Food Allergy

Food allergies are common and affect more than 3% of individuals in the US population, with a higher prevalence in children. Symptoms of a food allergy may range in severity from mild localized oral itching with ingestion of fresh fruits or vegetables in individuals with pollen-food allergy syndrome to life-threatening states in individuals with anaphylactic reactions to foods, such as peanut. This chapter provides an overview of food allergy, including the variety of disease processes that fall under the umbrella term food allergy; the pathophysiology underlying the breakdown in oral tolerance, which results in symptomatic food allergy; current diagnosis and management of affected individuals; prevention of food allergy; and investigational interventional therapies on the horizon for treatment of immunoglobulin E (IgE)–mediated food allergies.