Food allergy

Adverse reactions to foods are classified into immediate and delayed reactions. Immediate reactions are caused by interactions between food antigen and antigen-specific IgE that lead to a pathological process mediated by mast cells and basophils. Delayed reactions are more diverse, both in the manifestations and in the biological mechanisms involved. Because the majority of food antigens are proteins or glycoproteins, the increased diversity of food sources and the application of modern molecular biology techniques that allows changes in the protein composition of traditional foods may intensify the public interest in reactions to foods.