ALLERGY RESOURCES

COMPREHENSIVE ALLERGY RESOURCES FOR EVERYONE - THE TOP 14 ALLERGENS AND BEYOND

COMPREHENSIVE ALLERGY RESOURCES FOR EVERYONE - THE TOP 14 ALLERGENS AND BEYOND
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MOLLUSC ALLERGY


Key Allergens

Molluscs are a group of invertebrates which include oysters, abalone, snails and squid. In Europe molluscs and crustaceans are considered to be 2 separate food groups whose allergens need to be declared in packaged food. In the US these are both grouped under the term 'shellfish'.

The WHO allergen index covers 6 species of molluscs linked to allergic reactions.

The main allergen in all 6 species is Tropomyosin, which is a protein found in the exoskeletons of the animals.


Food Intolerances

Food is low in FODMAP Food is high in histamine Food is high in sulphites

Molluscs are considered to be high in histamine, so is not suitable for people following a low histamine diet. The amount of histamine starts to increase once caught, so improperly handled and refridgerated molluscs can cause what is called 'scrombroid poisoning'. The symptoms of this are very similar to a severe allergic reaction, so are often confused.

Sulphites and histamine often go hand in hand. Molluscs have less sulphites when caught and eaten fresh and this amount increases as they are processed, canned or smoked. Sulphites are inorganic salts used in preservations and have the potential to cause symptoms of food intolerance to those sensitive to sulphites, this food intolerance is more common in asthmatics. An improvement in symptoms can be made with a change to a low sulphite diet.

Molluscs are a low FODMAP food. FODMAP stands for Fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols. Foods high in FODMAPs can cause symptoms of food intolerance, affecting the gastro intestinal system and this can be mistaken for a true IgE food allergy.

You can read more about Food Intolerances on the dedicated Food Intolerance Page.

Associated Syndromes

Allergy to molluscs has not been linked to any allergic syndromes.

Cross Reactivity

Molluscs allergy is linked to crustacean allergy; lobster, prawn, scampi, crab and shrimp all contain the main allergen - tropomyosin.

Catfish, some types of salmon and tilapia are types of fish which have also been identified as containing the allergen tropomyosin, there may be cross reactivity between eating certain types of fish and molluscs.

There is a lot of research into a link between dust mite allergy and molluscs allergy, this is again attributed to the common allergen - tropomyosin.

You can download a Mollusc Allergy Factsheet from the Allergy Resources Ko-fi Shop for just $0.90 (£0.69 or €0.82). This has up to date information on which foods contain linked allergens and what foods to avoid if you think you have an allergy to molluscs.




Resources

Websites

Allergen Encyclopedia - Squid

Allergen Encyclopedia - Oysters

Anaphylaxis Campaign - Shellfish

Food Allergy Canada - Crustaceans and Molluscs

ACAAI - Shellfish Allergy

Allergy information for: Abalone, perlemoen (Haliotis midae)

Allergy information for: Oyster (Crassostrea gigas )

Allergy information for: Snail (Helix aspersa)

Allergy information for: Squid (Todarodes pacificus)

Histamine Intolerance Food List

Allergy UK - Fish and Shellfish Allergy

Healthline - FODMAP Foods


Articles and Journals

Investigating Novel Food Sensitization: A Real-Life Prevalence Study of Cricket, Locust and Mealworm IgE-Reactivity in Naïve allergic Individuals, 2024

A detailed intake-status profiling of seafoods in adult food–protein–induced enterocolitis syndrome patients, 2023

IgE-Mediated Shellfish Allergy in Children, 2023

Evaluation of Der p 10 in a Cohort of European Children: Role of Molecular Diagnostics and Clinical Features, 2023

Varying Approaches to Management of IgE-Mediated Food Allergy in Children Around the World, 2023

Immunological Cross-Reactivity Involving Mollusc Species and Mite–Mollusc and Cross-Reactive Allergen PM Are Risk Factors of Mollusc Allergy, 2022

Prevalence and Characteristics of Shellfish Allergy in the Pediatric Population of the United States, 2020

Effect of Heat Processing on IgE Reactivity and Cross-Reactivity of Tropomyosin and Other Allergens of Asia-Pacific Mollusc Species: Identification of Novel Sydney Rock Oyster Tropomyosin Sac g 1, 2018

In vivo diagnosis with purified tropomyosin in mite and shellfish allergic patients, 2016

Cloning, isolation, and IgE-binding properties of Helix aspersa (brown garden snail) tropomyosin, 2002

Tropomyosin: An Invertebrate Pan–Allergen, 1999

Characteristics of hypersensitivity reactions and identification of a unique 49 kd IgE-binding protein (Hal-m-1) in abalone (Haliotis midae), 1997

Identification of the first major allergen of a squid (Todarodes pacificus), 1996



Let me know if you found any of these interesting or useful. If you spot an article or research that you think is interesting you can message me or tag me on Facebook or Twitter - links at the bottom of the page.


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