Food diary | allergy foods

CATEGORY	KEY LABEL	NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION
CEREAL	barley	A number of cereals have been reported to cause allergic reactions in sensitive children and adults. These include wheat, rye, barley, oats, maize (corn) and rice. Sometimes people can react to more than one type of cereal.
	maize	Maize (or corn) allergy isn’t common in the UK, although there have been reported cases. For people who are sensitive to maize, avoiding it can be very difficult, because maize is commonly used in a wide variety of food products.
	oats	A number of cereals have been reported to cause allergic reactions in sensitive children and adults. These include wheat, rye, barley, oats, maize (corn) and rice. Sometimes people can react to more than one type of cereal.
	rice	Rice allergy is common in countries in Eastern Asia, such as Japan, where rice is commonly eaten, but it isn’t common in the UK. People who are allergic to rice can react when they eat it or when they inhale its pollen. Rice can cause hayfever symptoms in areas where it’s grown commercially.
	rye	A number of cereals have been reported to cause allergic reactions in sensitive children and adults. These include wheat, rye, barley, oats, maize (corn) and rice. Sometimes people can react to more than one type of cereal.
	wheat	Wheat allergy is common, particularly among babies. One of the main allergens in wheat is a protein called gliadin, which is found in gluten. Because of this, people with a wheat allergy are sometimes recommended to eat a gluten-free diet.
	gluten	Gluten is the mixture of proteins found in some cereals, including wheat, rye and barley. Gluten intolerance, or coeliac disease, is a lifelong disease, which is caused by sensitivity to gluten. It can damage the lining of the small intestine, which stops the body from absorbing nutrients. There is no cure for coeliac disease. The only way to avoid the symptoms is not to eat foods containing gluten, such as wheat, rye, barley, malt, malt extract, malt flavouring, beer and lager.
	lupin	Sweet lupin seeds are being used more and more to replace cereal grain in many food products, for example flour and pasta. Lupin allergy can cause severe reactions, including anaphylaxis, but there have been very few confirmed reports of lupin allergy in the UK so far. The major allergens in lupin are also found in peanut, so people who are allergic to peanuts could react to lupin.
NUTS	almond	On rare occasions these nuts can cause anaphylaxis in people who are sensitive. Sometimes people with an allergy to one type of nut will also react to other nuts. So if you have a nut allergy, you need to be very careful to avoid nuts and unrefined (crude) nut oil.
	brazil nuts	On rare occasions these nuts can cause anaphylaxis in people who are sensitive. Sometimes people with an allergy to one type of nut will also react to other nuts. So if you have a nut allergy, you need to be very careful to avoid nuts and unrefined (crude) nut oil.
	cashew nuts	On rare occasions these nuts can cause anaphylaxis in people who are sensitive. Sometimes people with an allergy to one type of nut will also react to other nuts. So if you have a nut allergy, you need to be very careful to avoid nuts and unrefined (crude) nut oil.
	coconut	Allergy to coconut is rare in the UK, but coconut can cause allergic reactions (including anaphylaxis) in people who are sensitive. A small number of people who are allergic to nuts have reacted to coconut. The Anaphylaxis Campaign has advised their members who know they are allergic to nuts to avoid coconut. Coconut might also cause reactions in people who are allergic to latex
	hazelnuts	On rare occasions these nuts can cause anaphylaxis in people who are sensitive. Sometimes people with an allergy to one type of nut will also react to other nuts. So if you have a nut allergy, you need to be very careful to avoid nuts and unrefined (crude) nut oil.
	macadamia	On rare occasions these nuts can cause anaphylaxis in people who are sensitive. Sometimes people with an allergy to one type of nut will also react to other nuts. So if you have a nut allergy, you need to be very careful to avoid nuts and unrefined (crude) nut oil.
	peanut groundnut, monkey nut	Peanuts are one of the most common causes of food allergy and can cause severe reactions, including anaphylaxis. They contain a number of allergens that are not destroyed by cooking or roasting. Peanut allergy can be so severe that very tiny amounts can cause a reaction.
	pecan	On rare occasions these nuts can cause anaphylaxis in people who are sensitive. Sometimes people with an allergy to one type of nut will also react to other nuts. So if you have a nut allergy, you need to be very careful to avoid nuts and unrefined (crude) nut oil.
	pine nut	Peanuts are one of the most common causes of food allergy and can cause severe reactions, including anaphylaxis. They contain a number of allergens that are not destroyed by cooking or roasting. Peanut allergy can be so severe that very tiny amounts can cause a reaction.
	walnut	On rare occasions these nuts can cause anaphylaxis in people who are sensitive. Sometimes people with an allergy to one type of nut will also react to other nuts. So if you have a nut allergy, you need to be very careful to avoid nuts and unrefined (crude) nut oil.
EGG	eggs	Egg allergy is more common in childhood and about half the children who have it will grow out of it by the age of three. In a few cases, egg allergy can cause anaphylaxis.Egg allergy is mainly caused by proteins in the egg white. Cooking can destroy some of these allergens, but not others. So some people might react to cooked eggs, as well as raw eggs.
FISH	fish	Fish allergy can often cause severe reactions, including anaphylaxis. People who are allergic to one type of fish, such as cod, often react to other types of fish such as hake, haddock, mackerel and whiting as well. This is because the allergens in these fish are quite similar. Cooking doesn’t destroy fish allergens. In fact, some people with fish allergy can be allergic to cooked but not raw fish.
FRUIT AND VEG	fruit and veg allergy	Allergic reactions to fruits and vegetables are usually mild and often they just affect the mouth, causing itching or a rash where the food touches the lips and mouth. This is called oral allergy syndrome. Cooking can destroy a number of the allergens in fruits and vegetables, so cooked fruit often won’t cause a reaction.
MILK	milk	Allergy to cows’ milk is the most common food allergy in childhood. A reaction can be triggered by small amounts of milk, either passed to the baby through the mother’s breast milk from dairy products she has eaten, or from feeding cows’ milk to the baby. The symptoms of milk allergy are often mild and can affect any part of the body. They can include rashes, diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach cramps and difficulty in breathing. In a very few cases, milk allergy can cause anaphylaxis.
	milk protein	Intolerance to cows’ milk protein is common in babies and children, and symptoms start from the time when cows’ milk is first introduced into the diet. There is no cure for it and the only way to stop the symptoms is to avoid cows’ milk products. Cows’ milk protein intolerance is different to lactose intolerance and milk allergy.
	lactose intolerance	Lactose is a sugar found naturally in milk. Lactose intolerance is caused by a shortage of the enzyme lactase, which is needed to break down lactose so it can be absorbed into the bloodstream. When someone doesn’t have enough of this enzyme, lactose isn’t absorbed properly from the gut, which can cause symptoms such as bloating and diarrhoea.
MEAT	meat	People with a meat allergy might react to beef, mutton, pork or chicken. Sometimes people who are allergic to one type of meat or poultry might also react to other types. Cooking destroys some of the allergens in meat, but some people will still react to cooked meat.
SEEDS	sesame	Sesame seeds are used in cooking and in manufactured products such as bread, biscuits, salads, sauces and houmous. Sesame allergy can be severe, and can cause anaphylaxis. People who are allergic to sesame should avoid sesame oil.
SHELLFISH	shellfish	Allergy to shellfish is quite common, and a number of different types of shellfish can cause reactions in people who are sensitive, for example shrimps, prawns, lobster, crab, crayfish, oysters, scallops, mussels and clams.
SOYA	soya hydrolysed vegetable protein, lecithin	Soya is used as an ingredient in about two-thirds of all manufactured food products, including bakery goods, sweets, drinks, breakfast cereals, ice cream, margarine, pasta, processed meats and seasoned foods. The symptoms of soya allergy include rashes, diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach cramps and breathing difficulties. Soya flour is used to increase the shelf life of many products and to improve the colour of pastry crusts.
SPICE	spice	Allergic reactions to spices are rare and usually mild, but severe reactions can happen occasionally. Some people react to mustard, coriander, caraway, fennel, paprika or saffron and, less frequently, to onions, garlic or chives.
VEGETABLE OIL	vegetable oil	Vegetable oil is usually a blend of oils. In the UK, the oils used the most to make up vegetable oil are soya, rapeseed, sunflower, maize, palm, coconut and palm kernel oils. Where they appear in pre-packed food, these oils will have been refined. The refining process removes proteins from the oil. Since it’s the proteins in oils that can cause allergic reactions, sensitive people probably won’t react to refined oils. Some speciality oils, such as sesame and walnut, aren’t refined, so they are best avoided by people who are sensitive to the nuts or seeds they are made from.

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Negative foods (Allergy and Risk foods)