Health Topics
Food Allergies

	ON THIS PAGE Data and Statistics References SEE ALSO Publications Links

Food allergy is an abnormal immune response to certain food(s) that the body reacts to as harmful. Estimates of the prevalence of food allergies range from approximately 4% to 8% of children and 2% of adults.^1,2 Though reasons for this are poorly understood, the prevalence of food allergies and associated anaphylaxis appears to be on the rise. Risk factors associated with food allergy include: family history of asthma and allergies, genetic predisposition to allergic disease, elevated allergen-specific serum immunoglobulin levels (IgE concentrations), and being younger than 3 years of age. There are eight foods that account for 90% of all food-allergy reactions cow’s milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts (for example, walnuts, pecans, almonds, and cashews), fish, shellfish, soybeans, and wheat.^2,3,4 While 3.3 million Americans are allergic to peanuts or tree nuts, 6.9 million are allergic to seafood. Combined, food allergies cause 30,000 cases of anaphylaxis, 2,000 hospitalizations, and 150 deaths annually.²

Symptoms of Food Allergy

Symptoms of a food-allergy reaction can be sudden and severe and commonly include one or more of the following⁵:

• hives
• tingling in the mouth
• swelling in the tongue and throat
• difficulty breathing
• abdominal cramps
• vomiting or diarrhea
• eczema or rash
• coughing or wheezing
• loss of consciousness
• dizziness

Treatment of Food Allergies

Some types of mild food allergies are treatable with an antihistamine or bronchodilator. Severe, or anaphylactic reactions, require epinephrine. At present, there is no cure for food allergies. The best method for managing food allergies is prevention by way of strict avoidance of any food that triggers a reaction.⁶

Data and Statistics

National Health Interview Survey
The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is a cross-sectional household interview survey, maintained by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. The NHIS monitors the health of the United States population through the collection and analysis of data on a broad range of health topics.

• Allergic conditions among children: US, 1998-2006

School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS)

SHPPS is a national survey periodically conducted to assess school health policies and programs at the state, district, school, and classroom levels, including those related to food allergy. Data from the 2006 study include the following:

• 52.1% of states and 90.2% of districts required information on severe food or other allergies be obtained and kept in student records.
• 97.9% of schools obtained and kept information on severe food or other allergies in student records.
• 45.8% of states and 40.8% of districts provided model policies to districts or schools on severe food or other allergies.
• 76.9% of school nutrition services programs had a written plan for feeding students with severe food allergies.
• 50.5% of schools offered a la carte foods containing peanuts or peanut butter.
• Among the 88.3% of schools that had students with food allergies, 84.0% made changes in the foods offered to these students.
• During the 2 years preceding the study, 48.0% of states and 48.4% of districts provided funding for staff development or offered staff development for teachers or other school staff on severe food or other allergies.

References

1. Branum AM, Lukacs SL. Food allergy among US children: Trends in prevalence and hospitalizations. NCHS data brief, no 10. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, 2008. Available online at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db10.pdf. [PDF 476K].
    
2. Report on the Expert Panel on Food Allergy Research, June 30 and July 1, 2003, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health. http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/about/organization/dait/PDF/june30_2003.pdf [PDF 190K].
    
3. Sampson H. Food Allergy. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2003; 111(2):540-547.
    
4. Sicherer SH, Muñoz-Furlong A, Murphy R, Wood RA, Sampson HA. Symposium: Pediatric Food Allergy. Pediatrics 2003; 111(6):1591-1594.
    
5. US Food and Drug Administration. Food Allergies: What you need to know. Available online at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/ffalrgn.html. Accessed September 20, 2007.
    
6. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. Food Allergy: An overview. Bethesda, MD: July 2007. NIH Publication No. 07-5518.
   
    

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Page last reviewed: October 23, 2008
Page last modified: October 23, 2008
Content source: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Adolescent and School Health

Division of Adolescent and School Health
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Department of Health and Human Services