Free From: Helping you cope with food allergy and intolerance

Free From: Helping you cope with food allergy and intolerance

Food Allergy and Intolerance Don t miss out Tesco believes in helping your family live healthier lives, so we have produced this leaflet to answer some of your questions on food allergy and intolerance. Q. Food allergy or intolerance what s the difference? Some people react badly to certain everyday foods. For allergy sufferers, this reaction involves an overly aggressive response by the body s immune system to foods that non-sufferers would find harmless. Symptoms are usually immediate and can vary from a rash or swelling to wheezing and headaches. In some cases the reaction can be so severe that it becomes life threatening. This is called anaphylactic shock. If you think you have a food allergy, your doctor can refer you to an allergist for tests. Food intolerance sufferers can also experience a number of unpleasant and sometimes severe symptoms ranging from joint pains, bloating and fatigue to learning difficulties and hyperactivity in some children. Unlike allergies, symptoms do not always appear immediately and most cannot be diagnosed through medical tests. Consequently food intolerance can often go unrecognised. Q. How do I know if I have a food allergy? Allergies often run in families. If you thinkyou or a member of your family might be suffering from a food allergy or intolerance, you should consult your doctor. There are tests for food allergies, such as the skin prick test. This measures whether the body produces Immunoglobulin E antibodies (IgE) when certain foods are consumed. Tesco s free from range has been developed for customers with food allergies or intolerances. The range consists of over 120 everyday items such as bread, cakes, biscuits, pasta, desserts, sauces, cereals and snacks.

Food Allergy and Intolerance An allergy sufferer s immune system believes certain foods are damaging, and so produces IgE as its defence. This causes the body to produce other enzymes and chemicals, which together cause the irritation, inflammation and other symptoms of an allergy attack. Q. How do I identify a food intolerance? If you continually feel unwell and your Doctor is unable to establish a cause you may be suffering from a food intolerance. Because food intolerance tests are not always conclusive, an exclusion diet is often the best way to identify a food intolerance. As the name suggests, an exclusion diet involves cutting out those foods from your diet (for about two weeks), which you feel are most likely to be causing your symptoms, and replacing them with other foods to maintain a balanced diet. If your symptoms disappear, the excluded foods can be reintroduced into your diet, one food each week. If the symptoms return, you eliminate the food in question again and introduce something else in its place. As with any diet, you should seek the advice of your doctor or dietitian before you begin. They can devise a meal plan that ensures you maintain a nutritionally balanced diet throughout. You may also want to consider taking a good multi-vitamin and mineral supplement during this period. For example if you thinkyou are intolerant to wheat, you can try rye bread or wheat free bread, pasta, cakes, biscuits etc. from the Tesco free from range. Within a few weeks you should have a good idea of the food or foods you are sensitive to. Be careful not to eat too much of any one food or you could become intolerant to this too. After a period of exclusion, you may be able to reintroduce these foods into your diet. However, if none of your symptoms disappear, this could mean you have not yet eliminated all of the offending foods. Of course, it could also mean that diet is not the cause of your symptoms, in which case you should seek further medical advice.

Food Allergy and Intolerance Excluding problem foods Once your problem food or foods have been identified, the most obvious course of action is to exclude them from your diet. However, while excluding one particular food might not be difficult (e.g. if you are allergic to shell fish) problems could arise if you are allergic or intolerant to a particular food group or range of foods. Coeliac disease is an inflammatory condition of the small intestine, caused by an intolerance to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and oats. This is one type of intolerance which can be diagnosed through medical tests. If you think you may suffer with Coeliac disease, your doctor can run a blood test to see if this is the likely cause of your symptoms. Tesco s free from range The range has been developed to make life easier for many people with food allergies or intolerances. All free from products are gluten, wheat or milk free (see individual packs for details). These are some of the foods most likely to cause problems for allergy and intolerance sufferers. The range can be found in a dedicated area within the grocery section. Just look out for the free from logo or distinctive purple packaging. Tesco branded foods throughout the store also have an allergen information box on the back of pack (near the ingredients list) which highlights any major food allergens it contains. Wheat can be found in bread, cakes, biscuits, pasta, pizzas, pies, soups, sauces, paté, snacks, breakfast cereal, gravy, breadcrumbs and many processed foods. Rusk, an ingredient in sausages and burgers also contains wheat. For sufferers, the only way to control the disease is to follow a lifelong gluten-free diet. However, because wheat is an important staple in our diet, this often involves a lot of careful label and ingredient checking.

Problem foods Allergy and intolerance sufferers can experience problems with all kinds of food. For example: Wheat and grains Coeliac disease (intolerance to the protein gluten) can lead to weight loss and poor growth in children, and sickness and tiredness in adults. Other sufferers can be allergic to the whole wheat grain not just the gluten protein, and can experience symptoms such as asthma, itchy skin and diarrhoea. Some gluten free products can still contain wheat starch, so check labels carefully. Milk and dairy produce For some, cows milk protein causes eczema, whereas others cannot digest the lactose (natural sugar) it contains. It may even cause anaphylactic shock in some cases. Babies and young children can be given a soya-based substitute, and often outgrow the condition. If the intolerance is due to the milk protein, goat or ewes milk may be an option. Alternatively, soya or rice milk may be suitable. If you have to exclude milk or dairy products from your diet, make sure you use a calcium enriched alternative or take a good calcium supplement daily. Additives Some preservatives and colourings are linked to allergic reactions and hyperactivity in children. The free from range keeps the use of artificial additives to a minimum. Eggs These are known to cause eczema and nettle rash in some sensitive individuals and even severe anaphylactic shock on occasion. Most common among toddlers, it s not unusual for sufferers to outgrow the problem. Fruit Strawberries, oranges (and sometimes citrus fruit in general), apples, cherries and kiwis can cause an allergic or intolerance reaction. Nuts and seeds Peanut allergy is very common and even slight contact has been known to trigger severe anaphylactic shock. Fish and shellfish These have been known to cause nettle rash, as well as anaphylactic shock.

Want to know more? www.coeliac.ie The Coeliac Society of Ireland is a voluntary charity which provides support and information to members about the coeliac condition. The society produces a yearly Gluten Free Food List booklet. This Food List contains over 330 pages of foods that are safe to eat for Coeliacs and information on foods to avoid. The Food List is available with membership of the society which costs just 20 per year. Updates are provided through their website, email bulletin and twice yearly newsletter, Coeliac News. Branch events take place throughout the country from time to time and details of regular meetings in Dublin and Cork are available through head office or the website. If you are not near any of their meetings the Society can put you in touch with volunteers from their 'Buddy List' who may be able to provide local support and tips. Other information is available including a Cookery book, eating out cards in various languages for travelling abroad and most importantly the knowledge that you are not coping with your condition alone! 25% off all Free From products! Offer valid until 27/05/07. Reduction will be made at the bottom of your till receipt.