Occupational inhalant allergy in food handling occupations

Abstract

Purpose of reviewReview article on recent developments on inhalant food allergens associated with occupational respiratory allergy and asthma. Recent findingsThis review has found that occupational inhalant allergy in food handling occupations is a common and recognisable clinical entity (class 3 food allergy) in high-risk food occupations such as bakeries and seafood processing. Aerosolised food proteins from plant or animal food sources, additives and biological food contaminants cause occupational sensitization, rhinitis and asthma. The risk of allergy may be enhanced across the food value chain as a result of food processing techniques including the introduction of new food allergens in the food matrix. Occupational food allergy and asthma can be prevented by improved health-based exposure standards, workplace control measures, education and training activities, and early diagnosis accompanied with exposure reduction. SummaryFuture studies need to focus on exposure-response studies to establish improved exposure limits especially for flour dust, the relevance of cooked vs raw foods in influencing risk, identifying and characterising major inhalant food allergens accompanied with component resolved diagnostic approaches, and evaluating the effectiveness of interventions for common high-risk food sensitizers causing occupational rhinitis and asthma.

Opportunities and challenges in upcycling agri-food byproducts to generate insect manure (frass): A literature review

“…Occupational exposure in farm workers has long been a topic of interest, often drawing links between the presence of insects (as pests in stored grains) and sensitization or allergic reaction of workers (Jeebhay, Baatjies and Lopata 2005). The multiple interactions between insects and occupational health has recently been reviewed (Belluco, Bertola et al 2023).…”

“…Frass may be found in grain dust where insect pests are present. Exposure to grain dust has been related to various allergic reactions to grain mites and the presence of Tenebrio molitor has been associated with asthma (Jeebhay, Baatjies and Lopata 2005).…”

Association between urban garbage exposure and allergic diseases among sanitation practitioners: A cross-sectional study

“… 4 , 5 Several studies have also reported occupational inhalation of food allergens leading to sensitization, rhinitis, and asthma in people working in food processing industries, such as baking and seafood. 6 , 7 However, there are not many reports on allergic diseases and sensitization caused by occupational exposure to allergens in urban sanitation workers. Sanitation workers are inevitably exposed to various allergens, such as dust, tree pollen, and microbial aerosols produced by various household waste residues, over a long period of time 3 , 8 and other environmental factors such as automobile exhaust and industrial harmful gas.…”

Edible algae (Ecklonia cava) bioprocessed with mycelia of shiitake (Lentinula edodes) mushrooms in liquid culture and its isolated fractions protect mice against allergic asthma

“…Asthma is a chronic human inflammatory disease of lung airways caused by triggering stimuli that include dust, food, food-derived inhalants, obesity, pollen, smoke as well as ethnicity, socioeconomic, and environmental factors causing partially or completely reversible constriction of the lung bronchi that requires ongoing medical management [1][2][3][4][5][6].…”