Reaction Paper About Food Allergy

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A food allergy is an immune system reaction that occurs soon after eating a certain food. When you have a food allergy, your immune system mistakenly identifies a specific food or a substance in food as something harmful. Your immune system triggers cells to release antibodies known as immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies to neutralize the allergen. "These IgE antibodies bind to receptors on the mast cells surface with high affinity. When an antigen cross-links two IgE antibodies, the mast cell undergoes a degranulation process."(Meggs, 1999). The next time you eat even the smallest amount of that food, the IgE antibodies sense it and signal your immune system to release a chemical called histamine, as well as other chemicals, into your bloodstream. …show more content…

There are a number of reactions to food that cause similar symptoms to a food allergy. Depending on the type of food intolerance you have, you may be able to eat small amounts of problem foods without a reaction. By contrast, if you have a true food allergy, even a tiny amount of food may trigger an allergic reaction. Some common food allergy symptoms include itching or tingling in the mouth, hives, or eczema, swelling of the lips or face, wheezing or trouble breathing, diarrhea, vomiting, and anaphylaxis. "Anaphylaxis is defined as an acute systematic reaction with the symptoms of an immediate allergic reaction that can affect the entire organism and is potentially life-threatening. Pathophysiologically, anaphylactic reactions, especially those triggered by foods or insect venom, are predominately IgE mediated, but in rare cases, direct activation of the mast cells can be the cause" (Worm, …show more content…

This is why baking bread doesn’t smell like roasting meat or frying fish, even though all these foods depend on Maillard reactions for flavor. The Maillard reaction, or its absence, distinguishes the flavors of boiled, poached, or steamed foods from the flavors of the same foods that have been grilled, roasted, or otherwise cooked at temperatures high enough to dehydrate the surface rapidly. These two factors, dryness and temperature, are the key controls for the rate of the Maillard reaction. High-temperature cooking speeds up the Maillard reaction because heat both increases the rate of chemical reactions and accelerates the evaporation of water. As the food dries, the concentration of reactant compounds increases and the temperature climbs more rapidly. "You might think that raising the temperature even higher would enhance the Maillard reaction. It does up to a point, but above 180 °C / 355 °F a different set of reactions occur: pyrolysis, also known as burning."(Harrison, 2011). People typically like foods a little charred, but with too much pyrolysis comes

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