{"id":1671,"date":"2019-11-18T13:24:59","date_gmt":"2019-11-18T13:24:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/foodallergens\/?page_id=1671"},"modified":"2019-11-20T13:31:06","modified_gmt":"2019-11-20T13:31:06","slug":"latex-and-food-allergens","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/foodallergens\/allergy-facts\/latex-and-food-allergens\/","title":{"rendered":"Latex and food allergens"},"content":{"rendered":"

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[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”off” specialty=”on” transparent_background=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” inner_shadow=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” parallax_2=”off” parallax_method_2=”off” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” make_equal=”off” use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”2″ prev_background_color=”#ffffff” next_background_color=”#1d1d1d”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_sidebar admin_label=”Left Nav Sidebar” area=”et_pb_widget_area_1″ orientation=”left” remove_border=”on” background_layout=”light” module_id=”left-nav-menu” show_border=”off” \/][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ specialty_columns=”2″][et_pb_row_inner admin_label=”Row”][et_pb_column_inner type=”4_4″ saved_specialty_column_type=”2_3″][et_pb_text background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” module_alignment=”left” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial” _builder_version=”3.17.6″]<\/p>\n

Latex and food allergens<\/h1>\n

\"NaturalNatural rubber latex is a substance extracted from the sap of the gum tree. It is used to manufacture rubber gloves, condoms, balloons, dummies, tyres and catheters.<\/p>\n

Products made of latex are ever-present in medical settings and the home environment, meaning avoiding contact with latex is not easy.<\/p>\n

It is estimated that around 13 million people worldwide live with latex allergy.<\/p>\n

In the 1980s, there was a rapid increase in production of latex gloves to prevent transmittable infections in medical environments. This resulted in an outbreak of latex allergy among healthcare workers and individuals with food allergies (bananas, kiwi, avocado, and chestnuts), and specific health problems such as spina bifida.<\/p>\n

Studies have shown that latex may contain hundreds of allergenic proteins, but only fifteen of them have been given names so far. These proteins are similar to those present in some plant-derived foods.<\/p>\n

Most common foods cross-reacting with latex<\/h2>\n

The most commonly reported cross-reactive foods include banana, avocado, kiwi, and chestnut together with papaya, fig, potato, and tomato. The relationship between latex allergy and allergy to plant foods is called latex fruit syndrome.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cross-reactions may occur between the residual parts of plant proteins in the latex rubber and proteins in foods, just like cross-reactions between pollen and foods. Around 30-50% of people with latex allergy experience an allergic reaction when eating one or more of these foods.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Management of latex allergy<\/h2>\n

If you have a latex allergy you should:<\/p>\n