Wheat Allergy
Wheat allergy is a
food allergy to one or more
protein fractions of wheat, including albumin, globulin, gliadin and glutenin (gluten).
The majority of
IgE-mediated reactions to wheat involve the albumin and globulin fractions. Gliadin and gluten may also induce
IgE-mediated reactions rarely.
Allergic reactions to wheat may be caused by ingestion of wheat-containing foods or by inhalation of flour containing wheat.
Clinical experience suggests that wheat allergy is relatively uncommon.
Symptoms of wheat allergy usually are severe gastrointestinal distress (oral allergy syndrome, abdominal cramps, nausea and
vomiting) that begin shortly after eating any kind of wheat or wheat product.
Other common symptoms are
urticaria, atopic
eczema, angioedema,
asthma and allergic rhinitis. Clinical allergy towards wheat may cause anaphylactic or mild reactions.
Wheat allergy requires that
all wheat products be removed from child’s diet. Wheat elimination diets are particularly difficult to maintain. Children on wheat-restricted diets are severely limited in their choice of foods and should be evaluated for possible nutritional deficiencies of vitamin B and iron.
Wheat and wheat products are used in many products: breads, flours, cereals, stuffing, canned creamed vegetables, beers, pastas, crackers, sauces, lunch-meat, snack foods and sweet.
It is important that parents know how to read labels to recognize ingredients that indicate the presence of wheat proteins like gluten, wheat starch, bran, vegetable starch or vegetable gum.
Where is wheat?Wheat is one of the most common allergenic food. If your baby has a wheat allergy and must follow a wheat free diet, he must avoid the following foods that contain wheat:
Cereal and grain products | Pasta, noodles, rye bread, semolina, croutons, breakfast cereal |
Meat, fish, poultry and alternatives | BBQ chicken seasoning, meat and fish pastes, some processed meats |
Confectionery and sweet dishes | Some chocolate, some ice blocks, ice cream cones, liquorice, chewing gum, marshmallows, many lollies (e.g. jubes, toffees) |
Sauces, soups and dressings | Many sauces, most gravies, commercial casserole bases and simmer sauces, stock powder and liquid, soup mixes,
cup-a-soup, thickened soups, soups with noodles or pasta |
Baked goods | Most baked products such as beads (e.g. yeast, sourdough, flat, chapati) biscuits, pastries, cakes, crumpets, muffins, fruit pies (including the filling) |
Miscellaneous | Battered food, some canned foods, chips, crisps and potato wedges, some custard powders, pancakes, stock powder and liquid, thickeners of wheat origin (additives numbers 1400 - 1450), playdough, yeast extract spreads (e.g. vegemite) |
Remember that the 2/3rd of babies with an allergy to wheat potentially also react to rye and may react to all sources of gluten, as barley, oats, triticale. If your child has a wheat allergy, you should discuss the introduction of these foods with your child’s doctor or dietitian.
The following ingredients are or may contain wheat
- Atta
- Bread flour
- Cake flour
- Cereal extracts
- Dextrin (of wheat origin)
- Enriched flour
- Glucose syrup*
- Kamut
- Leche alim
- Multigrain breads
- Plain and self-raising
- Semolina
- Spelt
- Thickeners derived from Wheat (1400 to 1450)**
- Wheat breads (all types)
- Wheat flakes
- Wheat meal
- Wheat starch
- Whole meal flour
(plain and self-raising) | - Bal ahar
- Bread mixes
- Cake, muffin and biscuit
- Cous cous
- Dextrose*
- Farina flour
- Gluten
- Kibbled wheat
- Maltodextrin
(of wheat origin) - Multigrain flours
- Flour
- Shredded wheat
- Starch (unspecified)
- Triticale
- Wheat cornflour
- Wheat germ
- Wheat pasta
- Wheat tempeh
- Whole wheat flour
(plain and self-raising) | - Bread crumbs
- Bulgar
- Mix
- Cracked wheat
- Durum flour
- Glucose*
- High protein flour
- Laubina
- Minchin
- Playdough
- Puffed wheat
- Soft wheat flour
- Superamine
- Wheat bran
- Wheaten cornflour
- Wheat gluten
- Wheat protein powder
- White flour
(plain and self-raising) |
* Sugars such as glucose, glucose syrup, dextrose, even if derived from wheat, rarely cause a reaction in children with a wheat allergy.
** Special care may be needed when purchasing a product containing thickeners derived from wheat (1400 to 1450). |