The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) Annual Meeting in Philadelphia was held recently. Presentation of new research in food allergies formed the basis of the program, some of which is summarised here.

Chan and colleagues at King's College in London presented research findings which suggest sensitisation to peanuts may occur by contact with allergen through the skin. This finding may help explain why, despite the requirement for prior contact with an allergen for sensitisation to occur, the majority of peanut allergic children react to their first known peanut ingestion.

The goal of the study by Nash and colleagues at Duke University, Durham was to determine if peanut oral immunotherapy can desensitise peanut allergic children to peanut protein. After a three-phase trial on thirteen peanut-allergic children, their results indicate that oral immunotherapy is effective for decreasing the risk of a significant allergic reaction after accidental peanut ingestion.

Ahn and colleagues at the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York surveyed food-allergic consumer’s in relation to the introduction of the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA). The survey found the new labelling laws have brought about strong consumer satisfaction and a modest increase in confidence. Food allergic consumers are noting an increase in advisory labels, increasingly ignoring them, and may not understand the full details of the law.

Also focusing on the impact of FALCPA, Chung and colleagues at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York conducted a survey that assessed 1016 commercial products against the requirements of these laws. They found most allergen disclosure techniques included separate warnings, using bold font, and parentheses. While not regulated by FALCPA, advisory labelling was also assessed, with 19 different types of terminology found; the most common terms were "Manufactured in a facility that also processes [x]" and "May Contain [x]".

The study concluded that general compliance with the FALCPA legislation appears high, though discrepancies and ambiguities resulting in non-compliant disclosure were identified. There are many circumstances where lack of full ingredient disclosure would present obstacles for persons with allergies to foods not considered "major allergens."