Meat may be the cause of allergic reactions.
Severe allergic reactions to food generally occur within 2 hours. However a study of 60 patients with unexplained severe allergic reactions suggests red meat may trigger the condition 4 or more hours after consumption. As presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology in New Orleans, this condition, once thought to be very rare, may in fact be more common than previously thought.
A study of 60 patients who had unexplained severe allergic reactions suggests that a compound in meat known as alpha-galactose may be the culprit. "We believe that the presence of IgE antibody to this sugar is wider spread in the human population as a whole than we had initially expected," Dr. Scott Commins of the University of Virginia, who led the research.
Reference
Read 2010 article at Reuters.com.