Nadwrażliwość na dodatki do żywności

Contrary to common belief, the prevalence of the hypersensitivity to food additives (FAD) in the general population is rather low. Actually, there are worse things to fear than FAD. Many E number additives are completely harmless. Reactions to FAD should be suspected in patients who report symptoms to multiple unrelated foods or to a certain food when commercially prepared but not when homemade, and the allergy evaluation rules out a role for food protein. Diagnostics: there are no validated skin testing protocols for additives. The diagnosis of FAD hypersensitivity has to be confirmed objectively by double-blind placebo-controlled studies. The therapeutic approach consists in the exclusion of foods and products containing the additive involved, and, in patients not compliant to the diet, in treatment with symptomatic drugs. FAD appears to be a rare cause of allergic rhinitis, asthma, chronic idiopathic urticaria or atopic dermatitis, and avoidance is not recommended, except in the hypersensitive people (1-2%).