IS PEA OUR HIDDEN ALLERGEN? AN AMERICAN PEDIATRIC CASE SERIES

Abstract

<h3>Introduction</h3> With the growing scope of the health-food industry, efforts are made to incorporate protein into food to attract consumers. Recently, plant-based diets consisting of legumes are becoming a diet trend, thus a focus as a source of protein. Those allergenic legumes (Soybeans,Lupins,Peanuts) are part of the mandatory labeling in the EU and the US, allowing consumers to easily identify and avoid them. Dun-pea proteins are found in minced steak, breadcrumbs that coat meats, pharmaceutics, and specialized food for athletes⁸. Allergies to green and dun-pea have been emerging and reported in several case reports. The two main allergens found are Pis-s 1 and Pis-s 2, members of the Vicilin and Covicilin families. However, in contrast to other allergens, pea-protein is not included on food labels as a potential food allergen in the EU, Canada, and the US, thus, making it a masked potential cause of allergic reactions. There is currently no data on dun-pea allergy in the US and little data regarding green-pea allergy. Thus, with the progressive increase in pea/pea proteins inclusion in foods, we report 6 children who presented to the Hospital-based Allergy clinic with allergic reactions to foods containing green peas or pea protein. <h3>Cases</h3> (Table 1) <h3>Discussion</h3> The prevalence of pea allergies is unknown; however, the sensitization rate was higher than soya beans, lupins, peanuts. Hence, identification of pea allergens should gain more attention by allergists, especially as they can be non-obvious ingredients in foods. Also, several publications reported the coexistence of legumes and pea allergies due to cross-reactive IgEs against peas.