Egg Allergy
Amherst College Dining Services can assist with avoiding Egg products.
Ask for the Lead Cook or Manager of Dining Services for assistance with your allergies. If you would like to set
up an appointment please call 542-2220 or email valentine@amherst.edu.
It’s strongly recommended that you make an appointment with Health Services if you have not done so already
and inform them of your medical condition.
When in Valentine Dining Hall, be aware to look at the signage at each food
station:
Egg allergy is a type of food allergy. It is a hypersensitivity to dietary substances from the yolk or whites of
eggs, causing an overreaction of the immune system which may lead to severe physical symptoms.
Egg allergy appears mainly in children. It is the second most common food allergy in children with the first
being milk allergy. Typical treatment is an exclusion diet and strict avoidance of foods that may be
contaminated with egg. The most severe food allergy reaction is called anaphylaxis and is an emergency
situation requiring immediate medical attention and treatment with epinephrine. Most children outgrow egg
allergy by the age of five, but some people unfortunately remain allergic for a lifetime.
Antigens
Most people who are allergic to hen's eggs have antibodies which react to one of four proteins in the egg white:
ovomucoid, ovalbumin, ovotransferrin, and lysozyme; ovomucoid, also called Gal d 1, is the most common
target of immune system attack. The egg yolk contains several potential antigens: livetin, apovitillin, and
vosvetin.
Some research on lysozyme and ovotransferrin suggests that one of the causes of the allergy is from the
chelating capacity of the proteins with metals, especially those of heavy metals. However, little scientific
information is available currently on the relationships of the heavy metals in hen eggs and egg allergy.
A person who reacts only to a protein in the egg yolk may be able to easily tolerate egg whites, and vice versa.
Some people will be allergic to proteins in both the egg white and the egg yolk. Egg yolk allergies may be
somewhat more common in adults. A small number of people who are allergic to eggs will develop an allergy
to chicken or other poultry meats.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is commonly made through a combination of skin prick testing or blood testing and tracking of
everything that the person eats.
Treatment
There is currently no cure for Egg allergy. Most people who are allergic to eggs avoid eating any form of egg.
Prognosis
In a study presented at the 2007 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI) meeting,
50% of patients outgrew egg allergy by age 17. Of those patients who outgrew it, 45% did so by age 5. Children
who outgrew the allergy tended to have peak IgE levels at around age one, which steadily decline.
Vaccines
The flu vaccine is typically made using eggs to incubate the vaccine. Egg-allergic individuals may react to the
vaccine. Rather than taking the flu vaccine themselves, vaccinating all other members of their family can help
protect them from the flu.
Individual batches of flu vaccine may vary in their egg content. An allergist may give an egg-allergic individual
a skin test to the flu vaccine, to see if receiving the flu shot is possible. If the skin test is negative, then a small
amount of the vaccine is administered. If no reaction occurs after a waiting/observation period, then the rest of
the shot is given, followed by a second observation period to continue to monitor for reactions.
Egg proteins can also be found in yellow fever vaccine and MMR vaccine. The quantity of egg protein in a dose
of MMR vaccine is approximately 40 pg (much lower than in influenza vaccine, which contains approximately
0.02-1.0 ug), and this is believed to be associated with a much lower risk.[13]
Cooking without eggs
In cooking, eggs emulsify and help ingredients to mix smoothly. It is possible to buy a commercial egg replacer,
which may be made from ingredients like potato starch and tapioca. Applesauce can also work as an emulsifier.
Half a cup of apple sauce can replace one egg in most recipes.
Most people find it necessary to strictly avoid any item containing eggs, including:
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Albumin
Apovitellin
Cholesterol free egg substitute (e.g. Eggbeaters)
Dried egg solids, dried egg
Egg, egg white, egg yolk
Egg wash
Eggnog
Fat substitutes
Globulin
Livetin
Lysozyme
Mayonnaise
Meringue, meringue powder
Ovalbumin
Ovoglobulin
Ovomucin
Ovomucoid
Ovotransferrin
Ovovitelia
Ovovitellin
Powdered eggs
Silici albuminate
Simplesse
Trailblazer
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Vitellin
Whole egg
Ingredients that sometimes include egg are:
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Artificial flavoring
Lecithin
Natural flavoring
Nougat
Egg white intolerance
Egg whites, which are potent histamine liberators, also provoke a non-allergic response in some people. In this
situation, proteins in egg white directly trigger the release of histamine from mast cells on contact. Because this
mechanism is classified as a pharmacological reaction, or "pseudoallergy", the condition is considered a food
intolerance instead of a true IgE-based allergic reaction.
The response is usually localized, typically in the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms may include abdominal pain,
diarrhea, or any symptoms of histamine release. It can result in an anaphylactoid reaction, which is clinically
indistinguishable from true anaphylaxis, if sufficiently strong.
Some people with this condition tolerate small quantities of egg whites. They are more often able to tolerate
well-cooked eggs, such as found in cake or dried egg-based pasta, than loosely cooked eggs, such as fried eggs
or meringues, or uncooked eggs.