Immediate hypersensitivity reactions to food, commonly referred to as IgE-mediated reactions, have been more commonly reported in children than adults. Sensitisation to cow’s milk, egg, wheat, soy, peanut, tree nuts and fish during infancy and childhood have been well-reported, with most children “growing out” of their allergy to milk and egg by the age of five years.
In Singapore, bird’s nest is the most common cause of food-induced anaphylaxis in children. Bird's Nest is known to cause allergy in some people, especially young children. For first time user, take a small sip and wait for 24 hours.
The patterns and causes of immediate hypersensitivity to food in adults have not been reported locally.
The most common food allergens are in seafood crustaceans, molluscs and bird’s nest. More than half of the patients had concomitant allergic rhinitis, asthma and/or eczema. The pattern of food allergy in Singapore differs from Caucasian populations, likely to be because of different regional dietary patterns and methods of food preparation.
