Prevalence of food additive intolerance

Area of Science:

• Allergy and Immunology
• Clinical Nutrition
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Prevalence estimates for food additive intolerance show significant variation across studies.
• Existing data ranges from 0.026% to 2%, necessitating a review of methodologies and populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and synthesize existing prevalence estimates of food additive intolerance.
• To identify factors contributing to the wide discrepancies in reported prevalence rates.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from the EEC report, a British population study, and a Danish population study.
• Comparison of prevalence estimates based on different study populations and challenge methodologies.

Main Results:

• Prevalence estimates vary by a factor of 100, influenced by study population characteristics.
• Food additive intolerance is most commonly observed in atopic adults with respiratory/skin symptoms and atopic children with cutaneous symptoms.
• Estimated prevalence is <0.15% for adults with atopic symptoms and 0.026% for those with subjective symptoms like headaches.
• Prevalence in atopic children aged 5-16 with existing conditions is 1-2%.

Conclusions:

• Food additive intolerance prevalence is highly dependent on the study population and diagnostic criteria.
• The condition primarily affects individuals with existing atopic conditions, where additives exacerbate symptoms.
• While estimates vary, the prevalence is generally low, particularly in adults, but higher in specific pediatric populations.