Occupational reactions to foods
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Updated: Oct 2, 2026

Assessment of Social Transmission of Food Preferences Behaviors
Published on: January 25, 2018
Matthew Aresery1, Samuel B Lehrer
1Department of Medicine, Section of Clinical Immunology, Allergy & Rheumatology, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, 1700 Perdido Street (SL-57), New Orleans, LA 70112, USA. sblehrer@tulane.edu
Abstract:
The spectrum of occupational diseases most commonly seen in the food industry includes occupational asthma, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, dermatitis, and hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Occupational asthma represents between 3% and 20% of all asthma cases and is the most common form of occupational lung disease. Occupational skin diseases may represent between 10% and 15% of all occupational diseases, and they have significant economic impact. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis affects the food industry, with farmer's lung representing a common form of the disease. Each of these diseases may have serious and potentially irreversible effects on the health of a farmer, food processor, or food preparer, even after removal of the offending exposure.
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