Prevalence of food allergy in <scp>T</scp>aiwan: a questionnaire‐based survey

Wu, Tzee–Chung; Tsai, Tzu Chun; Huang, Ching-Feng; Chang, Full Young; Lin, Ching-Heng; Huang, I-Shen; Chu, CH; Lau, Beng-Huat; Wu, Lawrence Shih-Hsin; Hua, Peng; Tang, Rui

doi:10.1111/j.1445-5994.2012.02820.x

Cited by 101 publications

(84 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Singapore are comparable to those among children younger than three years old in Taiwan (0.36% based on history and skin prick test), (21) and 2-7-year-olds in Hong Kong (0.41% based on history alone). (22) Not only are the rates of egg and cow's milk allergy in Singapore low on a global scale, but it is also suspected that these food allergies are milder (less anaphylaxis) and possibly get outgrown faster (50% and 80% of children by three years of age for egg and cow's milk allergy, respectively) than in the West.…”

Section: Egg and Cow's Milkmentioning

confidence: 57%

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Food allergy in Singapore: opening a new chapter

Lee¹

2014

smedj

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R ev iew A r tic le 244 I NTRO D U C TIO NSingapore has rapidly evolved into a modernised city state and currently faces the health burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), resembling that of developed Western nations.(1) In children, allergic diseases, including food allergy, are among the most common NCDs.(2) Food allergy rates are reported to be more than 10% in challenge-proven studies among Australian infants, (3) while in the United Kingdom (UK) (4) and the United States of America (USA), Singapore have not met the expected rise experienced by other highly industrialised countries, it is also uncertain whether the food allergy epidemic will hit our nation. This unclear prediction, together with ever-changing cultural practices and eating habits due to immigration and overseas influence, has opened a new chapter of food allergy in Singapore.A PubMed search of the terms "food allergy" and "Singapore" generated a total of 45 results from January 1999 to January 2014. All the articles generated are in English. Of these, 12 articles are not food-allergy focused, and two are focused on food testing methodology that is not unique to Singapore. Of the remaining 31 articles found, 16 are studies conducted on children, and 9 are review articles on food allergy in Asia or Singapore. EPID EM IO LO GYIn Asia, food allergy data is just beginning to emerge, providing no satisfactory trend. One study from Chongqing, China, reported a doubling in the challenge-proven prevalence rates from 3.5% to 7.7% among 0-2-year-olds over a ten-year period. (8) Conversely, a South Korean study reported that the prevalence of food allergy symptoms in 6-12-year-olds had decreased from 10.9% to 8.9% over five years.(9) Preliminary findings in an ongoing study of young Singaporean children aged 11-30 months demonstrated that overall, self-reported food allergy prevalence could be as high as 5.4% (Lee AJ, unpublished). Unfortunately, the only prior data for comparison was in 6-12-year-olds, where the rates (also by questionnaire) were estimated to be 4%-5% in 1999.Given that the prevalence of food allergy tends to decrease with age, using this data, we surmise that food allergy has probably not increased in Singapore over a 14-year period. SPECIFIC FOOD ALLERGIES IN SINGAPOREWorldwide and regional differences in food allergies mainly depend on diet and culture (although this may not always be the case). For example, shellfish is the most common food allergen in Singapore and is ubiquitous in Southeast Asia, likely by virtue of its high consumption. However, fish, also eaten abundantly in Singapore, is a rare allergen here. Allergy to egg and cow's milk, despite their high consumption worldwide, is comparatively lower in Singapore than in the West. The reverse is true of peanut allergy, which is epidemic in the West compared to Asia. However, the pattern of food allergy in Singapore appears to have changed over the last decade, with peanut allergy increasing in prevalence and being the most common cause of anaphylaxis in Singaporean childr...

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Section: Egg and Cow's Milkmentioning

confidence: 57%

“…(21) The prevalence in a Hong Kong cohort of 2-7-year-olds was 0.25% (doctor diagnosed), (22) while that in China was 0.17%-0.21% among 0-2-year-olds (challenge proven). (8) However, variance in the population age and methodology makes it difficult to compare the different studies.…”

Section: Fishmentioning

confidence: 97%

Food allergy in Singapore: opening a new chapter

Lee¹

2014

smedj

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“…Approximately 77% out from the 30018 food allergy sufferers surveyed by the researchers re-experienced the occurrence of food allergy incident (Wu et al, 2012). Furthermore, as estimated by Pawankar et, al (2011) for about 10-15% children in Malaysia having food allergies.…”

Section: Food Allergy Populationmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…The food allergy sufferer and their parents are struggling to survive but if the public just ignored it, the incidents of food allergy will occur. The food allergy sufferer will re -experienced the food allergy reactions as reported by Wu et al, ( 2012) if the public just ignored about the food allergy issue. As a result, the food allergy sufferer and parents will face tremendous challenges and they also have to bare the medical cost, trauma, demoralized and the quality of life is dwindle (Gaspar-Marques et al, 2014).…”

Section: Journal Of Management Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gauging Food Allergy Knowledge among Hospitality Students

Din¹,

Rashid²,

Ramli³

2015

jmr

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Cases involving food allergy and their effects seem to be growing all around the world. The effects of food allergy can range from mild to severe and even lead to death. It is also noted that students are among the frequent victims of food allergy. The cure for food allergy is ISSN 1941-899X 2015 www.macrothink.org/jmr 253 unknown. Thus, a form of intervention is needed to prevent food allergy from occurring. In order to do so, an adequate level of knowledge concerning food allergy is crucial. This study, therefore, explores the level of awareness and knowledge on food allergy among hospitality students in Malaysia. Survey method was utilized in this study and questionnaires were distributed to 150 students specifically who are studying hospitality program at two universities in the Northern region of Malaysia. Results revealed that majority of the respondent have an average knowledge pertaining to food allergy issue. This paper revealed the general knowledge, awareness and perceptions of hospitality students pertaining to food allergy. The implication of the study would benefit the public. Proper development of food allergy syllabus will enhance student knowledge and perhaps will help them to prepare and serve wholesome food to the customers. Journal of Management Research

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“…Some of the most common food allergens are highly prevalent in the USA such as fish, eggs, milk, peanuts, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, and wheat (Boyce et al 2010;Branum and Lukacs 2009), whilst sesame (Dano et al 2015), lupine (Jappe and Vieths 2010), mustard (Sirvent et al 2012), and celery (Fuchs et al 2012) have been identified as major allergenic food sources in European countries. Shellfish is the most common food allergen from Asia (Lee et al 2013;Shek et al 2010;Wu et al 2012) whilst egg and cow's milk allergies are most prevalent among young children and infants in Asia too (Chen et al 2011;Lee et al 2013;Wu et al 2012). Estimates for the total number of consumers affected by food allergies range from 1-2% adults and 5-8% children in westernized countries (Gupta et al 2011;Patel et al 2011;Tang and Hsiao 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“May Contain” Allergen Statements: Facilitating or Frustrating Consumers?

Soon

Manning

2017

J Consum Policy

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As a result of mandatory labelling legislation, major food allergens that commonly cause allergic reactions are declared on packaging. The usage of precautionary allergen labelling (PAL) on packaging is not regulated in all countries, and the food industry uses various forms of "may contain" labelling which firstly is often inconsistent and secondly over time may diminish the value of such advisory statements. Hence, the aims of this paper are to review the current industry usage of PAL and to provide recommendations on future use that are of value to academics, policy makers, food industry, and consumers. A case study example is used to illustrate the likely costs and benefits of improving the current PAL status by considering a "peanut-free" product and calculation using the Voluntary Incidental Trace Allergen Labelling (VITAL) calculator. Governance such as addressing the inconsistent usage of PALs, promoting the harmonization of language used in PALs, and improving PAL status to quantified PAL statements would be helpful in communicating risks to consumers, so they can make informed choices when purchasing food products.

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Prevalence of food allergy in Taiwan: a questionnaire‐based survey

Abstract: Less than 10% of the Taiwan population suffers from food allergy with different allergic symptoms to variable food allergens in different age groups.

Cited by 101 publications

References 29 publications

Food allergy in Singapore: opening a new chapter

Food allergy in Singapore: opening a new chapter

Gauging Food Allergy Knowledge among Hospitality Students

“May Contain” Allergen Statements: Facilitating or Frustrating Consumers?

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