Allergenicity of Foods

Eight foods account for the vast majority of allergic reactions: Milk, Egg, Soy, Peanut, Tree nuts, Wheat, Fish and Shell Fish. (Sesame will soon be added to this list.) These nine, by the way, are not listed in any particular order. They are listed in the order that I learned the list. Anecdotally, of the stories I have heard and the stories I can tell, Peanuts, Tree nuts, Shell Fish, Fish and Sesame have the majority of the stories of stories involving use of Epinephrine and a visit to the ER, in that order of foods. It is worth noting that I have heard and can tell stories involving Epinephrine and a trip to the ER with several allergens not listed amongst the top eight or nine. Maybe you can too? Please do. Your comments are welcomed.

So- if we know the foods most likely to cause an allergic reaction - do we know the foods least likely to cause an allergic reaction? Good question. Well, Dr. Joneja has worked for thirty years to answer that question and others in the area of biochemical and immunological reactions involved in food allergy and intolerance.

The chart above, commonly referred to as the Joneja Chart,provides a guide for the "Allergenicity of Foods." Full .pdf and accompanying text here.

For those of us looking for alternatives and substitutions, this is good information. It does not, by any means. offer any promises that because not many people with allergies to fruit react to Rhubarb, that you will not react to Rhubarb, but...we all have to eat, right? It is up to you how you play the odds.

Bon Chance and Bon Appétit!