Europe is facing a dramatic increase in rates of food allergy, experts warned yesterday.
The number of life-threatening reactions suffered by children has increased by seven times in the last decade, according to the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
It estimates that more than 17 million people in Europe suffer from food allergies – including some 3.5 million people under the age of 25.
While in the UK peanuts and other nuts pose the biggest threat, in continental Europe severe reactions to eggs and cow’s milk are common among children – while adults suffer reactions to fresh fruit and vegetables.
And in northern Europe, allergic reactions to shellfish and cod are common.
Yesterday the academy launched a campaign to highlight the risks to children at school – in advance of its annual conference in Geneva, Switzerland.
President Professor Cezmi Akdis said: "The first element of this campaign is the launch of the International Minimum Standards for the Allergic Child at School document that establishes minimum requirements for the safety of allergic children at school.
"A third of all life-threatening allergic reactions occur at school where children are exposed to an environment of new foods and are at risk of coming into contact with trigger foods.
"We plan to have the standards established and the patient version of the International Minimum Standards for the Allergic Child at school document ready for publication in the next few months."
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