Sesame Allergy

Experts have estimated that sesame is becoming the 9th most common allergen behind dairy, eggs, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat and soy.  Sesame is used in Asian cuisines frequently, but Americans are more likely to see sesame seeds on top of hamburger buns, hot dog buns and/or breads.  A visit to McDonald’s can be disastrous with a sesame allergy!

Chinese cuisine uses sesame seeds extensively. We have had Chinese New Year’s celebrations at school where sesame treats were brought in. Because of the size of sesame seeds, we have found that one bite into a cookie from an unsuspecting friend, can spread sesame seeds EVERYWHERE! If your child is allergic to sesame, be mindful of this in lunchrooms and classrooms. My son’s classroom is sesame free, and in the lunchroom at school, no one eating sesame can eat near him.

Some children may have tree nut and peanut allergies in addition to a sesame allergy, while others will not.  Your child will need to be tested in order to determine the exact nature of their allergy if they haven’t already had a reaction after ingesting the sesame seeds.

We found out about my son Morgan’s sesame allergy from an allergy testing.  We weren’t surprised by the test results, which are a 4+ on the skin prick test, because of a reaction he had after eating at McDonald’s.  We suspected something other than nuts were the problem. 

Our allergist suggested that we keep Morgan away from all sesame products.  This would include Chinese and Asian cuisines that use sesame frequently.  Eating out with a sesame allergy is very dangerous because of the risk of cross contamination.  Sesame seeds can “jump” easily from one plate to another.  We therefore don’t allow Morgan to eat at any restaurant that uses sesame seeds on their bread.  We read labels studiously.  Sesame is frequently found in breads; sesame oil is often in lotions and beauty products.

Read all labels to ensure no consumption of Sesame!

Sometimes sesame is used to make oil or pastes.  We stay away from both of these.

Your allergist should be able to provide you with a complete listing of ingredients that may indicate sesame protein.  There are always new products being created with newly processed ingredient names.  If you don’t know the exact nature of the ingredient, don’t eat it!

Sesame can show up in products that aren’t ingested, but used in lotions and shampoos.  Read the labels on these products also.  Contact allergies can cause severe reactions also.

Here are some links to information about sesame allergies:

Other Seed Allergies

If your child is allergic to sesame, it doesn’t necessarily mean he/she will be allergic to all seeds.  You will need to have each seed tested separately.  My son is able to eat poppy seeds without incident.  He is however slightly allergic to sunflower seeds, and will complain of itchy gums after eating a product with sunflower oil.  We therefore stay away from products that have sunflower oil in them, such as tortilla chips.

Sometimes children can be sensitive or allergic to other foods in the same botanical food family. Two seeds are in the Composite Family: Sesame and Sunflower, both of which are allergens of my son. Poppy seed is in its own botanical group – the poppy family. Cottonseed is in the mallow family. Cottonseed oil is frequently used in manufactured products such as cookies or chips.

• Corn (fresh, canned, creamed, frozen, oil, popped, carmeled, etc.)

• Baking powder 

• Caramel color (can be made from corn syrup) 

• Confectioners sugar 

• Cornmeal, cornstarch (may also be called food starch), corn syrup 
  Dextrin, Dextrose, Fructose

• Maize 

• Maltodextrins, Sorbitol, Mannitol

• Vanilla extract (can be made with corn syrup) 

LATEX ALLERGIES

Allergies to latex have come into the forefront in the past 15 years. The latex allergy is an immunological reaction to natural rubber latex. Latex is processed from the Hevea Brasiliensis tree which grows in Central and South America.

An article in the Summer 2005 edition of “Allergy & Asthma today” stated that “Up to 17% of healthcare workers in the United States have latex allergy, compared with 1% of the rest of the population.” 

Children with spina bifida appear to be more at risk for latex allergy, as do children of health care workers. Children can also have latex-induced asthma where breathing problems occur upon exposure to latex. 

The latex allergy appears to cross-react with other foods such as bananas and avocados. Individuals with allergies to these foods may also have an allergic reaction to latex.

Latex is found in so many products, it’s impossible to list them all. Here are just a few:

• Pacifiers

• Baby bottle nipples

• Tires

• Contraceptives such as condoms

• Underwear

• Balloons

• And of course latex gloves

If your child has had a reaction to latex, you should have an allergy test completed. This test will most likely to be a blood test. Skin testing can be too dangerous for the highly allergic patient. 

When visiting your dentist or doctor, make sure to tell them BEFORE the appointment about your child’s allergy. There are latex free gloves available, however many in the medical fields prefer the feel of the latex gloves. 

At carnivals or circuses, watch out for latex balloons. Some schools with latex allergic children have banned balloons from their festivities. School lunchroom workers can also switch to plastic gloves for the latex allergic. 

There is an abundance of information on latex allergies on the web. Here is just a sampling of some links for you to gain more knowledge: