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Teenagers, When Away from Home, Die of Allergic Reactions, Study Says
March 30, 2007
www.medindia.com
An estimated 12 million Americans suffer from food allergies, and about 150 die every year.
Researchers at Denver, Colorado, and the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York recently analyzed 31 allergy deaths. They found most of those who died from food-related reactions were teenagers or young adults. They were away from home when they ate the item that killed them.
"We were surprised that so few people had gotten correct information about ingredients in restaurant settings, which accounted for about half of these fatal reactions," said study author Anne Muņoz-Furlong, founder and CEO of the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network.
"The individuals either did not ask about ingredient information -- and assumed the food was safe - or the restaurant staff gave them incorrect or incomplete information."
Of those who died after accidentally eating the food to which they were allergic, 58 percent were between the ages of 13 and 30. Of the 31 people the study examined, 68 percent had eaten outside of their home, for example at a restaurant, school cafeteria or the home of friends. More than 80 percent of the deaths were caused by peanuts or tree nuts, such as almonds, cashews and pecans.
The study also documented four milk-allergic individuals who died after accidental exposure to a dairy containing product and two who had eaten shrimp.
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