Common food allergies vary by country. An individual can be allergic to any type of food, however the top food allergens in the United States are peanut, tree nut, egg, soy, dairy, wheat, fish and shellfish. Other common allergens in the US are corn, sesame and mustard.
In Canada, the top food allergens are peanuts, tree nuts, sesame seeds, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, soy, wheat, sulphites and most recently added – mustard.
A late 1990 study showed that egg, milk and peanut are common allergens in Austrailla while seafood and shellfish are more common in Asia than peanuts, tree nuts and wheat.
At a 2009 food allergy conference in Vienna, Austria researchers stated that hazelnuts and apples tend to be the most common triggers of food allergies in Europe, peach and melon are common in the Mediterranean and Iceland is a hot-spot for fish allergy.
It’s not clear why there is such a discrepancy between countries, however it is believed that the difference is due, in part, to common foods consumed within specific countries.
