Food Allergy Reports of food allergies began to appear in Europe in the early 1900s, and since the 1940s, food allergies have been recognized by doctors around the world. With a true food allergy, an individual s immune system will overreact to an ordinarily harmless food. Food allergy often may appear in someone who has family members with allergies, and symptoms may occur after that allergic individual consumes even a tiny amount of the food.
Food intolerance is sometimes confused with food allergy .
Food intolerance refers to an abnormal physical response to a food or food additive that is not an allergic reaction. It differs from an allergy in that it does not involve the immune system. For instance, an individual may have uncomfortable abdominal symptoms after consuming milk. Your allergist can help you determine the difference between intolerance and allergy and help you in establishing a management plan. Food allergens those parts of foods that cause allergic reactions are usually proteins.