Study Reassures Parents: Touching Allergenic Food Did Not Cause Life-Threatening Reaction

An Israeli study involving 192 children with proven food allergies found that accidental contact of milk, peanuts, eggs, sesame, and nuts with intact skin did not cause life-threatening anaphylaxis. In 84% of exposures, no reaction occurred, and in 15%, a mild local reaction was noted. Researchers emphasize the study did not examine exposure through mucous membranes or broken skin.

A new Israeli study, published in the journal Acta Paediatrica, examined the risk of a life-threatening allergic reaction following accidental contact of allergenic food with intact skin. The researchers, led by Dr. Idit Lachover-Roth from Rambam Hospital, included 192 children with proven allergies to cow's milk, eggs, sesame, peanuts, nuts, and almonds. The results show that none of the children developed anaphylaxis. In 84% of exposures, no reaction occurred, and in 15%, a mild local reaction (redness or swelling) was recorded. Only three children developed a skin reaction that extended slightly beyond the contact area, but it resolved after antihistamine treatment. The researchers found that younger children and those with milk allergy were more prone to local reactions, but even in these groups, no anaphylaxis occurred. Dr. Lachover-Roth noted that the study allows reducing parental concerns based on anxiety rather than evidence, while emphasizing that the study did not examine exposure through the mouth, eyes, nose, or broken skin, so medical recommendations to avoid eating the allergenic food and to carry an adrenaline injector remain in place.