New research conducted at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, USA has shown allergies to peanuts and other foods are showing up in children at younger ages than previously found.

In theory all proteins have the potential to become allergens, but a recent study from the Institute of Food Research in Norwich and the Medical University of Vienna  has found that in practice the ability of animal food proteins to act as allergens depends on their evolutionary distance from a human equivalent.

A team of British scientists, headed by Dr Claudio Nicoletti, at the Institute of Food Research team in Norwich believe they have identified a key molecule responsible for food allergies. The molecule Interleukin-12 (IL-12) was found to be absent in mice bred to be allergic to peanuts.

A specialist allergy practice in the ACT has reported that food allergies in Australian children (aged 0-5 years) referred to it have risen 12-fold since 1995, from 11 positive cases in 1995 to 138  in 2006. 

FACTA are pleased to offer all Allergen Bureau members a discount on attendance fees for their new series of Allergen Training Seminars in October 2007. Allergen training seminars are once more being held in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, with the addition of Adelaide for the first time. For more details please visit www.factaaustralia.com.au.

The no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) for soy in Europe should be two milligrams, says a European study from Switzerland, Denmark and Italy that was published in June this year.