Sesame hidden in Lebanese foods and allergy risk for children
What it found
Sesame proteins were found in 34% of Lebanese food samples that did not list sesame as an ingredient.
A model predicted that bakery products could trigger allergic reactions in sesame-allergic children and teens.
What they found
Studies in people
Highest sesame levels
A baked good called sfouf had the highest average sesame protein level at 549 mg per kg. Children took in about 78 mg of sesame protein per serving of sfouf. Teens took in about 103 mg per serving.
Predicted allergy risk
The model predicted sfouf carried the highest chance of causing an allergic reaction per meal, above 20%. Each week, more than 13% of people in the simulation would have at least one reaction.
Other findings
Hidden sesame in foods
Out of 1270 food samples tested, 34% contained sesame proteins. Amounts ranged from 0.44 to 3392 mg per kg.
Sesame in unlabeled foods
Sesame was found in 47% of bulk samples without labels. It appeared in 43% of foods with warning labels and 27% of foods without any warning label.
What the authors conclude
- They say bakery products like sfouf may pose a serious risk to sesame-allergic children and teens in Lebanon.
- They call for better guidance on warning labels to protect allergic shoppers.
How it was done
Sesame is used heavily in Middle Eastern diets, but studies on this allergen in the region are lacking.
Researchers tested 1270 food samples from Lebanon that did not list sesame as an ingredient. They also surveyed what children and teens eat at schools in Beirut. They combined this information to build a model predicting allergic reactions per meal and per week.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This work relies on a model built from surveys and lab tests rather than tracking real allergic reactions over time. Models can estimate risk but cannot prove exactly how many people will react.
- The food testing and school surveys were done only in Lebanon. Results may differ in other countries.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Université Laval, Canada; Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute, Lebanon; University of Nebraska, USA
The paper
- Title
- Sesame as an allergen in Lebanese food products: Occurrence, consumption and quantitative risk assessment
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Touma J, Dominguez S, La Vieille S, et al (2021). Sesame as an allergen in Lebanese food products: Occurrence, consumption and quantitative risk assessment. Food and chemical toxicology. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2021.112511PubMed 34391860DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error