Food additives contact dermatitis

SYNS SODA ALUM SODIUM ALUMINUM SULFATE SAFETY PROFILE A weak sensitizer. A general-purpose food additive. Local contact may cause contact dermatitis. An irritant. 

Contact dermatitis to additives in food and drugs has been described, but is rare (Fischer 1973). It is more common to additives used in topical medications and cosmetics (Wilkinson 1972). Here we are dealing with a lymphocyte-mediated allergy where sensitization of the patients occurs after repeated local contact of the skin with the chemical. 

Calnan CD, Caron GA (1961) Quinine sensitivity. Br Med J 2 1750-1751 Calnan CD (1976) Quinazoline yellow SS in cosmetics. Contact Dermatitis 2 160-166 Campbell AD, Horwitz W, Burke JA, Jelinek, CF, Rodricks JV, Shibko SJ (1977) Food additives and contaminants. In Hall VF (ed) Handbooks of physiology, sect. 9. Reactions to environmental agents, Wilhams Wilkins, Baltimore, pp 167-179 Castelain PY (1977) L allergie aux colorants alimentaires. Med Nutr 13 112-113 Chafee FH, Settipane GA (1967) Asthma caused by FD C approved dyes. J Allergy 40 65-72... 

Contact urticaria usually clears spontaneously repeated exposure may produce dermatitis (eczema). In addition, it may be associated with allergic contact dermatitis (type-IV hypersensitivity), von Krogh and Maibach [4] tested 67 patients for immediate and delayed hypersensitivity, and 22 (33%) developed a positive delayed response subsequent to the initial wheal-and-flare reaction. The responsible agents were food products, rubber latex, cinnamic aldehyde, para-aminodiphenylamine, ethylaminobenzoate, ammonium persulfate, teak, epoxy resin and lemon perfume. They suggested that the term contact dermatitis of immediate and delayed type be used for patients exhibiting both types of reactions in the test situation, whether the initial reaction is uncharacteristic, urticarial or vesicular [4]. 

Tennstedt D, Dumont-Fruytier M, Lachapelle JM (1978) Occupational allergic contact dermatitis to virginiamycin, an antibiotic used as a food additive for pigs and poultry. Contact Dermatitis 4 133-134... 

Tylosin is a macrolide antibiotic used to combat swine dysentery in pigs and respiratory infections in poultry in the U.K. Tylosin can produce both irritant and allergic contact dermatitis [171]. Cases of occupational allergic contact dermatitis due to the macrolide spiramycin and tylosin have been reported in hog farmers and veterinarians [172, 173]. Allergic contact dermatitis to virginiamycin, a food additive for pigs and poultry, has also been reported [174]. Veien patch-tested 180 farmers to 5% virginiamycin in petrolatum but obtained no positive reactions [161]. 

Cardullo AC, Ruszkowski AM, Deleo VA (1989) Allergic contact dermatitis resulting from sensitivity to citrus peel, geraniol and citral. J Am Acad Dermatol 21 395-397 Collins FW, Mitchell JC (1975) Aroma chemicals. Reference sources for perfume and flavour ingredients with special reference to cinnamic aldehyde. Contact Dermatitis 1 43-47 Fisher AA (1982) Dermatitis of the hands from food additives. Cutis 30 304... 

Morren MA, Janssens V, Dooms-Goossens A, Van Hoeyveld E, Cornelis A, De Wolf-Peters C, Heremans A (1993) Amylase, a flour additive an important cause of protein contact dermatitis in bakers. J Am Acad Dermatol 29 723-728 Morris GE (1954) Dermatoses among food handlers. Ind Med Surg 23 343-344... 

The fermentation process can be artificially controlled and impeded by the addition of sulfur dioxide or potassium metabisulfite. The addition of this preservative poses a potential health hazard. The residual sulfites present in wine have been known to elicit urticaria, asthmatic reactions and respiratory failure. In the United States, since 1987, warning labels indicating the presence of sulfites must appear on wine bottles containing at least 10 ppm of sulfites (Fisher 1997)- In addition to their importance in wine making, sulfur dioxide and sulfites are used as food additives for their antimicrobial effect. Contact dermatitis to potassium metabisulfite has developed in a pharmaceutical worker (Nater 1968) and may also occur in bakers, from occupational exposure to flour (Apetato and Marques 1986), and in hairdressers to permanent wave solution, but has not been reported in winemakers. Sulfur dioxide has also been reported to cause contact urticaria (Maibach and Johnson 1975). 

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