The molluscan shellfish relevant in human diet are gastropods (including abalones, limpets, land and marine snails, whelks), bivalves (including oysters, mussels, scallops) and cephalopods (including squids, octopuses). Increasingly, molluscan shellfish are recognized as important food allergens and have recently been added to the EU list for mandatory labeling of allergens. The prevalence of molluscan shellfish allergy is largely unknown but may parallel consumption patterns, with higher frequency in areas of frequent consumption.
The major allergen of molluscan shellfish is tropomyosin and thus individuals developing allergic reactions to one mollusc species also often react to other species as well. Due to the similarity between invertebrate tropomyosin allergens molluscan shellfish allergic individuals may also react to crustacean shellfish and non-dietary invertebrates (e.g. house dust mite, cockroach).
Molluscan shellfish allergy triggers symptoms ranging from mild local reactions in the oral cavity (oral allergy syndrome) to severe life threatening systemic reactions. Gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms were occasionally also reported. Shellfish allergens retain their allergenic potential even after heating.
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