Despite ongoing research there is currently an epidemic of allergic diseases such as asthma and food allergy in the Western world.

It is estimated that one in three New Zealanders will be affected by allergy at some stage in their lives (Allergy New Zealand). A statistic that looks likely to rise unless something is done soon.

Allergic diseases result from a faulty immune system mistakenly recognising harmless substances (allergens) such as pollen, house dust mites or peanuts, as threats. Once the alarm has been sounded, these allergens can trigger symptoms in affected individuals ranging from the uncomfortable through to life-threatening.

In an attempt to improve the quality of life of New Zealanders affected by food allergies, clinicians, public health researchers, and scientists specialising in food allergy research from the Wellington School of Medicine, Massey University, the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, Nutricia, Fonterra, AgResearch and the Dairy Goat Co-operative (NZ) Ltd, met at the Malaghan Institute last month to establish a collaborative food allergy research network.

"The goal of this workshop was to identify areas of research collaboration and potential networking opportunities between individuals and research groups working within the food allergy area," said meeting convenor and Malaghan Institute allergy research scientist Dr Elizabeth Forbes.

"Currently, food allergy is proving to be a highly topical issue in the international medical research arena and we need to ensure that it is in New Zealand also."

"We know that simply avoiding the foods that cause the problems is not effective and that research is needed to reduce the limitations and suffering food allergies impose on the people who have them," said Dr Forbes. "Furthermore, we need more New Zealand-specific data on the impact of food allergy in New Zealand so that we can provide scientific advice to our food industry."

Recently Dr Forbes was awarded a prestigious New Zealand Science and Technology Postdoctoral Fellowship to develop an experimental model that can be used to better understand food allergy and the influence it can have on other allergic diseases such as asthma.

"Previous studies have demonstrated that childhood allergic diseases often start in the skin as atopic dermatitis, commonly known as eczema, and later progress to the gut and lungs to cause food allergies and asthma respectively," said Dr Forbes.

Food allergy and associated anaphylaxis have emerged as very significant public health concerns, particularly in children.

"Children with food allergies and asthma are more likely to suffer from severe asthma as they get older, and are at greater risk of having acute and possibly fatal anaphylactic reactions."

By establishing a food allergy research network in New Zealand that fosters open communication and cutting-edge research collaborations, it is hoped that parents of children affected by allergies will soon have more effective treatment options available to them.

The Malaghan Institute would like to acknowledge Nutricia (who manufacture the Karicare formula range for infants and toddlers) for helping sponsor this meeting.