About 11 million Americans have food
allergies, 59% of those are allergic to seafood and 27% of those are
allergic to nuts. 90% of all allergic reactions are caused by 8
proteins found in a number of foods; these are milk, eggs, peanuts,
tree nuts (pecans, almonds, walnuts, etc.), wheat (gluten), soy, fish,
and shellfish (shrimp, lobster, crab, oysters, clam, etc.) Food
allergens that cause an allergic reaction are usually proteins. Many
of these allergens can still cause an allergic reaction even after they
have been cooked. All foods have either a plant or animal origin and
are grouped according to their origin. Cross-reactivity is common in
those with food allergies. Cross-reactivity is when an allergy to a
single item in a food grouping results in food allergies to all items
of the same food grouping. Cross-reactivity is more common in people
with allergies to seafood and tree nuts and less common amongst animal
food groupings (i.e. a person allergic to milk may not be allergic to
beef).
