Cochineal allergy and anaphylaxis in an 8-year-old boy
What it found
An 8-year-old boy had a severe allergic reaction after eating a frankfurter containing cochineal dye.
Skin and blood tests confirmed his body reacted to the cochineal protein.
What they found
Studies in people
Severe allergic reaction
After eating the frankfurter, the boy developed cold sweats, mouth discomfort, breathing trouble and hives all over his body. He had also suffered two unexplained severe reactions at age seven.
Positive skin tests
Skin prick tests showed a positive result of 2+ for both the frankfurter and cochineal dyes. The dyes were tested at color values of 0.1 and 0.01.
Antibodies found in blood
Blood tests showed that his allergy antibodies attached to CC38K, the main part of cochineal. They also attached to another large protein weighing roughly 80 to 200 kDa.
What the authors conclude
- They report a case of a severe allergic reaction triggered by hypoallergenic cochineal in a school-age boy.
- The authors note that while cochineal is known to cause sudden allergies, most past reports involved adult women.
How it was done
Cochineal dyes are added to foods to give them a red colour. While they can trigger sudden allergies, most reported cases involve adult women rather than children.
Doctors described one 8-year-old boy who had a history of eczema, asthma and food allergies since childhood. He ate a frankfurter with hypoallergenic cochineal for the first time at age 8. They then ran skin prick tests and blood tests on him.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This describes only one child, so it cannot show how often cochineal causes reactions in other people.
- A single case report cannot prove that cochineal was the definite cause of his earlier unexplained reactions at age seven.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- General Research and Development Institute, Ltd
The paper
- Title
- [THE CASE REPORT OF A 8 YEARS OLD BOY WITH COCHINEAL ALLERGY]
- Type
- Case report
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Hirase S, Takeo N, Nakamura M, et al (2020). [THE CASE REPORT OF A 8 YEARS OLD BOY WITH COCHINEAL ALLERGY]. Arerugi = [Allergy]. doi:10.15036/arerugi.69.48PubMed 32051369DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error