Food allergies have doubled over the last decade
Analysis of data from GP surgeries in England revealed 4 per cent of under-fives had a “probable” food allergy in 2018, up from 1.2 per cent in 2008. Across all age groups, the prevalence of food allergies has increased from 0.4 per cent of the population to 1.1 per cent over the same decade.
That’s a pretty dramatic rise! And scientists still don’t fully understand why, though they do have some theories:
Experts also believe that changes in the Western diet, including a shift towards ultra-processed food, and the timing of weaning babies onto solid food, may be playing a role in driving up allergy rates. There is now good evidence that introducing allergens such as peanuts early into a baby’s life, from four months old, helps to reduce the risk of allergies compared with holding off until children are older, as had previously been advised.
