“In 20 years, we have an increase of 300%” among children, warns a doctor

The allergists’ unions have decided to place food allergies at the heart of World Allergy Week organized in June. They believe that food allergies, which have been steadily increasing for 20 years, constitute a real public health issue.

Every year the French Union of Allergists (Syfal) and the French Federation of Allergology (FFAL) organize “World Allergy Week”. It will be held this year from June 24 to 29, but doctors have decided this year to highlight the risks linked to food allergies. They call for greater awareness, better enforcement of regulations and an update of notifiable allergens. Séverine Fernandez, allergist doctor in La Ciotat and president of Syfal, answers questions from franceinfo.

franceinfo: What is a food allergy?

Dr. Fernandez: Food allergy is a response of the immune system to contact with a food protein and which will want to defend itself, fight against this food which it will consider to be an aggressor by providing an immunological response, that is to say a cascade of sequences of the immune system which will want to protect itself and which will lead to several forms, the best known of which is anaphylactic shock, that is to say a severe response, with cardiorespiratory damage. You can die from a food allergy. This is totally different from food intolerances. Intolerances are simply our digestive system feeling a little too full or being confronted with a food that it doesn’t like to digest and which will cause symptoms. These symptoms should not be minimized, but there is never a life risk. There are fewer food allergies than food intolerants, but for them the risk is greater. You don’t die from a food intolerance.

How do you consider this to be a public health issue?

According to data from the Allergo Vigilance Network (Rav), in the general population there are around 4 to 5% of food allergies, but this represents 6 to 8% of children under 15 years old while this is not was only 2% 20 years ago. In 20 years we therefore have an increase of 300%, that is still a significant increase in a short time.

“There is no single explanation, but many studies show that it is particularly linked to the evolution of our lifestyle, notably with the processing of foods and the introduction of “junk” foods. .”

Séverine Fernandez, allergist doctor

at franceinfo

If we don’t tackle the subject head on, we’re going to have an explosion of allergies. Take the example of what happens with pollens. Many allergists issued warnings more than 25 years ago saying “be careful, we have a problem, the pollens are getting worse and we are going to have a massacre in terms of respiratory allergies”. And, today, we have an explosion of pollen and it is no longer okay… This alert on food allergies, we notice a worsening and an increase in cases, it affects our children, it is not known, nor recognized. However, there is also a whole repercussion on social life. There are regulations that exist, but which are still insufficiently enforced. The Inco regulation, for example, establishes the mandatory declaration of certain allergens, but it is not applied in restaurants.

What do you recommend regarding food allergies?

I already recommend providing information, particularly information on how to diagnose it. Unfortunately, we do not have the possibility of screening upstream, it does not exist. But there are basic rules. We can in particular talk about early dietary diversification, explain when to consult and also provide information on how to react to someone who has an anaphylactic reaction.

“We still have 10% to 20% of anaphylaxis which occurs during school time, in the canteen. In 25 to 50% of cases it was the first time, the allergy was not known.”

Séverine Fernandez, allergist doctor

at franceinfo

So we need to train, we need to inform, so people working with children can know how to react. And then we need better application of regulations, as well as a regular review of regulations and the list of allergens subject to mandatory declaration (Ado) based on emerging allergens. I’ll give you the example of sheep’s milk. Some parents are looking for alternatives to cow’s milk and giving sheep’s milk. Except that we have anaphylaxis with goat’s or sheep’s milk, but this is not compulsory to declare. So manufacturers or restaurateurs now use sheep’s milk and they have the right not to say so. This list of Ado must therefore be modified in particular based on the data that allergists receive.