miso, textured vegetable proteins, hydrolyzed and vegetable proteins |
Canned tuna in soy oil, cereals, infant formula, sauces, soups, prepared butter, peanut butter, frozen pizzas, meat substitutes |
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- Allergic to crustaceans and shellfish
