Colour may trigger strawberry allergy

Last updated at 10:45 10 July 2005


Strawberries may be safer to eat for allergy sufferers if they were not red, scientists have revealed.

Researchers have pinpointed a protein thought to be responsible for strawberry allergies which is associated with the fruit's red colour.

Vulnerable individuals can suffer itching and swelling in the mouth and throat when exposed to strawberries.

But there have been reports that people with the allergy are able to eat white strawberry varieties with no ill effects.

Scientists investigated a white strawberry called Sofar, and found it to be almost free of the suspect protein.

Rikard Alm, one of the researchers from Lund University in Sweden, told Chemistry World magazine, published by the Royal Society of Chemistry: "The allergen is in some way or other related to the red colour, but it is not clear exactly how. We need to investigate more proteins.

"We are now investigating the biological variation of the strawberry allergen, between different strawberry varieties, and within one and the same variety depending on cultivation conditions."

The protein, one of thousands encoded by a strawberry's genes, resembles a known allergen in birch pollen.

Food allergies kill about eight people each year in the UK.

They are caused by an immune system reaction to certain molecules the body perceives to be a threat.

People can be allergic to a wide range of foods, but 90 per cent of allergies are caused by milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (such as walnuts and cashews), fish, shellfish, soya and wheat.

Peanut allergies can be especially serious and potentially fatal.

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