A recent study has highlighted the potential risks associated with the consumption of sardines, tuna or even canned salmon for people allergic to this food.
- Some people with fish allergies may eat this canned food because it is subjected to extreme heat during processing, which reduces allergens.
- However, even if canned fish proteins, which trigger allergic reactions, are reduced, they are not destroyed and remain dangerous for patients.
- In addition, 66% of allergic children had antibodies, called “immunoglobulin E (IgE)”, specific to canned fish products.
It is becoming a growing global health problem. Fish allergy is an abnormal immune reaction of the body to the presence of proteins found in fish. It can appear from childhood and its prevalence can reach 6% among toddlers in countries where fish is frequently consumed.
Fish allergens reduced by heat emitted during canned processing
“Currently, there is no effective treatment. Management of this allergy relies on complete avoidance of fish, education, and then emergency treatment as a last resort,” said Dianne Campbell, professor at Westmead Children’s Hospital (Australia), in a statement. However, eating canned fish may be recommended by some health professionals as part of a healthy diet for people with fish allergies. Indeed, when canned fish is processed, it is subjected to extreme heat which reduces the allergens present.
However, the researcher and her team showed that the assumption that these patients can consume canned fish, without benefiting from a thorough evaluation beforehand, may be false and dangerous. Before reaching this conclusion, scientists tested 17 canned fish products made by nine different manufacturers. In detail, they examined the main allergenic fish proteins, including parvalbumin, tropomyosin and collagen. At the same time, the authors also recruited 53 children allergic to fish.
Fish allergy: 66% of patients presented specific antibodies
According to the results, published in the journal Allergycanned fish had significantly reduced parvalbumin content compared to conventionally cooked fish, implying lower allergenicity. “It was the main allergen in canned salmon and sardines.” The team concluded that canned fish remained dangerous for some people with fish allergies. Of the 53 young patients, 66% had antibodies, called “immunoglobulin E (IgE)”, specific to canned fish products. These recognize fish proteins, triggering allergic reactions when consumed, ranging from a mild rash to life-threatening anaphylaxis.
Additionally, research showed that participants had different levels of sensitivity to this interaction, specific to the product. Therefore, consumption of canned fish by fish-allergic patients requires careful individual assessment, involving oral food testing. In the conclusions, the authors also highlight the need for further research and development of diagnostic tools capable of identifying fish-allergic patients who can safely tolerate canned fish products.
