The Allergy service at the Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, a center affiliated with the Canarias Government's Health Department, analyzed a total of 1,744 food allergy tests during 2025. The results indicate that 33.5% of these tests detected hypersensitivity to nuts and seafood.
These tests were performed on 1,164 patients, who also showed reactions to other foods such as milk, eggs, fish, and various vegetables. Specifically, allergies caused by nuts accounted for 18.2% of cases, while seafood caused 15.2%.
Other foods that frequently trigger allergies include fruits (10.9%), milk and eggs (8% each), fish (5%), and cereals (3.6%). The group categorized as 'other foods' represented 21.3% of the cases.
Food allergies affect men and women similarly, although a higher concentration of cases is observed in the age groups of 10 to 20 years (24%) and 40 to 50 years (26.7%). From the age of 50 onwards, the incidence of these allergies tends to decrease progressively.
Service professionals explain that food allergies occur when the immune system mistakenly identifies a food protein as a threat. It is estimated that 90% of these allergies occur with foods consumed daily.
With the arrival of summer, the public is advised to exercise extreme caution when consuming food, by carefully reading the ingredients of products and informing restaurant staff about their allergies. It is important to remember the possibility of cross-contamination.
The hospital's specialists emphasize the importance of education regarding food allergies in pediatric patients, both in educational centers and within their family and friend circles, to help them identify foods to avoid and recognize the signs of a reaction.
In case of accidental ingestion, it is crucial to quickly identify the symptoms, which can range from hives, itching, or lip swelling to difficulty breathing, dizziness, or loss of consciousness. Patients diagnosed with food hypersensitivity may carry adrenaline auto-injectors for immediate use.
However, professionals remind that even after using adrenaline and experiencing symptom improvement, it is essential to go to the emergency room for medical observation, due to the risk of a 'biphasic reaction,' which is a second manifestation of symptoms hours after consuming the food.
