ALLERGIES to fruit and vegetables are on the rise, according to Anaphylaxis Australia.
Bananas and kiwifruit top of the list, along with peppers, capsicums, celery, mustard, apples and pears.
AA president Maria Said told The Weekly Times anaphylactic reactions to fruit and vegetables had been steadily rising for 10 years.
"In the UK they're calling the fruit and vegetable allergy an epidemic - we're not there yet in Australia, but it's certainly on the increase," she said.
"There are a lot of theories as to why, but no concrete answers."
Most types of allergies had continued to increase except for asthma, which had plateaued, Ms Said said.
Researchers were trying to find the link between allergies to pollen and allergies to fruit and vegetables, according to Ms Said.
"It's the protein in these foods that triggers the reaction . . . any food with a protein in it can trigger it, but for some reason we're seeing the increase in banana and kiwifruit," Ms Said said.
