Food Allergy Facts and Statistics


Food Allergy Facts and Statistics: Facts on food allergies and sensitivities.

Facts and statistics about food allergies in the US, Australia and Europe.

Food allergies affect an estimated 4-6% of children and 4% of adults.

More than 170 foods have been reported to cause food allergy reactions, but 90% of all allergic reactions are caused by cow’s milk, soy, eggs, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts (almond, walnut, pecan), fish, shellfish and sesame.

Food Allergy Facts and Statistics: Facts on food allergies and sensitivities.

Food allergy is a serious public health problem and a significant clinical problem affecting up to 6% of children under the age of 3 years and up to 4% of adults. The prevalence of food allergy appears to have increased over the past decades and continues to rise.

1 in 13 children (under 18 years of age) in the United States has a food allergy, that’s roughly two in every classroom.

Peanut is the leading cause of severe allergic reactions in schools and the most frequent cause of death due to anaphylaxis from food.

40% of children with food allergies are allergic to more than one food.

Food allergies result in 200,000 emergency department visits each year.

Every 3 minutes, a food allergy reaction sends someone to the emergency department – that’s more than 200,000 emergency department visits per year.

The economic impact (direct cost) of childhood food allergies is $25 billion per year.

Food allergy and sensitivity statistics.

An estimated 12 million Americans have food allergies.

The most common food allergies are to milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat.

About 30% of children with a food allergy will outgrow their allergy, while the majority of people with a food allergy will have it for life.

Every 3 minutes, a food-allergic reaction sends someone to the emergency department – that’s more than 200,000 emergency department visits per year.

Up to 40% of children with a peanut allergy also have asthma.

Food allergies cause many missed school days for children.

Research shows that early introduction of peanut products actually helps prevent the development of peanut allergy in high-risk infants.

The prevalence of food allergies in children increased by 50% between 1997 and 2011. 1

The prevalence of peanut or tree nut allergy appears to have more than tripled between 1997 and 2008. 2

Food allergies result in 30,000 emergency room visits, 2,000 hospitalizations, and 150 deaths each year in the U.S. 3

Food allergies are the leading cause of anaphylaxis outside the hospital setting and account for approximately 200-300 deaths in the U.S. each year.4

The five foods that account for 90% of all reactions are milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, and shellfish. 5

8% of children under age 3 years have a food allergy. 6

Cow’s milk allergy is the most common food allergy in infants and young children; it affects 2-3% of young children in the United States but typically resolves with time. 7

Forty percent (40%) of children with a peanut allergy will outgrow it by age eight years; however, only 20% will outgrow it by age 18 years. 8

Approximately 25% of individuals who are allergic to one tree nut are also allergic to another tree nut; however, an estimated 60% of people report that they can safely eat one or

1) Food allergy affects an estimated 4% to 6% of children and 4% of adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2007, food allergy accounted for nearly 300,000 emergency department visits per year in the United States.

2) According to the CDC, in 2010, among children under 18 years old whose food allergy caused them to visit an emergency department or be hospitalized:

• 39.9% were allergic to tree nuts, including walnuts, cashews, almonds and hazelnuts.

• 37.7% were allergic to peanuts.

• 34.3% were allergic to eggs.

• 32.6% were allergic to milk.

• 25.8% were allergic to finned fish such as salmon, tuna and codfish.

• 20% were allergic to shellfish such as shrimp, lobster and crab meat.

3) Approximately 2-3 million people are allergic to some type of seafood, according to a study published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Some people report that they have more than one seafood allergy; many have reactions to more than one species of seafood. Some people have reported reactions from cross-reactive proteins in fish and shellfish; this

Children with food allergies are 2-4 times more likely to have other related conditions such as asthma, eczema, or allergic rhinitis (hay fever).

Many children outgrow their milk, egg and wheat allergies. While most children will outgrow milk and egg allergies, only 20% of peanut allergies are outgrown. It is unclear how many children will outgrow tree nut allergies.

The majority of fatal and near-fatal reactions to foods occur in adolescents and adults. However, the highest rate of fatal reactions occurs in infants under the age of one year.

Anaphylaxis is a severe whole-body allergic reaction that can be life threatening. Approximately 30,000 emergency room visits each year are due to anaphylaxis from food allergy.

A recent study found that peanut allergy appears to be the most common cause of anaphylaxis in schools among both children and teens. The study also found that over 200 schoolchildren die each year from food-induced anaphylaxis.

Food allergies are reactions of the immune system to foods that are usually harmless to most people. More than 170 foods have been reported to cause food allergies, and nearly any food is capable of causing an allergic reaction, although most food allergic reactions occur with cow’s milk, soy, eggs, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish.

Food allergy is a growing public health concern affecting 4 – 6% of children and 4% of adults in the developed world. The most common causes of food allergies include milk, seafood such as shrimp, lobster and crab, peanuts, tree nuts such as walnuts and pecans, fish such as bass and cod and eggs.

Allergies are becoming more common in the United States. Peanut allergy affects approximately 1 million people in the U.S., including children. Asthma affects approximately 20 million Americans and is responsible for 14 million missed school days each year in children alone. Food allergy accounts for 30,000 emergency room visits each year.

The prevalence of peanut or tree nut allergy appears to be increasing among children in Western countries. A recent study found that peanut or tree nut allergy appears to have tripled in U.S. children between 1997 and 2008.


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