One in 20 adults in the UK has a confirmed food allergy and nearly a third have food sensitivities, according to the first study of its kind.
The report by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) found 2.4 million adults (6%) had a clinically confirmed food allergy, the most common of which were to peanuts and tree nuts such as hazelnuts, walnuts and almonds. Many individuals also had allergies to fresh fruits including apples. Milk and fish allergies were less common.
The FSA said the research showed the emergence of plant-based allergies was important to consider because of the increase in alternative diets.
About 30% of the thousands surveyed had symptoms of food hypersensitivity, whereby they experienced an unpleasant reaction after consuming a particular food. There are different types of hypersensitivity including an allergy, intolerance and coeliac disease.
Previous figures suggest about 1% to 2% of UK adults have a food allergy. However, these figures were taken from FSA-funded studies in which individuals self-reported without a clinical assessment.
A previous study carried out 30 years ago focused on food intolerance only and owing to various reasons, including the different methodologies used, the results were not comparable.
Prof Robin May, the chief scientific adviser at the FSA, said the latest report was significant in helping identify how food allergies evolved between childhood and adulthood, as well as providing insights into “links between certain types of foods and the persistence of allergies into adulthood”.
The report discovered that childhood food allergies persisted into early adulthood and then increased. About half of food allergies developed in later adulthood, it found.
May said the research also showed “the emergence of plant-based allergies affecting more people into adulthood”. This was important to consider as the food system had moved towards plant-based diets and alternative proteins, he added.
The study found that foods such as peanuts were most likely to cause an allergic reaction. Many individuals had allergies to fresh fruits including peaches and kiwifruit. These were associated with allergies to birch pollen, also known as pollen-food allergy syndrome or oral allergy syndrome. Allergies to foods such as milk, fish, shrimp and mussels were less common.
May said: “The FSA remains committed to ensuring that consumers have clear and accurate allergen labelling to support people in the UK living with a food allergy. This report will help guide our future work on allergens to ensure everyone can enjoy food that is safe.”
During the first stage of the study, entitled Patterns and Prevalence of Adult Food Allergy (PAFA), people were invited to complete a questionnaire and report any type of reactions they had ever experienced after eating. Some reported their food hypersensitivity was diagnosed by a doctor in the past, while others reported they had never spoken to a clinician or doctor about their symptoms.
When this was investigated further through a clinical assessment, about 6% of the UK adult population were estimated to have a clinically confirmed food allergy.
• This article was amended on 16 May 2024. An earlier version said that nearly a third of adults in the UK had food “insensitivities” instead of food sensitivities.
