What’s behind the rise in cases?

We still don’t know why food allergies are increasing, although theories include…

We’re too clean

Improvements in modern living and medicine – in particular fewer germs, and the use of antibiotics – has eliminated many previous bacterial threats.

As a result, our immune systems sit idle, but revved up for an attack, and so end up treating harmless proteins as if they were germs.

We introduce ‘allergy’ foods too late

For the past three decades, the advice has been to avoid giving children potential allergens, such as eggs and peanuts, until they are two or three – to reduce their risk of developing an allergy.

However, the opposite is thought to be true, with research suggesting if you introduce a food much earlier into the diet – ideally when a baby is weaned at around six months’ old – then they’re much less likely to become