Foods recalled for undeclared allergens and report shows increasing allergies among kids
Over the past few days we’ve noticed a couple of different food recalls based on the fact that the foods in question might have had undeclared allergens within.
Snacks on Racks of Parkville, Missouri, recalled its Gourmet Snacks because they might include undeclared milk, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, egg, sulfites or wheat, which could potentially cause a life-threatening allergic reaction in someone allergic to those substances. And Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market recalled some fresh&easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Pies because they may contain undeclared pecans.
4 percent of kids have food allergies
These recalls don’t affect a lot of people, but the number of people — particularly children — with food allergies appears to be on the rise, according to a report from the journal Pediatrics, which estimates that 4 percent of American kids have food allergies.
The report is based on an analysis of four large national surveys of food allergies, and is apparently the first broad report of the prevalence of allergies among children. It found that parent-reported food allergies increased 18 percent between 1997 and 2007 and that doctor visits related to food allergies in the time period from 2003 to 2006 nearly tripled compared to visits between 1992 and 1997.
While most of the studies focused on parental reports of food allergies, one found that 9 percent of children studied had IgE antibodies to peanuts, which are often found in cases of allergic reaction.
Racial differences in allergy prevalence
The report found that Latino children had the lowest prevalence of food allergies in 2007 but also had the highest rate of increase in the number of kids diagnosed, suggesting there’s more awareness of food allergies as a potential health problem in the Latino community now than there used to be.
In addition, black children were found to be twice as likely as white kids to have antibodies suggesting an allergic reaction to both peanuts and milk, and were four times as likely to have antibodies to shellfish.
The study also showed increased rates of skin allergies, respiratory allergies and hay fever, suggesting that kids in general are more sensitive to environmental substances than they used to be. Some experts say that could bes because kids are sheltered from potentially allergens more than they used to be, which could lead to increased sensitivity once they are exposed.
(By Sarah E. White for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News)
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