An assessment of South African college and university dining policies and procedures regarding handling of food allergies

Abstract

Food allergy is defined as ‘sensitisation to a food with a convincing history of a reaction to the food in the preceding year, or a positive food challenge’.¹ In the past, food allergy incidences in South Africa were scarce, especially in the black population group; but, researchers are of the opinion that South Africa is now joining the second wave of the food allergy epidemic.² Limited research has been done on food allergies in South Africa.³ Even though the prevalence of food allergies in South Africa is rising, there are still no local guidelines⁴ to mitigate suitable risk reducing strategies. Therefore, the primary way of reducing food allergies and related symptoms is strict avoidance of the causative food.⁴ In doing so, these individuals may be reducing the nutritional status of their diet,⁴ which can lead to a lack of energy and as a result decreased activity and fatigue as well as a lack of essential macro and micronutrients that in some cases result in decreased growth and in rare cases scurvy and pellagra.⁵ The chance of following an unbalanced diet due to avoidance of food causing allergic reactions can also result in increased food intake and consequently obesity.⁵

(Full text available online at www.medpharm.tandfonline.com/ojcn) South Afr J Clin Nutr 2018; DOI: 10.1080/16070658.2017.1353250