Task 2: food and nutrition
Jessica Spalding-Jones
Media review
The documentary, Rotten: "The peanut problem" evaluates and creates awareness of the surge in
the occurrence of food allergies. The episode features world-renowned allergy and asthma
researchers who give their expert insight into the matter. Beyond creating general awareness, the
episode highlights the lack of accountability and corruption of restaurateurs and the food industry.
Complete ignorance and intolerance to the severity of food allergies from these businesses are
highlighted throughout the episode.
Once the body has, in some form, encountered an allergen, depending on the severity of the
reaction, in most cases, the body's immune system overreacts by producing a protein called IgE,
which grabs onto the allergen. Then histamine and other chemicals get released into the blood.
The IgE releases chemicals while traveling to cells, which results in an allergic reaction.
Symptoms due to the reaction occur in the nose, lungs, throat, sinuses, ears, the lining of the
stomach, or on the skin. These reactions can range from being mild to life-threatening (Aaaai.org.
2020). Food intolerance occurs when the body has a chemical reaction to eating a particular food
or drink. The digestive system cannot break the food down. A food allergy transpires when the
immune system reacts to harmless food, and the immune system attacks the body (Aaaai.org.
2020). The symptoms of less severe food allergy or intolerance can be similar. However, unlike
food allergies, food intolerances do not involve the immune system and do not cause severe
allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis (Better Health, 2017). Food that commonly causes food
intolerances is dairy products (including milk, cheese, yoghurt), gluten, chocolate, eggs (mainly
egg white), flavour enhancers such as MSG (monosodium glutamate), food additives,
strawberries, citrus fruits, and tomatoes, red wine, histamine and other amines in some foods. In
contrast, the eight most common foods that are considered to cause food allergies are soybeans,
peanuts, cow's milk, wheat, eggs, fish (bass, flounder, and cod), shellfish (crab, crayfish, lobster,
and shrimp), and tree nuts (almonds, walnuts, and pecans) (West, 2017).
The intestinal microbiota has developed as a major contributor to food allergies (Landhuis, 2020).
The definitive cause of food allergy is still uncertain, but it is widely accepted that variations in gut
bacterial diversity are a reason for the rise of the food allergy rate. Research has proven that
particular bacterial metabolites create protective microfilm in the intestine, which acts as a physical
barrier that helps maintain the health of the intestinal wall (Digitale et al., 2021). This barrier may
preclude the body from incorrectly processing food proteins as harmful, preventing an allergic
Jessica Spalding-Jones
Media review
The documentary, Rotten: "The peanut problem" evaluates and creates awareness of the surge in
the occurrence of food allergies. The episode features world-renowned allergy and asthma
researchers who give their expert insight into the matter. Beyond creating general awareness, the
episode highlights the lack of accountability and corruption of restaurateurs and the food industry.
Complete ignorance and intolerance to the severity of food allergies from these businesses are
highlighted throughout the episode.
Once the body has, in some form, encountered an allergen, depending on the severity of the
reaction, in most cases, the body's immune system overreacts by producing a protein called IgE,
which grabs onto the allergen. Then histamine and other chemicals get released into the blood.
The IgE releases chemicals while traveling to cells, which results in an allergic reaction.
Symptoms due to the reaction occur in the nose, lungs, throat, sinuses, ears, the lining of the
stomach, or on the skin. These reactions can range from being mild to life-threatening (Aaaai.org.
2020). Food intolerance occurs when the body has a chemical reaction to eating a particular food
or drink. The digestive system cannot break the food down. A food allergy transpires when the
immune system reacts to harmless food, and the immune system attacks the body (Aaaai.org.
2020). The symptoms of less severe food allergy or intolerance can be similar. However, unlike
food allergies, food intolerances do not involve the immune system and do not cause severe
allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis (Better Health, 2017). Food that commonly causes food
intolerances is dairy products (including milk, cheese, yoghurt), gluten, chocolate, eggs (mainly
egg white), flavour enhancers such as MSG (monosodium glutamate), food additives,
strawberries, citrus fruits, and tomatoes, red wine, histamine and other amines in some foods. In
contrast, the eight most common foods that are considered to cause food allergies are soybeans,
peanuts, cow's milk, wheat, eggs, fish (bass, flounder, and cod), shellfish (crab, crayfish, lobster,
and shrimp), and tree nuts (almonds, walnuts, and pecans) (West, 2017).
The intestinal microbiota has developed as a major contributor to food allergies (Landhuis, 2020).
The definitive cause of food allergy is still uncertain, but it is widely accepted that variations in gut
bacterial diversity are a reason for the rise of the food allergy rate. Research has proven that
particular bacterial metabolites create protective microfilm in the intestine, which acts as a physical
barrier that helps maintain the health of the intestinal wall (Digitale et al., 2021). This barrier may
preclude the body from incorrectly processing food proteins as harmful, preventing an allergic
