Abstract

Food allergy (FA) is an adverse immune response triggered by generally benign food protein antigens. The risk of an inappropriate approach to proper identification leads to inappropriate diets with severe nutritional deficiencies. Food allergies, defined as an immune response to food proteins, affect 8% of young children and 2% of adults in Western countries and, like all allergic diseases, their prevalence appears to be increasing. However, new strategies are being studied, including sublingual/oral immunotherapy and others with promise for the future. Recent studies emphasize the possibility of preventing FA by early introduction of food (peanuts and eggs) to high-risk children.