Allergy Notes: How common is peanut, tree nut, fish, shellfish, and sesame allergy?

Recent studies suggest an increased prevalence of food-induced allergy and an increased incidence of food-related anaphylaxis.

The researchers performed a cross-Canada, random telephone survey. Food allergy was defined as:

- perceived (based on self-report)
- probable (based on convincing history or self-report of physician diagnosis)
- confirmed (based on history and evidence of confirmatory tests)

Of 10,596 households surveyed in 2008 and 2009, 34.6% responded.

The prevalence of perceived peanut allergy was 1.00%; tree nut, 1.22%; fish, 0.51%; shellfish, 1.60%; and sesame, 0.10%.

The prevalence of probable allergy was 0.93%; 1.14%; 0.48%; 1.42%, 1.18%-1.66%; and 0.09%, respectively.

Because of the infrequency of confirmatory tests and the difficulty in obtaining results if performed, the prevalence of confirmed allergy was much lower - so low that is was not reported in the abstract.

Some of the "culprits" in food allergy. Image source: Mcclatchy-Tribune.

Eight top allergens account for 90 percent of all food allergies. The 8 top allergens can be remembered by the mnemonic TEMPS WFS:

Tree nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts)
Eggs
Milk
Peanuts
Shellfish (crab, lobster, shrimp)
Wheat
Fish (bass, cod, flounder)
Soy