One study reveals that sesame allergy is more common than previously thought

The discovery indicates that sesame allergy is more prevalent than previously known, although it is still much less common than peanut allergy. But sesame is not one of the allergens that the Food and Drug Administration requires manufacturers to list on food labels.

"Sesame allergy is becoming a common allergy in the United States," said Dr. Ruchi S. Gupta, professor of pediatrics at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago and lead author of the study, which was published in the JAMA Network Open magazine. "The impact on more than a million people in the United States is considerable."

The study relied on online and telephone survey responses of 40,453 adults and 38,408 children. People who had at least one symptom of sesame allergy accounted for about 0.23% of the population, discovered Gupta and his colleagues.

Those who were diagnosed with allergy, but never had a symptom, accounted for about 0.11% of the population.

"That's about 1.1 million people in the United States who are currently suffering from a sesame allergy and therefore avoiding sesame in their daily lives," said Christopher M. Warren, epidemiologist of the Research Center. on food allergies and asthma in the Northwest, and study.

Exposure to a food allergen such as sesame can lead to anaphylactic reaction, including swelling of the throat and a drop in blood pressure. Severe reactions can be fatal.

Of those with allergies to sesame, 62% said they received a prescription for epinephrine, the injected medication used to lessen an allergic reaction. About one-third of people who received an epinephrine prescription reported having taken this medication.

During the survey, many people reported symptoms of sesame allergy, but they were never diagnosed, Gupta said.

"If you eat a food and you have a reaction, it's important to diagnose it because you want to make sure it's allergy to that food before you spend your life." to avoid it, "she said.

At present, the federal government requires manufacturers to inform consumers when a product is made using one of eight allergens: milk, eggs, fish, fruit seafood, peanuts, wheat, soy and nuts. Consumers may find these allergens printed in the ingredient list or in a special warning.

But sesame, which Gupta called "the ninth most common allergen," was not part of the 2004 law that made labeling mandatory. Consumers can not know for sure if sesame is present in foods at the grocery store. Even if sesame was used as an ingredient, it could be described as "natural flavors" or "spices".

Lisa G. Gable, General Manager of Food Allergy Research & Education, a non-profit organization based in McLean, Va., Hopes this latest study will convince the FDA to make a difference.

"It raises, with great specificity, data about the impact of sesame on the lives of people who essentially have to avoid that food," Gable said.

The FDA plans to add sesame – which is already regulated in the European Union, Canada and Australia – to the list. In 2018, the agency issued a request for information to "find out more about the prevalence and severity of sesame allergies in the United States."

"The FDA has received more than 4,800 comments from consumers, industry badociations, health professionals and academics," said an FDA press officer. "We are carefully reviewing all comments received as we explore different options for possible actions from the agency and will provide updates as soon as they are available."

Some food allergies already covered by the labeling law seem to be less common than sesame allergies. According to the study, Macadamia nut allergies, a type of nut, have been observed only in 0.008% of children and adults in the United States.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.