Food Avoidance Diets for Systemic, Lip, and Oral Contact Allergy: An American Contact Alternatives Group Article

Background: Patients with systemic, lip, and oral contact allergy will often improve with an elimination diet of related ingredients. Elimination diets for avoidance of many common preservatives, antioxidants, and other food additives have not been published. Objective: This study aims to create rational elimination diets (including lists of acceptable alternative foods) for several common food ingredients (propylene glycol, sorbic acid/sorbates, aspartame, benzoic acid/benzoates, propionic acid and propionates, gallates, and benzoyl peroxide). Methods: Data from www.foodfacts.com, a Web site listing ingredient information for more than 75,000 foods, were extracted and sorted into products types, and an elimination diet was created for each of these food-related substances. Easily obtainable alternatives were identified and listed. Conclusions: Use of food elimination diets may yield improvement in some patients who have not improved with external avoidance of allergens.