Cow's milk allergy as a global challenge

Purpose of review Cow's milk is a leading cause of food allergy especially in infants and children. 'Diagnosis and Rationale for Action against Cow's Milk Allergy' published by the World Allergy Organization has underlined that there is not enough information concerning geographical trends in cow's milk allergy (CMA) in children or adults. Experts from Australia, Asia, North America, Latin America, the Middle East and Europe have gathered together in a 2-day meeting in order to present various regional approaches to CMA. This report is a summary of the information that was presented at this meeting. Recent findings Even though there seems to be uniformity concerning the diagnosis and treatment of CMA, the diagnostic approach to CMA shows variations among different regions. Common concerns were inadequate applications of challenge tests for the diagnosis and inadequate supply of the cow's milk substitute formulas. Summary CMA is a global challenge and collaboration of the national and international scientific communities is essential to produce and update practical guidelines for CMA.