A product labeled “hypoallergenic” should contain few or no allergens- but is there a legal definition of the word?
The following written content by Leah Groth
A product labeled “hypoallergenic” should contain few or no allergens (and a pet should be less likely to cause an allergic reaction), but there is no legal definition of the word.
Understanding the hypoallergenic label
An allergy is your immune system’s response to something that doesn’t bother a lot of other people.
It’s why your best friend can cuddle a new kitten without a problem while you sneeze your way out the door.
“Allergies are immune reactions that show a person is hypersensitive, usually on an acute basis, to certain substances,” explains Christine Ko, MD, a Yale Medicine dermatologist, dermatopathologist, and professor at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.
The most common allergens include pollen, dust mites, mold spores, pet dander, food, insect stings, and medicine.
Unfortunately, allergies are common and are on the rise.
“Up to one in six Americans can have an allergy to a substance. One in 13 kids have food allergies—about two in a typically-sized classroom,” says Dr. Ko.
Why more people are developing allergies than ever before is not completely clear.
“One theory is that we are not exposed, as babies or young children, to allergens that we used to be exposed to, and so we don’t develop tolerance to them and instead become hypersensitive,” she says.
With allergies so widespread, it’s no wonder we gravitate to products that are hypoallergenic—less likely (or unlikely) to cause an allergy, according to Dr. Ko.
“Hypoallergenic is appealing because we would all like to prevent unnecessary reactions like sniffles and runny eyes, especially during Covid-19,” she points out.
What’s an allergic reaction?
The immune system usually does a good job of identifying and fighting foreign invaders, including bacteria or viruses, that can harm the body.
But sometimes it identifies a harmless substance as threatening and reacts by going to war with it.
“Allergies are caused by a given substance interacting with the immune system a certain way and setting off a particular hypersensitivity response,” explains Dr. Ko. Read more via RD-The Healthy.
