Cross-Contamination in Food Allergy Should Be Considered

Member of the Turkish Allergy and Clinical Immunology Association. Dr. Velat Çelik warned that it is necessary to be careful about whether new generation cooking devices will trigger food allergies. exp. Dr. Velat Çelik pointed out that if an allergenic food was previously cooked in the device, it may cause an allergic reaction in the individual who is allergic to that food, therefore, if there is a person with food allergy at home, it is necessary to prepare food in a separate hot air fryer or avoid using it altogether.

Expressing that hot air fryers can spread the allergens in the food to the hard-to-clean parts of the device while cooking the food placed in the hot air flow, Turkish National Allergy and Clinical Immunology Association Member Exp. Dr. Velat Çelik said that even if the allergen-free food is used in the next cooking, the allergen remaining from the previous food may contaminate the new food and may cause a reaction when this food is eaten. Explaining this with an example, Dr. Dr. Velat Çelik said, “Imagine that you have a fish allergy and someone has fried fish in a hot air fryer before. Fish allergens may have spread to areas of the fryer that are difficult to clean, and contamination of the food during subsequent cooking may result in an allergic reaction. If there is someone at home with a food allergy, this device should be used with caution.

Stating that some foods have the potential to cause allergies while their allergenicity decreases as they get warmer, Çelik said, “For example, a child with milk allergy can sometimes consume milk cake baked in traditional ovens without any problems. Or, an adult diagnosed with oral allergy syndrome can consume a microwaved apple without any problems while experiencing a reaction to a raw apple. Standardized recipes, temperatures and processing times have been determined for these procedures and are applied if the allergist deems it appropriate. However, with hot air fryers, it is not clear at what temperature and for how long a food should be processed to reduce its potential to cause allergies. Until studies are conducted on this subject, it is not recommended for individuals who tolerate baked/heated foods to prepare foods with these devices.

Stating that new generation cooking devices can cause smoke and odor if they are not cleaned adequately, Çelik said that this smell and smoke can cause shortness of breath and other respiratory complaints in asthmatic patients. As a result, there is not enough information about the use of hot air fryers in allergic diseases. Individuals with food allergies should be careful when using this device, and those with severe food allergies should avoid using common devices. Or it would be safer for them to use a special fryer.”