Allergy to natural honeys and camomile tea

Precipitation of food allergy reactions is well known in some patients with pollinosis when they consume natural food, such as honey or camomile tea. We present 9 patients with hay fever, with or without asthma, who experienced systemic allergic reactions after ingestion of natural honeys from two local areas (Andujar and Granada) and/or camomile tea. Pollen analysis showed a high level in sunflower pollen (23.6% of pollen grains) in the honey from Andujar but not in that from Granada. The diagnosis of food and respiratory allergy was based on history, skin prick tests and specific IgE activity against pollen from Compositae. Conjunctival challenge with camomile extract also gave positive results. The above allergological tests and the inhibition studies carried out, suggest that pollen of Compositae may be responsible for allergic reactions to certain natural foods and that the reactions are mediated by an IgE-related mechanism.