Several new foods should be added to the common allergens list, with researchers saying a shift in eating patterns over the past decade has exposed consumers to new allergy risks.
While peanuts are the most commonly known food to trigger a severe reaction, the French scientists are warning of a new wave of problematic foods, reports The Independent.
Food packaging in Britain and the European Union already lists the most common 14 allergens, which include peanuts, shellfish, soya beans, milk and eggs.
However, several more should be added to the mandatory risk list, according to the study by Dominique Sabouraud-Leclerc, lead investigator for the Allergy Vigilance Network and her colleagues at the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Reims in France.
Their findings, published in the journal Clinical & Experimental Allergy, suggest goat’s and sheep’s milk, buckwheat, peas, lentils and pine nuts should be added to the risk list.
Others of concern included kiwi fruit, apples and bee products like honey, edible pollen, and royal jelly.
There were 3 000 cases of food-induced anaphylaxis, a severe and life-threatening reaction, reported to the Allergy Vigilance Network in Europe between 2002 and 2023. Of these, 413 reactions and two deaths were caused by one of the eight emerging food allergies mentioned by the researchers.
Allergenic foods involved in ≥1% of cases and not included in the European Regulation list included goat’s and sheep's milk (2.8% of cases), buckwheat (2.4%), peas and lentil (1.8%), alpha-gal (1.7%), pine nut (1.6%), kiwi (1.5%), beehive products (1.0%), and apple (1.0%).
“Given their frequency, severity, recurrence and potential for hidden exposure, we propose that goat’s and sheep’s milk, buckwheat, peas, lentils and pine nut be considered for inclusion in the list,” the study authors said.
The rise of anaphylaxis linked to these could be due to a shift in eating habits as more people opt for a plant-based diet including a variety of nuts, seeds and fruits, they suggested.
For example, although peas are not one of the 14 allergens currently required to be listed by law, pea protein is increasingly being added to a wide range of foods.
Simone Miles, chief executive of Allergy UK, said the research “shows that even lesser-known allergens can cause serious reactions and life-threatening anaphylaxis”.
Many people struggle with “unclear” food labelling and “vague ‘may contain’ warnings”, which make it difficult to know if it is safe to eat, she added.
Study details
Food Anaphylaxis: Eight Food Allergens Without Mandatory Labelling Highlighted by the French Allergy-Vigilance Network
Dominique Sabouraud-Leclerc, Delphine Mariotte, Amandine Divaret-Chauveau et al.
Published in Clinical & Experimental Allergy on 20 August 2025
Abstract
Background
The European Regulation list on mandatory labelling of foods includes 14 allergenic foods; however, other foods are also frequently implicated in food-induced anaphylaxis (FIA).
Methods
We analysed FIA cases reported to the Allergy Vigilance Network from 2002 to 2023. Allergenic foods involved in ≥ 1% of cases and not included in the list were assessed as emerging food allergens (EFA). We assessed their frequency, severity (Ring classification), recurrence, and potential presence in hidden form to determine which allergens might warrant inclusion on the list.
Results
Among 2999 FIA cases (Ring grades 2–4), 413 cases (13.8%) met the selection criteria, divided into eight allergenic foods or food groups: goat's and sheep's milk (GSM, n = 84; 2.8% of the cases), buckwheat (n = 71; 2.4%), peas and lentil (n = 55; 1.8%), alpha-gal (n = 50; 1.7%), pine nut (n = 49; 1.6%), kiwi (n = 44; 1.5%), beehive products (n = 30; 1.0%), and apple (n = 30; 1.0%). Severe reactions (Ring grades 3 and 4) were reported with GSM (46.8% and 4.8%, respectively, including two fatalities), buckwheat (46.5% and1.4%), peas-lentil (20% and 1.8%), alpha-gal (54% and 8%), and Grade 3 reactions were reported with pine nut in 49%, kiwi 54.5%, beehive products 33.3% and apple 46.7%. Recurrent reactions and hidden exposures were reported with GSM (56% and 15.5%), buckwheat (49.3% and 16.9%), peas-lentil (7.3% and 9.0%) and pine nut (12.2% and 4.1%).
Conclusion
We identified eight foods frequently involved in FIA and not currently listed in the European regulation. Given their frequency, severity, recurrence, and potential for hidden exposure, we propose that goat’s and sheep’s milk, buckwheat, peas, lentil, and pine nut, be considered for inclusion in the list.
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