Call to check ‘alternative’ foodstuffs for allergy risks

The hunt for more sustainable foods — which includes growing meat in a lab and using mealworm as a protein source — should also include assessing their potential to cause allergic reactions, food allergy experts have warned.

Dutch researcher André Knulst, who will present a paper in Dublin tomorrow on the need for such assessments, said sections of the population already displaying certain food allergies should be assessed for their tolerance of novel proteins.

Mr Knulst, who is based at the Department of Dermatology and Allergology in the University Medical Centre Utrecht, has already carried out preliminary research which showed that patients allergic to shrimp were at risk of developing allergic reactions when consuming mealworm. However, he emphasised that further research is needed.