
WVXU: Food allergy sufferers want clearer food labels and new research may help
UC toxicologist discussing 'eliciting dose' for individuals with peanut allergies
Food allergies affect millions of Americans who have allergic reactions to everything from milk and wheat to peanuts, shellfish and soy. Labels on food products aren’t always the easiest to navigate or the most helpful. Lynne Haber, PhD, a senior toxicologist in the UC College of Medicine, spoke with a journalist from Cincinnati’s public radio station, WVXU, about her research that has identified a possible ‘eliciting dose’ of peanut that may trigger an allergic reaction in individuals with peanut allergies.
Lynn Haber, PhD. Photo by University of Cincinnati.
ReplHaber’s research looked responses in 481 patients with peanut allergies and the results are available in the scholarly journal Food and Chemical Toxicology. The dose calculated to elicit an allergic reaction in 1% of patients with peanut allergies was 0.052 milligrams of peanut protein, about the weight of a single grain of salt, according to Haber, also an adjunct associate professor at UC. The eliciting dose for 5% of patients was calculated to be 0.49 milligrams of peanut protein, or about the weight of a single grain of sugar.
Listen to Haber's Interview with WVXU online.
Learn more about the research of Lynne Haber, PhD, online.
Featured image of peanuts courtesy of Unsplash.
Related Stories
What parvovirus is and why it's on the rise
July 10, 2025
An infectious virus common in children is on the rise in the Tristate. The Cincinnati Health Department is warning of a rise in parvovirus in Hamilton County. The illness can present itself as a rash on the cheeks and is often called “slapped cheek” disease but can present more serious concerns in pregnant women. Kara Markham, MD, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine recently appeared on Cincinnati Edition on WVXU to discuss how parvovirus is transmitted, the risk of serious cases and how to prevent it.
While working 3 a.m. shifts, UC engineer wowed baseball's Big 12
July 10, 2025
UC College of Engineering and Applied Science graduate Kerrington Cross was named an All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year while co-oping in chemical engineering at L'oreal.
UC joins international Phase 1 trial testing CAR-T therapy for MS
July 10, 2025
The University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute is a trial site for a multicenter, international Phase 1 trial testing CAR-T cell therapy for patients with multiple sclerosis.