A food allergy is when the body’s immune system reacts unusually to specific foods. Although allergic reactions are often mild, they can be very serious. In the most serious cases, a person has a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis), which can be life threatening. Call 999 if you think someone has the symptoms of anaphylaxis, such as: Ask for an ambulance and tell the operator you think the person is having a severe allergic reaction.

Most children that have a food allergy will have experienced eczema during infancy. The worse the child’s eczema and the earlier it started, the more likely they are to have a food allergy. It’s still unknown why people develop allergies to food, although they often have other allergic conditions, such as asthma, hay fever and eczema.