Clean houses could bring more allergies
Evidence is growing that the increasingly sterile environment we live in is contributing to spiralling levels of allergies, claimed a leading expert in the field last week.
Dr Clare Mills, head of the Institute of Food Research’s Structuring Food for Health Programme, said exposure to parasitic infections in the environment may help prevent individuals becoming allergic to certain foods.
“Allergies are different around the world,” said Mills, giving the Institute of Food Science and Technology’s annual lecture at the Royal Society. “Maybe exposure to parasites blocks the allergic reaction.”
Mills contrasted the differences between western and eastern Europe, where people “don’t really have food allergies”. “So what is happening?” she asked. “As they change are they going to see their food allergies changing?”
In the UK, around 1-2% of the adult population and 5-7% of infants and children suffer from allergies, she said. However, as many as 30% of the population think they have a food allergy of some sort.
Mills also echoed concerns expressed recently by the Food Standards Agency about plans to revise the EU’s Novel Food Regulation, which could allow products causing unexpected allergic reactions among UK consumers on to supermarket shelves.
“I think it is problematic,” said Mills. She cited the example of concerns associated with jackfruit, which is known to cause allergic reactions among some Dutch people. “You need to take account of the geography [from where novel foods are sourced].“
Mills is co-ordinator of the four-year euro 14.3M EuroPrevall EU integrated project which is investigating food allergies with 63 partners, including food companies Nestlé, Unilever and Kraft, from 23 countries.
