Food Allergies

About 2 percent of the population in the United States, including 4 to 8 percent of its children, have food allergies. A person can be allergic to food that is clean and well prepared if it contains an ingredient that causes an allergic reaction in their body. According to the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act, eight foods cause about 90 percent of all food allergies. Those foods are milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans. If you are cooking for guests, ask them if they have any food allergies. If they do, read labels to make sure you don't serve them anything that will cause a reaction.
The only proven treatment for a food allergy is to avoid the food. Other treatments, including allergy shots and probiotics, have not been proven to help with food allergies.Talk to your health care provider if you think you have had an allergic reaction to food, even if it is only a local reaction.