Allergies and Intolerances AO4

​Allergies

What is an allergy?

• An allergy is a condition where the body's immune system reacts unusually to specific foods and causes a range of mild to severe symptoms

• An allergic reaction can happen within a few seconds, minutes, or hours after eating food.

• The dangerous allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis which is caused by the immune system reacting and producing histamine which can cause swelling, a rash, difficulty breathing, nausea, and vomiting.

​Intolerances

What is an intolerance?

• An intolerance is a long-term condition where certain foods cause someone to feel unwell and have a range of symptoms; it is usually not life threatening

• Symptoms of food intolerance can include; bloating, nausea, weight loss, fatigue, skin conditions, and diarrhoea.

• Some common food intolerances include; lactose (milk and milk products) and coeliac (gluten).

Allergens

There are 14 major allergens that must appear on menus and packaging by law. These include:

• Celery

• Cereals containing gluten

• Crustaceans

• Eggs

• Fish

• Lupin

• Milk

• Molluscs

• ​Mustard

• Peanuts

• Sesame

• Soybeans

• Tree nuts

• Sulphur dioxide and sulphites