Allergy to flour and fungal amylase in bakery workers

• Published in: Occupational medicine (Oxford) Vol. 47; no. 1; pp. 21 - 24
• Main Authors: Smith, T. A., Lumley, K. P. S., Hui, E. H. K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01-01-1997
• Subjects: Allergic diseases; Amylase; Amylases - adverse effects; Aspergillus - enzymology; asthma; Asthma - epidemiology; Asthma - etiology; bakers; Biological and medical sciences; flour; Flour - adverse effects; Humans; Hypersensitivity - epidemiology; Hypersensitivity - etiology; Hypersensitivity, Immediate - epidemiology; Hypersensitivity, Immediate - etiology; Immunopathology; Medical sciences; Occupational Exposure - adverse effects; Prevalence; Respiratory and ent allergic diseases; Respiratory Tract Diseases - epidemiology; Respiratory Tract Diseases - etiology; Rhinitis - epidemiology; Rhinitis - etiology; Skin Tests; Human; Immunopathology; Allergy; Amylase; Respiratory disease; Enzyme; Toxicity; Bakery; Occupational exposure; Cereal flour; Asthma; Fungi; Dust; Food industry; Plant origin; Occupational medicine; Thallophyta; Irritation
• ISSN: 0962-7480; 1471-8405
• DOI: 10.1093/occmed/47.1.21

The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and skin prick test findings in a group of 383 employees in a plant bakery population who had the greatest regular exposure to ingredient dusts. The prevalence of positive skin prick tests to fungal amylase was 16%, in contrast to 6% to wheat flour, suggesting that the principal sensitiser is fungal amylase and not flour. Furthermore, the findings suggest that symptomatic allergy to bread-baking ingredients is uncommon (3.1%). In comparison, occasional short-lived symptoms which do not appear to have an allergic aetiology are relatively prevalent (17.2%). Where sensitisation to ingredients arises, fungal amylase present in bread improvers is the principal allergen.