Review of allergic reactions to meat

Allergy to meat is an unusual disorder that is normally outgrown in the first years of life. In those individuals with meat allergy, beef and chicken are most frequently involved. Prevalence of meat allergy does appear to be increasing in some European countries such as Italy, and a review has recently been published which summarises published data on allergic reactions to a range of meat types.

The major allergenic proteins of meat have been identified as serum albumins and immunoglobulins although allergies to muscle proteins (actin, myosin and tropomyosin) have also been reported. Food processing methods including heat treatment, homogenisation and freeze-frying appear to reduce the allergenic potential of these proteins. Reactions due to cross reactivity between different meats, meat and milk, and meat and eggs were described in the review, as were reactions due to cross-contamination associated with the inadequate cleaning of industrial or butchers' equipment.

One of the findings of the review was that in meats rarely consumed, such as kangaroo, whale and seal, the main allergens are only partially correlated to those detected in beef or other more commonly consumed meats.

Reference: Restani et al. 2009 Current Opinions in Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Vol 9(3) pp. 265-269.