Épidémiologie de l’allergie alimentaire

The epidemiology of food allergy normally relies on surveys using questionnaire in general populations and studies on cohorts and through professionals in allergy clinics, sometimes completed by prick-tests, specific IgE assays and/or oral challenges. Complementary data are supplied by specialized medical networks. In European countries, the prevalence of food allergy in the pediatric population is about 4.7%, and in adults it is about 3.2%. Striking disparities characterize the response to questionnaires in EU countries. Life-threatening anaphylaxis occurs in 1/10,000 inhabitants, fatal anaphylaxis in 1/1 million inhabitants. A drastic increase of life-threatening and lethal anaphylaxis has been noted in the UK and Australia over the past ten years. In France, there has been an increase of 28% between 2001 and 2006. The Allergy Vigilance Network, which includes 400 allergists, reports that this increase has occurred in the pediatric population. The prevalence of food allergies depends on age and consuming habits. Milk, egg, peanut and tree-nuts are at the top of the list in children. Prunoïdeae, latex-group fruits, Apiaceae, wheat and tree-nuts are the most important food allergens in adults. Peanut and tree nuts are the main offending allergens in severe anaphylactic cases. Since 2002 the Allergy Vigilance Network in France and Belgium has been identifying newly-appearing dangerous allergens. Molluscs, lupine flour and cashew nuts are the most common on this list and labelling these foods is now compulsory. Goat and sheep milk proteins (14 cases), buckwheat (25 cases) and wheat isolates are not yet required to be labelled. The danger of anaphylaxis to goat and sheep proteins (two deaths out of 14 cases) is due to the likelihood of their being masked allergens, for which reason the EU Scientific Agency should be made aware of the necessity of required labelling of foods containing these substances.