General Information

  • Reactions to food are common and can be divided into two categories, those caused by food allergy and all other reactions
  • Food allergies develop when the body's immune system has an abnormal reaction to one or more proteins in a food that can lead to serious allergic reactions
  • Other food reactions are not caused by the immune system but can cause unpleasant symptoms (examples include lactose intolerance, heartburn, food poisoning, and sensitivities)
  • Sesame allergy is one of the most common food allergies

Sesame Avoidance

  • Tell anyone with regular contact with you or your child about the allergy and avoidance of sesame
  • Read labels every time you buy something. Manufacturers can change products at any time
  • Be aware of cross contamination (transfer of sesame to a food that does not normally have sesame as an ingredient)
  • Food ingredients that indicate or may indicate the presence of sesame:
    • Benne
    • Sesame oil
    • Sim sim
    • Benne seed
    • Sesame seed
    • Tahini
    • Benniseed
    • Sesamol
    • Tahina
    • Gingelly
    • Sesamolina
    • Til
    • Gingelly oil
    • Sesamum indicum
    • Vegetable oil
  • Some foods that contain or may contain sesame:
    • Bagels
    • Hamburger buns
    • Salads / soup / sauces
    • Bread (multi grain)
    • Herbs / seasoning / spice
    • Sesame oil
    • Bread crumbs / sticks
    • Hummus
    • Sesame salt
    • Cereals
    • Margarine
    • Sesame snaps
    • Crackers
    • Melba toast
    • Shish kebabs
    • Dips / paté / spreads
    • Muesli
    • Stir fry / stews
    • Dressing / gravy / marinades
    • Processed meat / sausage
    • Tahini
    • Flavoring
    • Pretzels
    • Tempeh
    • Halvah
    • Risotto
    • Vegetarian burgers

Allergic Reactions

  • Symptoms often occur within minutes up to 2 hours of exposure to sesame:
  • Outside Symptoms
    • Face: Redness, itchy eyes / nose, swelling
    • Skin: Itching, redness, hives, swelling
  • Inside Symptoms
    • Face: Swelling lips and tongue, itchy mouth
    • Throat: Itching, tightness, hoarse voice, cough
    • Lungs: Trouble breathing, shortness of breath
    • Stomach: Vomiting, nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea
    • General: Dizzy, unsteady, drowsy, fainting
  • Not every reaction will look the same, a person can have different symptoms each time
  • Symptoms range from mild to life threatening, there is no way to predict if the reaction will be mild or severe
  • Anaphylaxis is a severe life threatening reaction with more than one body system affected (skin, breathing, stomach, general) and can occur WITHOUT skin symptoms such as hives

Treatment of Reactions

  • Antihistamines such as Benadryl will NOT stop severe reactions
  • An epinephrine auto-injector such as Allerject or EpiPen MUST be available at all times
  • If you are visiting an area without access to a hospital you should have 2 auto-injectors available
  • A medical identification device such a Medical Alert bracelet should be worn to outline the food allergy and that an epinephrine auto-injector is carried
  • Give epinephrine in the outer thigh if there are any of the following symptoms (listed in the table on the previous page)
    • General symptoms
    • Severe outside symptoms
    • Any inside symptoms
    • If you are in doubt, give the epinephrine
  • After epinephrine is given
    • Lie down / lie your child down
    • Call local emergency service and tell them someone is having an allergic reaction
    • If the reaction continues or worsens, give a second dose of epinephrine in 5 - 15 minutes (there is only 1 dose of epinephrine in each auto injector, a second dose requires a new auto-injector)
    • Go to the nearest emergency room even if the symptoms are gone because the reaction can worsen or come back
    • Stay in the hospital for at least 4 - 6 hours of observation

Outcomes for Sesame Allergic Patients

  • About 20% of people outgrow the sesame allergy
  • Repeat skin testing and blood work every 1 - 2 years will help determine if the allergy is outgrown
  • An oral food challenge (eating sesame in small steps ONLY in the doctors office) will be offered if your doctor feels it is safe
  • Sesame products should NEVER be tried outside of a doctors office to see if the allergy is outgrown

Additional information: www.anaphylaxis.ca or www.foodallergy.org