Carrots are in the Apiaceae family of plants. Other plants in this family are aniseed, celery, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, parsley and parsnip.

Most people react to the main allergen in carrot, which is Dau c 1, it is homologous to the Bet v 1 protein found in birch tree pollen which can cause oral allergy type symptoms to multiple fruits and vegetables.

Dau c 4 is a profilin protein. These proteins are considered to be a panallergen and can cause issues over many groups of foods.

Dau c 5 is an isoflavone reductase protein involved in plant defense mechanisms.

Carrots also contain chemicals called furanocoumarins, these can act as a contact allergen. When they come in contact with the skin it can become more sensitive to sunlight which can cause blistering. This is more common as an occupational allergy with people who pick, pack and process carrtots.

Carrot is a low FODMAP food. FODMAP stands for Fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols. Foods high in FODMAPs can cause symptoms of food intolerance, affecting the gastro intestinal system and this can be mistaken for a true IgE food allergy.

Carrot is a food low in salicylates, so has the potential to cause gastrointestinal food intolerance symptoms in people who are sensitive to salicylates.

You can read more about Food Intolerances on the dedicated Food Intolerance Page.

You may have Pollen-Food Allergy Syndrome if you suffer from carrot allergy with oral allergy symptoms to 3 or more of the foods mentioned in the cross reactivity section. There is a big crossover between foods containing Bet v 1 like proteins and those containing profilin proteins. Generally if you cook a food and it no longer causes symptoms then you are more likely to have Pollen Food Allergy Syndrome as the proteins are denatured quickly with heat.

Allergy to carrot is sometimes linked to Celery-Mugwort-Spice Syndrome as the sensitising allergen is a profilin protein called Art v 4, these proteins are also sometimes also called Bet v 2 proteins.

There is a link between carrot and Latex Food Syndrome. The plant involved in latex allergy Hevea brasiliensis, the rubber tree plant, has an allergen called Hev b 8 which is a profilin protein. Those very sensitised to latex may have a contact allergic reaction from other foods or plants containing profilin proteins, there is less evidence of this than sensitisation to other latex linked proteins like hevein and chitinases.

Carotenaemia is a skin condition where the excessive consumpton of certain foods, including carrots, or nutritional supplements causes the skin to turn yellow or orange.

If sensitised to birch pollen you may have Pollen Food Allergy Syndrome and may also react to apple, kiwi, pear, peach, plum, nectarine, apricots, cherries, tomato, celery, potato, parsnip, pepper, dill, cumin, peas, coriander, fennel, hazelnut, walnut, almonds, peanuts, lentils and beans.

If sensited to mugwort pollen you may have Pollen Food Allergy Syndrome and may also react to apple, celery, dill, parsley, fennel, coriander, cumin and sunflower seeds.

Other foods containing plant profilins are kiwi, pineapple, celery, peanut, chilli, watermelon, orange, hazelnut, melon, strawberry, soya, barley, walnut, lychee, lupin, apple, banana, date, cherry, almond, peach, pear, mustard, tomato, aubergine and wheat.

Other foods containing isoflavone reductase proteins are hazelnuts, olives and pears.

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