A Look at Food Allergies and Celiac Disease

May is the month of awareness for all things allergy and Celiac disease related. In Canada, about 1 in 133 people are Celiac, whereas 3 in 100 adults have a food allergy. Considering the population census data for 2011, and roughly correlating this to estimates for Newfoundland and Labrador, it would be just over 15 400 adults with food allergies and about 3800 people with Celiac disease. Most experts say the prevalence of both are rising, however they also note the actual number of people living with either condition is difficult to precisely quantify.

As many as 20% of people claim to have food allergies research tells us. The number of people with milder reactions, i.e. Intolerance, are higher, but still experts say food allergies appear to be overestimated. They think partly because reactions to food can change over time. Various symptoms can sometimes be inappropriately contributed to food when in fact they've actually come from something else. That in addition to the fact that many of us have perfected the art of self diagnosis (myself perhaps included). So what is the difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance? Reactions to food are quite common, but they are more often than not from an intolerance rather than allergy. Both food intolerance and allergies can exhibit the same signs and symptoms and hence people often end up confusing the two. Food intolerance symptoms are less serious and limited to digestive problems. They happen when food or a component of food, irritates the digestive system or when we are unable to properly digest or break it down. Lactose intolerance is a fairly common and well known example. A food allergy on the other hand causes an immune system reaction and can  affect numerous organs, causing a wide range of symptoms. It occurs when the body mistakes an ingredient in food as harmful, usually a protein, and then creates a defence system to fight it.  In some cases an allergenic food reaction can be severe or even life threatening. Some of the more common food allergies include  peanuts, shellfish, tree nuts, milk, fish, eggs, soy, wheat, sesame, mustard and sulphites.

As a food allergy sufferer myself, I know all too well the difficulty of eating to avoid allergens. Currently there is no cure for allergies or Celiac disease and total avoidance is the only effective way. If you're unable to tell the difference between the words 'may contain trace amounts of peanuts' and 'manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts', then you're not alone. According to a national study released last month consumers indirectly affected by food allergies are still willing to purchase products that may contain an allergen that they or someone in their household are allergic to. Seems a revamping of existing allergy labels may be just what the doctor had ordered. New Canadian Food Inspection Agency labelling requirements for food allergen, gluten sources and sulphites will come into force this August. Revised regulations will require clearly identified food allergens, gluten sources, and sulphites either in the list of ingredients or at the end of the list of ingredients. Manufacturers will also have to list components of ingredients if they contain food allergens, gluten sources, or sulphites. Lucky for us, stores are starting to take note to the seriousness of intolerance and allergies as well. Just last week Loblaws announced by the end of this year all artificial colours in the PC line, including Blue Menu, Organics and Green branded products will be removed. Yeah! Let's hope that more Canadian companies will be following suit.

As seen in The Telegram May 14, 2012