Allergies in children up to the age of five have doubled in the last ten years, according to a new analysis.
And emergency treatment for severe anaphylactic reactions has increased seven-fold over the same period, experts say.
The problems faced by carers and patients is being discussed at the first Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Meeting organised by the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) in Venice, Italy.
About 17 million people in Europe suffer from food allergies. Children appear to be more allergic to milk, eggs and nuts, and ingestion of these remain the most frequent cause of anaphylactic shock in children.
The prevalence of allergies in children changes within Europe, with rates ranging from 1.7 per cent in Greece to four per cent in Italy and Spain, to more than five per cent in France, UK, Netherlands and Germany.
In continental Europe the most common food allergy is to fresh fruit and vegetables, while in Anglo-Saxon countries walnuts, hazelnuts and peanuts are more dangerous.
Allergies to shellfish and fish, especially cod, are common in Scandinavia and Northern Europe.
More than 60 per cent of allergic patients are women.
About 600 experts are expected to attend the conference and discuss the latest figures and scientific findings.
Professor Maria Antonella Muraro, conference chair, said allergic reactions seemed to be on the increase, possibly due to changes in nutrition patterns and exposure to environmental factors such as cigarette smoke and changes in lifestyle.
“The lack of exposure to potential allergens since childhood appears to reduce the chances that our immune system recognises what is safe and what is not, even triggering a response against proteins found in foods generally tolerated by the body,” he added.
Risk factors for severe food allergic reactions, exposure to potentially dangerous new allergens and the use of life-saving devices, such epinephrine auto-injectors, will be discussed at the EAACI Meeting, which includes a workshop with patients’ organisations and meetings with representatives of the food industry and regulatory bodies.
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