Informe del Comité Científico de la Agencia Española de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutrición (AESAN) sobre los efectos del cambio climático en la alergia alimentaria

Abstract

Food allergies are diseases with a high prevalence in our society, and they represent a reduction in the quality of life of patients, as well as a significant health care burden for health systems. The constant increase in global temperature, resulting from the combustion of fossil fuels and the accumulation of greenhouse gases, is changing the distribution of many species as well as the pollination kinetics of many plants with a major impact on food allergies. High levels of carbon dioxide (CO2 ), as well as pollution in cities, have also been shown to increase the production of allergens from some of these plants. Changes in climate and the need for more arable land are increasing the occupation of new natural areas, leading to a reduction in environmental biodiversity as well as food availability, which may result in an increase in gut dysbiosis, and thus a reduction in tolerance, and an increase in food allergies. Finally, the need to increase the half-life of food and to transport them over long distances, has extended the use of chemical preservatives, and the use of petroleum products as packaging. Today there is little evidence, but it is beginning to be confirmed that some of the compounds used have a direct effect on our immune system, resulting in an increased likelihood of allergic sensitization. On the other hand, the residues of this human activity generate particles and nanoparticles which, although different in their mechanism of action, both have an impact on the mucous membranes, activating them and increasing the likelihood of suffering from allergic disease. In this context, the Scientific Committee of the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) has carried out a review of the existing evidence on the relationship between the direct and indirect effects of climate change and the development of food allergies, based on the scientific evidence published to date.