[Fatal and severe food hypersensitivity. Peanut and soya underestimated allergens]

Severe allergic reactions caused by foodstuffs have been reported in Sweden since 1993, 60 cases, five of them fatal, occurring during the first 3-year period. More than 70 per cent of all reactions reported were caused by patients, soya beans, nuts or almonds. In only 13 per cent of reported cases were the patients over 17 years of age. Several severe reactions were caused by soy protein, and mainly in children and adolescents with extremely severe peanut allergy and asthma. In many cases, severe symptoms first appeared more than one hour after soy intake. The report suggests soy allergy to be associated with an underestimated risk of severe reactions.