Project Objectives

The EuroPrevall research studies were split into five different themes:

Each of these themes has its own objectives and workpackages but contribute collectively to EuroPrevall’s overall objectives. These objectives look at the complex interactions between food intake and metabolism, immune system, genetic background and socioeconomic factors to identify key risk factors and develop common European databases.

1) To investigate whether patterns of food consumption, environmental factors (such as pollen) and infections are linked to the prevalence and patterns of food allergies.
EuroPrevall aimed to establish the prevalence of food allergies in adults and children, and the patterns of reactivity to the five main allergenic foods across the major climatic and cultural regions of Europe. EuroPrevall also looked to identify new and emerging food allergies in Eastern Europe and the Far East with the view to gain insights into the role different food consumption patterns in Russia, India and China play in patterns of food allergies. This data is especially relevant to understanding how migration of human populations may affect patterns of allergies in immigrant workers and might also help us to predict how climate change might affect patterns of food allergies around the world.

2) Provide a basis for investigating the possibility of a genetic predisposition to food allergy by collecting and analysing cellular samples to provide a resource for genetic studies in the future once molecular markers for atopy have been defined through other ongoing research efforts in Europe and beyond.
The EuroPrevall studies aimed to lay the foundations that will underpin the development of an improved understanding of the mechanisms of sensitisation and the factors affecting them. In doing so the project investigated not only the relationship between genetic and environmental factors, food consumption patterns, and the development of food allergy but also to investigate whether infections during childhood affect the development of food allergies.

3) Assess lifestyle issues, including changes in patterns of food consumption and the household environment.
EuroPrevall was created with the desire that it could improve the quality of life of food allergy sufferers and their families; so a key objective was to ascertain the socioeconomic impact and cost of food allergies, and their treatments, to the European Community. Furthermore through integration of information accruing to the project and bringing together researchers from three major stakeholder groups (allergic consumer, agro-food industry and regulatory advisors) EuroPrevall aimed to develop consensus positions regarding the management of food allergy not only in Europe but also in developing countries, through an INCO group within the project.

4) Compile searchable public databases from the information arising from the project which will be linked to the InformAll allergenic food materials.
EuroPrevall aimed to prepare a library of well defined, highly characterized, authentic food allergens to allow development of component resolved diagnostics with improved predictive power for diagnosing food allergy. These allergens were to be used to facilitate the development of standard allergens for diagnosis and determination of allergens in foods and develop sets of validated oral challenge material using “real” food matrices. EuroPrevall also aimed to use the library of allergens to identify whether the severity and frequency of reaction is associated with particular allergens, particular subpopulations, and/or particular food manufacturing processes.

The links, on the left and at the top of the page, to the different themes explain how the EuroPrevall themes contributed to these goals.