COFFEE ALLERGY
Key Allergens
Cof a 2 and Cof a 3 are both metallothionein proteins. Again these are inhalant allergens and not food allergens and they are used in the plant to bind metals such as zinc.
Food Intolerances
Coffee 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.
Coffee beans are low in salicylates (decaffinated coffee is also considered to be low). Salicylates have 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.
Associated Syndromes
Coffee allergy has been linked to asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and atopic dermatitis, especially in those who pick, pack or process coffee beans.
Cross Reactivity
Note this food list is not exhaustive, the most up to date information is on the Cross Reactivity Tool.
Resources
Websites
Allergen Encyclopedia - Coffee
Caffeine Allergy & Coffee Intolerance: What You Need to Know
ATP Science - Salicylate Foods
Articles and Journals
Food Intolerances, Food Allergies and IBS: Lights and Shadows, 2024
Is exposure to pollen a risk factor for moderate and severe asthma exacerbations? 2023
Airborne allergic contact dermatitis caused by coffee beans in a coffee roaster, 2021
Food allergy in displaced people from Mosul City, 2021
Anaphylaxis caused by sodium caseinate contained in canned coffee, 2020
Food allergy test in chronic urticaria adult patients: A cross sectional study, 2019
Anaphylaxis to coffee from a specific geographic region, 2018
Cof a 1: identification, expression and immunoreactivity of the first coffee allergen, 2012
Coffee Anyone? Are You at Risk of Allergy? 2012
Helminthic infection as a factor in new-onset coffee allergy in a father and daughter, 2008