Plateauing food allergy figures don't mean fewer allergic people

While the incidence of food allergy appears to have plateaued in recent years, the total number of cases in the community will continue to rise steadily, according to Dr Robert Loblay, Sydney Medical School immunologist.

The biggest of these increases have been allergies to peanuts and tree nuts, Dr Loblay says.

“The reasons are complex, but most likely due to changes in dietary habits. Unlike egg and milk allergies, which almost all kids grow out of before they reach the end of their teens, in most cases of nut allergies, they persist into adult life and pose an ongoing lifelong risk,” said Dr Loblay, who is the Director of the Allergy Unit at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

“Following a sharp rise in clinical presentations in the late 1990s, we began surveying central Sydney childcare centres at five-year intervals and it looks like the incidence of food allergies has reached a plateau in the past ten years.

“However, even though the incidence of new cases of food allergies may have reached a plateau, the prevalence (total number of cases in the whole community) is set to continue rising steadily for the foreseeable future - at least until we can figure out how to prevent nut allergies developing in the first place.

“In coming years we can expect to see more potentially life-threatening anaphylactic reactions occurring out in the community. Although death from food anaphylaxis is relatively rare, we can expect it to increase unless effective prevention measures are instituted.

“Since many kids are allergic to multiple different nuts, the risk of accidental exposure and serious reactions is multiplied accordingly.

“The time has come to develop wider community awareness campaigns, but professional bodies, health departments, food industry and regulators have not yet begun to grapple seriously with the issue,” Dr Loblay said.