Inner-city kids who live in homes where there are cockroaches have significantly higher levels of the Immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibody that causes shrimp allergy, according to a study in the October issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Tropomyosin, the allergenic protein in shrimp, is also found in dust mites, cockroaches and other [...]

Allergen Where It Hides Alternate Names Shellfish and Fish ethnic foods: fried rice, paella, spring rolls, sushi (California rolls) caponata (Sicilian relish) gelatin, marshmallows pizza toppings salad dressings sauces, for example, marinara, Nuoc Mâm, steak and Worcestershire spreads, for example, taramasalata (fish) deli meats, hot dogs (from gelatin) compost or fertilizers lip balm/gloss pet food [...]

There is no cure for allergies to fish or shellfish, so people who develop allergies to seafood must avoid even small traces of the foods that cause them to react. It’s crucial that people with a severe allergy to seafood carry epinephrine (brands include EpiPen, Auvi-Q, Allerject) with them at all times, as well as [...]

It’s an experience that has puzzled thousands of seafood lovers across Canada and around the world: You’ve eaten fish and shellfish all of your life with no ill effects, and then one day, you’re eating some tasty tidbit from the sea – maybe some jumbo shrimp, some butter-drenched lobster, or some fresh-caught salmon – and [...]

One of the biggest questions people have is whether it’s possible to react to a food through inhalation. While allergists stress that severe reactions to airborne food particles are extremely uncommon, there are some instances in which allergenic food proteins can get into the air and potentially cause trouble. According to Dr. Scott Sicherer of [...]

A quick test: what’s the most widespread food allergy in North America today? If you answered ‘peanut’, that’s incorrect. But you could hardly be blamed given that legume’s notoriety. The right answer is seafood – from fish to crustaceans and mollusks. At a time when every “must-try” new restaurant is an over-priced sushi bar, an [...]

Researchers in China and Louisiana have tested and compared raw and boiled proteins of a common type of shrimp. They were excited to find that boiling shrimp for 10 minutes reduces the allergenicity of the protein called tropomyosin, the main allergen in shellfish. There would still be protein traces and no one is suggesting that [...]

The Groups Fish: includes salmon, tuna, cod. Crustaceans: includes shrimp, lobster, crab. Mollusks: snails, bivalves (mussels, scallops, oysters), squid. Cross-Reactions Within a seafood group … Dr. Scott Sicherer, author of Understanding and Managing Your Child’s Food Allergies and associate professor of medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine’s Jaffe Food Allergy Institute, concludes from [...]

When a family member has a seafood allergy, reading is protection. Label Aware – Fish and Shellfish Allergy Reading labels is a way of life when you have fish or shellfish allergies. Before eating anything in a package, be sure to read the label carefully. Look for hidden sources of fish or shellfish and other [...]

Shellfish allergy is the most common allergy in Canada, affecting 1.42 per cent of the population. Most sufferers are adults: 1.69 per cent have the allergy, compared to just 0.5 per cent of children. Fish allergy is less common, affecting 0.18 per cent of children and 0.56 per cent of adults. In general, food allergy [...]