Food allergies and other food sensitivities.

Abstract

ents that most consumers can ingest with no problems. Eating is necessary to sustain life. For most consumers, eating is an enjoyable experience given the variety and abundance of foods available in the marketplace. For some individuals, however, consuming certain foods can be a debilitating, possibly even life-threatening, experience. Individuals with various forms of food allergies and sensitivities must avoid certain foods or food ingredients in their diets. For such people, the joy of eating is diminished by the ever-present concern that they might consume a food or food ingredient that will elicit an adverse reaction. For them, food selection can become a tedious task requiring the painstaking reading of ingredient lists on the labels of packaged foods and a ceaseless search for more knowledge about food composition. Food preparation requires careful attention to details such as “cooking from scratch,” seeking alternative recipes for many dishes, and avoidance of shared utensils, containers, and cooking surfaces between allergenic and non-allergenic foods. In situations where one family member has a very serious allergic sensitivity, the entire family often has to avoid the offending food as a precautionary measure.