New allergens are emerging in France and throughout the world linked to the increased consumption of certain foods including seeds and legumes, which are sometimes responsible for serious allergic manifestations (“anaphylaxis”).
In food allergy, we talk about an emerging allergen when it is responsible for 1% or more of cases of severe anaphylaxis or has the potential for molecular interaction with an allergen that is already frequently declared and belongs to the list of 14 allergens for mandatory declaration.
Veganism and vegetarianism are gaining more and more followers
This trend of a diet (almost) without meat or cow's milk, including seeds, plants, legumes and lots of spices, affects a variety of populations.
While 57% of people over 50 stick to flexitarian (plant based but animal meat from time to time), growth is notable among those under 35, rising from 14% in 2015 to over 20. % in 2020.
” This development indicates that these new eating behaviors will be passed on to subsequent generations, thus a continuing increase in new allergy cases in the future. », offers Dr. Christine Delibare (Hospital Saint Vincent de Paul, GHICL-Lille).
Seeds, major suppliers of emerging allergens
In 2021, a French review of the literature on so-called “IgE-mediated” severe allergic manifestations associated with seeds showed that these serious reactions often involve so-called “storage” proteins and “lipid transfer proteins” (LTP, produced). By many plants, pollen, fruits, etc.).
These proteins are potent allergens, persist during cooking and cause severe generalized allergic reactions. These include sesame (already included in the “List of 14” allergens that require declaration). For its part, buckwheat became 1any Food allergy provider in Korea, 4H in Japan. It is responsible for 4.5% of anaphylaxis cases in France.
Cases of severe anaphylaxis have also been reported with sunflower seeds, pumpkin, flax, amaranth, millet, and quinoa, as well as sesame and sunflower oil.
Spices too
For its part, mustard allergy is among the main causes of food allergy in children, with clinical manifestations that can reach the point of anaphylaxis. Allergies to other spices remain rare, accounting for 2% of food allergies (Apiaceae: anise, dill, coriander, cumin, celery), and primarily affect adults.
Legumes, beware of cross allergies
” We are witnessing an increase in the consumption of legumes in our countries and at the same time an increase in allergies to these dried vegetables (Fabaceae), with 30% of patients allergic to peanuts being allergic to legumes.“, points out Dr. Ariane Nimny, Chief of Adult and Pediatric Allergy at CHI Robert Ballanger (Aulnay-sous-Bois).
In fact, this phenomenon is mainly caused by cross-reactivity with peanuts, which also happen to be a legume (and therefore contain allergenic proteins).
” SoShe explained, Children with peanut allergy, through prior sensitization to other legumes, can break tolerance and express allergic manifestations to peas, lentils, chickpeas, peas, soybeans, fava beans, fava beans, or even lupine; The latter is increasingly consumed in processed or disguised form. »
In summary, the increase in allergy to legumes, associated with their increasingly common consumption, is largely related to cross-reactivity with peanuts.
Sources: Interview with Dr. Ariane Nimny, Head of Adult and Pediatric Allergy at CHI Robert Ballanger (Aulnay-sous-Bois) and follow-up to the session “The Incredible Food Allergies, Vegetarian, Vegetarian and Other Diet Allergies / C Delebarre” at the CFA Congress 2024 (April 18 , Paris)
