"Food Allergies: Hot Tips For Kissing Safely" - Gina Clowes
According to Scott Sicherer, MD, professor of pediatrics, allergy and immunology and chief of the division of allergy and immunology at the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, studies show that between five and 12 percent of food-allergic individuals will experience a reaction from kissing. Our saliva contains food protein after we eat. In some cases, that residual protein can linger, even after chewing gum or brushing teeth. Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai studied the risk of peanut exposure from the saliva of a partner who had eaten peanut butter. They found that no detectible peanut protein was left almost four hours later and after the partner had eaten a peanut-free meal. This suggests that if an allergen was eaten, you're best to wait several hours before any contact, and have the date eat something.
- Scott Sicherer, MD, Professor, Pediatrics, Allergy and Immunology, Chief, Division of Allergy and Immunology, Jaffe Food Allergy Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai