Apple Allergy & Intolerance

Preservation of apples and apple products include being canned, dried or frozen. Canned or frozen apples are usually used in baked goods such as pies or pastries. Apple juice either concentrated or fresh and cider are also very common methods of preservation and consumption.

There are two types of common apple allergies. Birch-apple syndrome (or birch-apple allergy) is common in northern Europe. It is usually found in people who are also allergic to birch tree pollen.

The allergic reactions are triggered by the protein in apples that are similar to birch pollen. Sufferers of this apple allergy are often affected by other fruit and vegetable allergies as well. This reaction will only occur when consuming the fruit raw, as the allergen is neutralized during the cooking process. The variety of apple, storage condition and age can alter the amount of allergen present.

Populations around the Mediterranean regions are reported to have reactions to apples due to their similarity to peaches. An apple allergy of this nature usually exhibits more severe symptoms, such as vomiting, abdominal pain and can be dangerous. One should also note that cooking does not break down the protein causing this particular reaction. Freshly harvested, over-ripe fruits are likely to have the highest levels of the protein that causes this reaction.