Report of the Scientific Committee of the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) on the effects of climate change on food allergy

• Published in: Food Risk Assess Europe 2024-01, Vol.2 (1), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Perales, Araceli Díaz, García, Concepción María Aguilera, Lesmes, Irene Bretón, Izquierdo, Ángel Gil, Martínez, Gema Nieto, Velasco, Ana María Rivas, Cortes Sánchez Mata, María
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: biodiversity; Climate change; dysbiosis; Food allergies; food allergy; Food safety; Nutrition
• ISSN: 2940-1399; 2940-1399
• DOI: 10.2903/fr.efsa.2024.FR-0018

Food allergies are diseases with a high prevalence in our society and bring about a reduction in the patients’ quality of life, in addition to a significant healthcare burden for health systems. The constant rise in global temperature, the result of fossil fuel combustion and the accumulation of greenhouse gases, is changing the distribution of many species, as well as the pollination kinetics of many vegetables, with a great impact on food allergies. It has also been seen that high levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and pollution in cities increase the production of allergens from some of these plants. Changes in climate and the need for more arable land are increasing the occupation of new natural spaces, causing a reduction in environmental biodiversity, in addition to food availability, which can lead to an increase in intestinal dysbiosis and, hence, a reduction in tolerance and an increase in food allergies. Finally, the need to increase the half‐life of food and its transport over long distances has made the use of chemical preservatives and the use of petroleum derivatives as packaging widespread. At present there is little evidence, but it is beginning to be confirmed that some of the compounds used have a direct effect on our immune system, resulting in a greater likelihood of allergic sensitization. Furthermore, the waste products of this human activity generate particles and nanoparticles that, although different in their mechanism of action, both influence the mucous membranes, activating them and increasing the probability of suffering from an allergic disease. In this context, the Scientific Committee of the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) has carried out a review of the existing evidence on the relationship between the direct and indirect effects of climate change and the development of food allergies, based on the scientific evidence published so far.