Who Has Food Allergies?

It can be hard to track exact numbers of people with a food allergy. This is because when asked, many people confuse a food intolerance with a true food allergy.¹

True food allergies affect about 32 million people in the United States. Roughly 10 out of every 100 adults and 7 out of every 100 children have 1 or more food allergies. Many more people are sensitive to a certain food but are not allergic. This is called a food intolerance.^1-3

A food allergy means the immune system reacts to a food in ways that impact many organs in the body. Symptoms may vary from mild to life-threatening. With a food intolerance, symptoms are usually milder and limited to digestive issues.²

One study of more than 40,000 U.S. adults found nearly 20 percent believed they had a food allergy. However, research shows only half that many do. Food allergies are more common in women than men.³

Most common food allergies

Any food has the potential to cause an allergic reaction, but 8 types of food cause about 90 percent of all reactions. The most common food allergies in the United States are:^3,4

• Shellfish (8.2 million)
• Milk (6.1 million)
• Peanuts (6.1 million)
• Tree nuts (3.9 million)
• Eggs (2.6 million)
• Fin fish (2.4 million)
• Wheat (2.4 million)
• Soy (1.9 million)
• Sesame (0.7 million)

Adults versus children with food allergies

About half of adults with a food allergy develop that allergy as an adult. The other half have been living with their food allergy since childhood. About 4 out of 10 children with a food allergy are allergic to more than 1 food.^3,4

Research shows many kids with food allergies outgrow them, especially those allergic to milk, eggs, wheat, and soy:⁴

• 8 out of 10 children allergic to milk, wheat, or soy outgrow that allergy
• 2 out of 3 children allergic to eggs outgrow that allergy

On the other hand, allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, and fish tend to be lifelong.⁴

The number of children with food allergies has dramatically increased since 1997.⁴

Racial and geographic differences in food allergies

Doctors have found some racial differences in who has allergies. For example, Black children are at greater risk of developing a food allergy than white children. Overall, those most likely to have food allergies are mixed race, Asian, Black, Hispanic, and then white people.^3,4

People living in Western states have higher rates of food allergies, followed by the Northeast, South, and Midwest.³

Food allergies and other conditions

When someone has more than 1 health issue, those additional conditions are called comorbidities. Comorbid means both conditions exist at the same time. The most common comorbidities in people with food allergies are:³

• Latex allergy
• Chronic hives (urticaria)
• Insect sting allergy
• Asthma
• Eczema (atopic dermatitis)
• Drug allergies
• Environmental allergies

Children with a food allergy are 2 to 4 times more likely to have other allergic conditions, such as asthma or eczema.³