Food Additive Allergy: Symptoms And Treatments

Allergy to food additives is a problem that often goes unnoticed because it is confused with intolerance to some food. The truth is that these are different phenomena, although they have a common origin and have similar symptoms.

In food intolerance, the digestive system is irritated because the person has difficulty in properly assimilating a food or food additive. When allergic to food additives and foods in general, the immune system reacts disproportionately and can be fatal.

Food Additives 

Food additives are substances that are added to processed foods during their preparation. These allow you to modify foods in terms of flavor, texture, color, aroma and shelf life, among others. These substances are added with the approval of the health authority, and must appear on the product label.

First, food additive allergies occur when the body identifies one of these substances as potentially dangerous. An immune reaction is then generated to attack this additive , with symptoms that can become very severe.

Food Additive Allergy Symptoms 

Symptoms of food additive allergy can vary. However, the most frequent ones are those of a respiratory order , mainly asthma and rhinitis; and those of a cutaneous order, mainly urticaria and the various forms of dermatitis.

Symptoms can progress to a serious , life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis . This happens quickly and violently. It is due to the massive release of histamine and other substances. This leads to airway constriction and eventually death.

Currently, it is believed that between 5 and 10% of cases of chronic urticaria are caused by allergy to food additives. However, the number can be higher. Today, there are several limitations for diagnosing this problem. In general, intolerance to certain foods can be a suspicious sign that should be reviewed by the allergist.

Potential risk of some additives 

Without a doubt, all food additives can cause adverse reactions, but some of them carry a higher potential risk . They are as follows:

• Antioxidants. Cases of urticaria and atopic dermatitis have been reported due to ingestion of foods with industrial antioxidants. In some cases, it produces bronchospasm.

• Sulfur dioxide and sulphites . Sulphites can cause respiratory symptoms such as rhinitis or exacerbation in asthmatics. These can also cause contact dermatitis, hives, or digestive problems.
• Nitrates and nitrites . They are associated with worsening atopic dermatitis, and cases of severe allergic reactions.
• Benzoic acid and benzoates . They are the additives most related to allergic reactions. They cause exacerbation of atopic dermatitis and asthma, urticaria, headache, migraine, difficulty concentrating and hyperactivity.
• Methylcellulose . It is related to adverse reactions at the gastrointestinal level.
• Jelly E441 . It is a thickener that can cause severe allergic reactions.
• Guar gum and gum tragacanth . The former can cause gastrointestinal problems. The second can intensify atopic dermatitis, or cause hives.

• Monosodium glutamate. May cause severe allergic reactions.
• Dyes . They can cause mild, mild or, rarely, severe allergic reactions.

Treatment of Allergy to Food Additives

Unfortunately, there is no effective treatment for food additive allergies unless they are eliminated from the diet. However, this can be a little difficult, as today there are many foods that contain additives with allergic potential.

Furthermore, additives are sometimes not identified by name but by a reference number . On the other hand, it is important to ask about the name of the components that correspond to that number or code. The best measure, therefore, is to avoid pre-cooked or prepared foods of industrial origin.