ABSTRACT
The prevalence of nut allergy in western countries is a growing trend. Australian food allergy rates are the highest in the world with up to 10" of 12 month old children having a food allergy. There are several explanations as to why nuts are particularly more allergenic compared to other foods, and only a trace amount is capable of eliciting an immune response. Peanuts in particular are the major cause of an anaphylactic death after consuming a food allergen. Most nuts contain more than one major allergen. Most nut allergens are structurally resilient and resistant to thermal treatment and degradation during gastrointestinal digestion. Many nut allergens have been observed to also act in other ways to have increased allergenic potential. Current therapies used to mitigate peanut allergy are mucosally targeted. The specific role that a more permeable intestinal barrier plays in food allergy is yet undefined.
