Food Allergy Diagnoses in England Have Doubled

• by Rishma Parpia

• Published September 17, 2024
• Environment

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Results from a new study published in The Lancet earlier this month indicate that there are more children and adults in England suffering with food allergies. The study, which was conducted by researchers at Imperial College in London, showed that the incidence of food allergies among adults and children doubled between 2008 and 2018.¹

The study analyzed the records obtained from general practitioners (GP) for seven million patients in England. The number of new food allergy diagnoses increased from 76 per 100,000 people in 2008 to 160 per 100,000 people in 2018. Total prevalence of food allergy diagnosis grew from 0.4 percent to 1.1 percent over the past decade.²

Prevalence of Food Allergies Was Highest in Pre-School Age Group

Interestingly, the highest prevalence of food allergies was found to be in children, with four percent of children under the age of five diagnosed with food allergies. The prevalence of food allergies among children in England was found to be:

• four percent for children aged five to nine years old was 2.4 percent;
• two percent for children ten to 14 years old;
• seven percent for adolescents fifteen to 19 years old and
• seven percent for adults over the age of 20³

The researchers stated that the estimates for food allergy prevalence are consistent with those previously reported for the entire United Kingdom. They noted that food allergy incidence in the preschool-age

group is likely to be an underestimate of the true rate of IgE-mediated food allergy, a type of immediate allergic reaction, including rapid onset anaphylaxis, that occurs when the immune system mounts an atypical hyperinflammatory response to certain foods. The prevalence of IgE-mediated food allergies are thought to be underestimated because most anaphylactic type reactions are not reported or treated at hospitals.⁴

Non-IgE-mediated food allergy is different from IgE-mediated allergy. Non-Ige-mediated allergies are a group of disorders characterized by subacute or chronic inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract, although they can also affect the skin and lungs. Cow’s milk allergy in infancy is an example of a non-Ige-mediated gastrointestinal hypersensitivity that involves food protein-induced inflammation with symptoms of severe vomiting and diarrhea.⁵

Why is Incidence of Food Allergies Increasing?

Researchers have been perplexed as to why the incidence of food allergies has been increasing over the years and have suggested a number of hypotheses. The “old friend’s hypothesis” is one theory that the microbiome, which is composed of trillions of helpful bacteria, fungi, viruses and their genes that live in and on us,⁶ has been compromised by environmental factors such as the overuse of antibiotics in childhood, which is one environmental exposure that has been linked to an increased risk in allergies.⁷

Researchers have also speculated that the types of food children are exposed to in early life may be important in determining if they develop allergies. Previous public health guidelines from the U.S. health department advising people to avoid early exposure to peanuts and eggs may have inadvertently been a factor in the rise in food allergy to peanuts and eggs. Some studies show that early exposure to peanuts and eggs before the age of five is associated with a smaller likelihood of developing an allergy.⁸

Doctors Need Urgent Training to Support Patients With Severe Food Allergies

Researchers who conducted the study said that there is an “urgent need” to ensure that doctors and other medical care staff receive training on how to provide care and support for people with severe food allergies. Dr. Paul Turner, lead author of the study and professor of pediatric allergy at the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College said:

The good news is that while the prevalence of food allergy has increased, the numbers of new cases occurring each year look to have plateaued. However, more than one-third of patients at risk of severe reactions do not carry potentially lifesaving rescue adrenaline auto-injectors, like EpiPens.

He added:

We urgently need to address this, and better support GPs and primary care staff who end up looking after the vast majority of food-allergic patients in the U.K.⁹

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