Food allergy to previously tolerated foods: Course and patient characteristics

The acquisition of food allergy (FA) to previously safely consumed basic food proteins is an unusual presentation of immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergic disease.

We sought to characterize patients who developed FA to previously tolerated foods (FA-PTF), including underlying reasons for and length of elimination diet of previously tolerated foods.

Patients (n = 30) with complaints consistent with FA to foods previously consumed safely were evaluated. Clinical history was obtained, and skin prick testing and graded oral food challenges (OFC) were performed. One fatal case of FA-PTF was reported by a physician.

Twenty-two of 30 patients (ages 1.2-50 years) were diagnosed with FA-PTF by OFC to milk (n = 17), egg (n = 2), and peanuts (n = 3). One additional patient with FA-PTF had a fatal reaction to milk. Anaphylactic reactions were reported in 12 of these 23 FA-PT patients (52%); 8 experienced multiple episodes. Atopic dermatitis was diagnosed in 52% (12/23) of patients, 8 of 12 as severe; overall, 18 of 23 (78%) of patients had marked personal atopic background. Sixteen patients (70%) initiated an elimination diet, 12 of whom did so on advice from a health care provider, before the appearance of allergic symptoms. However, in 4 patients with FA-PTF, reactivity to the food protein emerged during uninterrupted consumption.

Food allergy to previously tolerated foods primarily appears after an elimination diet in atopic patients. Anaphylactic reactions are common. Health care providers should consider these risks before recommending elimination diet of tolerated foods.