Food Allergy: 1.4 Peanut Allergy

Zainab Hussain

Food Service Dietitian at SFC, THI, Pakistan

Zainab Hussain, Food Service Dietitian at Safe Food Caterers (SFC), Tabba Heart Institute (THI), Web Committee Chair, Pakistan Nutrition and Dietetic Society (PNDS), Pakistan.

Keywords: Haptens; Arginine; Histidine; Arachis Hypogaea; Epinephrine; Tree-Nut Allergy

Abstract

Peanut allergy, considered as one of the severe food allergy, is an immune reaction to proteins or small molecules called haptens in peanuts and the allergy is far different from that to nut or legume allergy. The allergy occurs as the immune system mistakenly identifies peanuts as a harmful invader. Many foods share homologous proteins therefore sensitization to one food can result in positive tests or clinical reactivity to related foods developing multiple foods sensitization sometimes leading to the development of allergy symptoms.

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