What is seafood allergy?
Worldwide, fish and shellfish play an important role in human nutrition and are particularly popular in certain parts of the world. The strong move to healthier eating habits and the substitution of meat with seafood in the diet has resulted in even greater demands for fish and shellfish. However, seafoods may also be potent allergens in sensitised individuals and cause adverse reactions. In Southern Africa there are over 2000 species of fish, more than 5000 species of molluscs and 2500 species of crustaceans. The major edible seafoods that can cause an allergic reaction belong to three groups (see Table 1). The Mollusc group includes three different classes of seafood with delicious species such as Abalone (Perlemoen), oysters, mussels, and squid (Calamari). Table 1. Classification of seafood causing allergies Group Class Species Mollusca Gastropoda Bivalvia Cephalopoda Abalone (Perlemoen), Snails, Alikreukel Mussels, Oysters, Clams Squids (Calamari), Octopus Arthropoda Crustacea Lobs
