Knowledge, attitude, and practices of restaurant and foodservice personnel in food allergy. A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Currently, there may be 240-250 million people worldwide affected by food allergies. Dining out can be challenging for individuals with food allergies who rely on restaurant and food service staff to properly prepare allergen-free meals. For this reason, the personnel working in restaurants and other food services play a significant role in managing the risks faced by customers with food allergies. Objectives: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the existing evidence concerning the knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to food allergies among restaurant and foodservice personnel. Methods: To identify, characterize, and synthesize published research on the prevalence of positive responses regarding knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to food allergies among restaurant and food service personnel, international recommendations for systematic reviews and PRISMA guidelines were followed. The search was conducted between January 2012 and January 2022, utilizing the electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library. Selection and data extraction were carried out following predefined protocols, and constructs based on reported outcomes were generated and subsequently analyzed in the meta-analysis. Trials were evaluated using the Cochrane tool for risk of bias. The results are presented using summary tables, forest plots, and box plots, showcasing the combined proportion of constructs obtained from independent surveys conducted without control groups. These constructs were then grouped into categories as an organizational framework and analyzed to determine their distribution among quintiles, aiming to provide a detailed overview of data variability. This strategy allowed us to demonstrate how results from the analyzed categories were distributed. Results: The algorithm identified 23 relevant studies, primarily originating from the United States and Europe. The main observed variability was related to the evaluated populations and the instruments used. A total of 28 constructs were identified, with 10 related to knowledge, 9 to attitudes, and 9 to practices. A proportion meta-analysis was conducted to determine the prevalence of positive responses within these three study categories. The results obtained reveal that, in the knowledge category, quintiles 4 and 5 exhibit strong knowledge on the subject (over 84 %). In contrast, starting from quintile 2, the majority of participants shows a positive attitude toward catering to consumers with food allergies (over 85 %). However, after examining the practices category, responses belonging to quintile 5 reflect a low level of risk, while in the other quintiles, behaviors with a higher potential risk for consumers with food allergies are identified. Conclusions: The knowledge, attitudes, and practices of personnel in the food service sector are crucial due to the increasing prevalence of food allergies today, as well as the growing frequency of eating out. Knowledge is the most extensively studied category, showing generally acceptable but still insufficient levels in some areas. Positive attitudes are expressed towards individuals disclosing allergic conditions, yet they do not necessarily correlate with high levels of knowledge. The identified practices do not ensure the safety of the dish served to the customer. There is limited awareness regarding the importance of preventing acute allergic reactions at the time of food consumption. Restaurants and food services should train all staff involved in customer service, implement protocols aimed at preventing allergic reactions during food service, and establish guidelines for handling a customer experiencing an acute reaction.The limitations of this research are related to the heterogeneity present in the synthesized results, urging caution when interpreting the overall estimate of the combined effect, as the findings may not be applicable to all populations or study settings. Indeed, more studies are needed to enhance result precision and provide more specific recommendations for catering to allergic customers in restaurants and food services.

MicroRNAs: an epigenetic tool to study celiac disease.

This article summarizes recent findings on the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in biological processes associated with the regulation of chronic inflammation and autoimmunity. miRNAs are small non-coding RNA molecules that have been recently emerged as a new class of modulators of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. MiRNAs bind to complementary sequences of specific targets of messengers RNA, which can interfere with protein synthesis. We reviewed studies that evaluated the expression patterns of miRNAs in different autoimmune diseases, especially in celiac disease (CD). CD is a chronic enteropathy triggered by gluten proteins, characterized by altered immune responses in genetically susceptible individuals that results in damage to the bowel mucosa. CD has a high prevalence and an effective treatment by a specific diet ("gluten free diet"). Genetic factors confer susceptibility but do not explain the whole disease, suggesting that environmental factors do play a relevant role in the development of the condition.The evaluation of the potential role of miRNA is of particular interest in CD given that these epigenetic mechanisms in the pathogenesis of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases have been recently described. Improving our understanding of miRNAs in CD will contribute to clarify the role of altered epigenetic regulation in the development and course of this disease.

[Potential dietary interventions for prevention and treatment of infant allergy]. / Potenciales intervenciones alimentarias en el manejo y prevención de la alergia en lactantes.

The incidence of atopic diseases such as asthma, atopic dermatitis and food allergies has increased exponentially in recent decades. Although atopic diseases have a clear genetic basis, environmental factors such as the diet, seems to play an important role in its development. This article summarizes main studies exploring whether feeding practices of mothers and infants intervenes in the development of allergic diseases. The potential role of dietary practices of the mother and infants for the prevention and/or management of allergies in infants is discussed. The available evidence was analyzed for: (1) does mothers consumption of essential fatty acids, prebiotics and probiotics modulates the onset of allergic disorders?, (2) Does breastfeeding and artificial formula prevent/trigger the onset of allergy symptoms? (3) Does timing of introduction of solid feeding and the selection of certain common food allergens participate in achieving oral tolerance in infants? Accumulated evidence in recent years suggest that exposure to allergens early in life may promote immune tolerance and contribute to prevent infant food sensitization.

Durante las últimas décadas la incidencia de enfermedades atópicas como el asma, dermatitis atópica y alergias a alimentos ha aumentado de manera exponencial. Aunque las enfermedades atópicas tienen una clara base genética, los factores ambientales, principalmente la dieta, pueden tener una influencia importante en su desarrollo. Este artículo resume los principales estudios que investigan hasta qué punto las prácticas alimentarias de la madre y los lactantes intervienen en la aparición de enfermedades alérgicas, discutiendo su posible rol en la prevención y/o manejo de alergias en lactantes con y sin historia familiar de alergia. La evidencia existente se evaluó en relación a: 1) si el consumo de ácidos grasos esenciales y de pre y probióticos por parte de la madre durante el período de gestación o la lactancia, modularían la aparición de desórdenes alérgicos, 2) si la alimentación del lactante, alimentado con lactancia materna/fórmulas artificiales podría prevenir/gatillar la aparición de síntomas, y 3) si la edad de introducción de la alimentación complementaria y hacerlo con determinados alérgenos alimentarios podría influir en alcanzar la tolerancia oral del lactante. La evidencia acumulada en las últimas décadas sugiere que, contra la postura histórica en el tema, la exposición a alérgenos en etapas tempranas de la vida podría promover la tolerancia del sistema inmune del lactante y prevenir la sensibilización a alimentos.

MicroRNAs, mecanismo epigenético para estudiar la enfermedad celiaca / MicroRNAs: an epigenetic tool to study celiac disease

Este artículo pone al día los conceptos básicos de la enfermedad celiaca (EC) y resume los hallazgos sobre los microRNAs (miRNAs) en procesos biológicos asociados a la regulación de la inflamación crónica y autoinmunidad. Los miRNAs, una nueva clase de moduladores de la expresión génica a nivel post-traduccional, son moléculas de RNA pequeñas y no codificables que se unen a secuencias complementarias de RNAs mensajeros específicos, que pueden interferir con la síntesis de proteínas. Se revisaron los estudios publicados que evaluaron los patrones de expresión de miRNAs en diferentes Enfermedades Autoinmunes (EAI) y especialmente en la EC. La EC es una enteropatía crónica del intestino delgado provocada por proteínas del gluten, caracterizada por una respuesta inmune alterada en individuos genéticamente susceptibles, que se traduce en daño de la mucosa del intestino delgado. Esta enfermedad tiene una alta prevalencia y un tratamiento efectivo a través de una dieta libre de gluten. En la patogenia de esta enfermedad se ha demostrado que factores genéticos otorgan susceptibilidad, pero no explican el total de los casos. El estudio de la función de los miRNA es de particular interés en la EC, dado que este mecanismo epigenético ha sido recientemente descrito en la patogenia de las EAI e inflamatorias. El estudio de los miRNA en la EC contribuirá a dilucidar cómo alteraciones en la regulación epigenética participarían en el desarrollo y evolución de esta enfermedad (AU)

This article summarizes recent findings on the role of microRNAs in biological processes associated with the regulation of chronic inflammation and autoimmunity. miRNAs are small non-coding RNA molecules that have been recently emerged as a new class of modulators of gene expression at the posttranscriptional level. MiRNAs bind to complementary sequences of specific targets of messengers RNA, which can interfere with protein synthesis. We reviewed studies that evaluated the expression patterns of miRNAs in different autoimmune diseases, especially in celiac disease (CD). CD is a chronic enteropathy triggered by gluten proteins, characterized by altered immune responses in genetically susceptible individuals that results in damage to the bowel mucosa. CD has a high prevalence and an effective treatment by a specific diet ("gluten free diet"). Genetic factors confer susceptibility but do not explain the whole disease, suggesting that environmental factors do play a relevant role in the development of the condition. The evaluation of the potential role of miRNA is of particular interest in CD given that these epigenetic mechanisms in the pathogenesis of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases have been recently described. Improving our understanding of miRNAs in CD will contribute to clarify the role of altered epigenetic regulation in the development and course of this disease (AU)

Potenciales intervenciones alimentarias en el manejo y prevención de la alergia en lactantes / Potential dietary interventions for prevention and treatment of infant allergy

Durante las últimas décadas la incidencia de enfermedades atópicas como el asma, dermatitis atópica y alergias a alimentos ha aumentado de manera exponencial. Aunque las enfermedades atópicas tienen una clara base genética, los factores ambientales, principalmente la dieta, pueden tener una influencia importante en su desarrollo. Este artículo resume los principales estudios que investigan hasta qué punto las prácticas alimentarias de la madre y los lactantes intervienen en la aparición de enfermedades alérgicas, discutiendo su posible rol en la prevención y/o manejo de alergias en lactantes con y sin historia familiar de alergia. La evidencia existente se evaluó en relación a: 1) si el consumo de ácidos grasos esenciales y de pre y probióticos por parte de la madre durante el período de gestación o la lactancia, modularían la aparición de desórdenes alérgicos, 2) si la alimentación del lactante, alimentado con lactancia materna/fórmulas artificiales podría prevenir/gatillar la aparición de síntomas, y 3) si la edad de introducción de la alimentación complementaria y hacerlo con determinados alérgenos alimentarios podría influir en alcanzar la tolerancia oral del lactante. La evidencia acumulada en las últimas décadas sugiere que, contra la postura histórica en el tema, la exposición a alérgenos en etapas tempranas de la vida podría promover la tolerancia del sistema inmune del lactante y prevenir la sensibilización a alimentos (AU)

The incidence of atopic diseases such as asthma, atopic dermatitis and food allergies has increased exponentially in recent decades. Although atopic diseases have a clear genetic basis, environmental factors such as the diet, seems to play an important role in its development. This article summarizes main studies exploring whether feeding practices of mothers and infants intervenes in the development of allergic diseases. The potential role of dietary practices of the mother and infants for the prevention and/or management of allergies in infants is discussed. The available evidence was analyzed for: 1) does mothers consumption of essential fatty acids, prebiotics and probiotics modulates the onset of allergic disorders?, 2) Does breastfeeding and artificial formula prevent/trigger the onset of allergy symptoms? 3) Does timing of introduction of solid feeding and the selection of certain common food allergens participate in achieving oral tolerance in infants? Accumulated evidence in recent years suggest that exposure to allergens early in life may promote immune tolerance and contribute to prevent infant food sensitization (AU)

[Association of dietary patterns and food allergy in infants during the first year of life]. / Asociación entre los patrones alimentarios durante el primer año de vida y alergia alimentaria en lactantes

INTRODUCTION: There is controversy about the effect of dietary patterns during the first year of life and the occurrence of food allergy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between family history of allergy, allergic manifestations and dietary patterns during the first year of life in infants with and without food allergy. POPULATION AND METHODS: We performed a descriptive cross-sectional study in children under 2 years of age (n= 99), sorted in two groups: allergic group (n= 50) and control group (n= 49), matched by socioeconomic status, age and gender. Food allergy was deifned by internationally approved clinical criteria, prick and patch tests, and response to diet. Information on diet, clinical data and history of allergy in the parents were collected. The sample size was estimated for logistic regression (Freeman), and Student X² and Mann-Withney tests were used. The study and consent forms were approved by the Ethics Committee of the Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (Instituto de Nutrición y Tecnología de los Alimentos, INTA) and the Universidad de Chile. RESULTS: The allergic group showed a significantly higher prevalence (p <0.0001) of family history of allergy (84%) than the control group (16%). Diarrhea was the symptom most frequently reported by the mothers of allergic infants during the first year of life. Bottle feeding was introduced earlier in the allergic group than in the control group (3 versus 6 months [p < 0.03]); no differences regarding the start age for supplementary feeding was found. When performing logistic regression, only the family history of allergy was associated with a higher risk of food allergy (OR: 48.2; CI= 14.2-164; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The early introduction of milk formula could promote the occurrence of food allergy in infants frequently presenting family history of allergy.

Asociación entre los patrones alimentarios durante el primer año de vida y alergia alimentaria en lactantes / Association of dietary patterns and food allergy in infants during the first year of life

Introducción. Existe controversia acerca del efecto del patrón alimentario durante el primer año de vida y el desarrollo de alergia alimentaria. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la asociación entre antecedentes familiares de alergia, manifestaciones alérgicas y patrones alimentarios del primer año de vida en lactantes con alergia alimentaria y sin ella. Población y métodos. Se realizó un estudio descriptivo transversal en menores de 2 años (n= 99), distribuidos en dos grupos: alérgico (n= 50) y grupo control (n= 49), pareados por nivel socioeconómico, edad y género. Se definió alergia alimentaria según criterios clínicos internacionalmente aceptados, pruebas cutáneas y de parche, y respuesta a la dieta. Se recolectó información dietaria, clínica y de historia de alergia en los padres. Se calculó tamaño muestral para regresión logística (Freeman) y se utilizaron pruebas de Student, X² y Mann-Withney. El estudio y el consentimiento fueron aprobados por el Comité de Etica del INTA y de la Universidad de Chile. Resultados. El grupo alérgico mostró una prevalencia significativamente mayor (p <0,0001) de historia familiar de alergia (84%) que el grupo control (16%). La diarrea fue la sintomatología más frecuentemente comunicada por las madres de los niños alérgicos durante el primer año de vida. La lactancia artificial se introdujo más tempranamente en el grupo alérgico que en el grupo control 3 contra 6 meses (p <0,03); no hallamos diferencias con respecto a la edad de inicio de la alimentación complementaria. Al realizar la regresión logística, solo la historia familiar de alergia se asoció con un mayor riesgo de presentar alergia alimentaria (OR: 48,2; IC= 14,2-164; p <0,001). Conclusiones. La introducción precoz de formula láctea podría favorecer la presencia de alergia alimentaria en lactantes que presentan frecuentemente antecedentes familiares de alergia.(AU)

Introduction. There is controversy about the effect of dietary patterns during the first year of life and the occurrence of food allergy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between family history of allergy, allergic manifestations and dietary patterns during the first year of life in infants with and without food allergy. Population and methods. We performed a descriptive cross-sectional study in children under 2 years of age (n= 99), sorted in two groups: allergic group (n= 50) and control group (n= 49), matched by socioeconomic status, age and gender. Food allergy was defned by internationally approved clinical criteria, prick and patch tests, and response to diet. Information on diet, clinical data and history of allergy in the parents were collected. The sample size was estimated for logistic regression (Freeman), and Student X² and Mann-Withney tests were used. The study and consent forms were approved by the Ethics Committee of the Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (Instituto de Nutrición y Tecnología de los Alimentos, INTA) and the Universidad de Chile. Results. The allergic group showed a significantly higher prevalence (p <0.0001) of family history of allergy (84%) than the control group (16%). Diarrhea was the symptom most frequently reported by the mothers of allergic infants during the frst year of life. Bottle feeding was introduced earlier in the allergic group than in the control group (3 versus 6 months [p < 0.03]); no differences regarding the start age for supplementary feeding was found. When performing logistic regression, only the family history of allergy was associated with a higher risk of food allergy (OR: 48.2; CI= 14.2-164; p < 0.001). Conclusions. The early introduction of milk formula could promote the occurrence of food allergy in infants frequently presenting family history of allergy.(AU)

Asociación entre los patrones alimentarios durante el primer año de vida y alergia alimentaria en lactantes / Association of dietary patterns and food allergy in infants during the first year of life

Introducción. Existe controversia acerca del efecto del patrón alimentario durante el primer año de vida y el desarrollo de alergia alimentaria. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la asociación entre antecedentes familiares de alergia, manifestaciones alérgicas y patrones alimentarios del primer año de vida en lactantes con alergia alimentaria y sin ella. Población y métodos. Se realizó un estudio descriptivo transversal en menores de 2 años (n= 99), distribuidos en dos grupos: alérgico (n= 50) y grupo control (n= 49), pareados por nivel socioeconómico, edad y género. Se definió alergia alimentaria según criterios clínicos internacionalmente aceptados, pruebas cutáneas y de parche, y respuesta a la dieta. Se recolectó información dietaria, clínica y de historia de alergia en los padres. Se calculó tamaño muestral para regresión logística (Freeman) y se utilizaron pruebas de Student, X² y Mann-Withney. El estudio y el consentimiento fueron aprobados por el Comité de Ética del INTA y de la Universidad de Chile. Resultados. El grupo alérgico mostró una prevalencia significativamente mayor (p <0,0001) de historia familiar de alergia (84%) que el grupo control (16%). La diarrea fue la sintomatología más frecuentemente comunicada por las madres de los niños alérgicos durante el primer año de vida. La lactancia artificial se introdujo más tempranamente en el grupo alérgico que en el grupo control 3 contra 6 meses (p <0,03); no hallamos diferencias con respecto a la edad de inicio de la alimentación complementaria. Al realizar la regresión logística, solo la historia familiar de alergia se asoció con un mayor riesgo de presentar alergia alimentaria (OR: 48,2; IC= 14,2-164; p <0,001). Conclusiones. La introducción precoz de formula láctea podría favorecer la presencia de alergia alimentaria en lactantes que presentan frecuentemente antecedentes familiares de alergia.

Introduction. There is controversy about the effect of dietary patterns during the first year of life and the occurrence of food allergy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between family history of allergy, allergic manifestations and dietary patterns during the first year of life in infants with and without food allergy. Population and methods. We performed a descriptive cross-sectional study in children under 2 years of age (n= 99), sorted in two groups: allergic group (n= 50) and control group (n= 49), matched by socioeconomic status, age and gender. Food allergy was defned by internationally approved clinical criteria, prick and patch tests, and response to diet. Information on diet, clinical data and history of allergy in the parents were collected. The sample size was estimated for logistic regression (Freeman), and Student X² and Mann-Withney tests were used. The study and consent forms were approved by the Ethics Committee of the Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (Instituto de Nutrición y Tecnología de los Alimentos, INTA) and the Universidad de Chile. Results. The allergic group showed a significantly higher prevalence (p <0.0001) of family history of allergy (84%) than the control group (16%). Diarrhea was the symptom most frequently reported by the mothers of allergic infants during the frst year of life. Bottle feeding was introduced earlier in the allergic group than in the control group (3 versus 6 months [p < 0.03]); no differences regarding the start age for supplementary feeding was found. When performing logistic regression, only the family history of allergy was associated with a higher risk of food allergy (OR: 48.2; CI= 14.2-164; p < 0.001). Conclusions. The early introduction of milk formula could promote the occurrence of food allergy in infants frequently presenting family history of allergy.