Latex Allergy: Symptoms, List of Foods to Avoid, & More

Today we’re going to talk about all things latex allergy. Managing a latex allergy isn’t incredibly difficult on the surface, however, if you’re a patient that needs to avoid eating foods cross-reactive with latex, you’ll find allergy management a lot harder.

By the time you’re done reading, you’ll feel well equipped to manage your latex allergy, and know all the ins and outs of avoiding cross-reactive foods.

Let’s start with allergy basics, then we’ll move on to how you can avoid cross reactive foods. You can also download my handy chart that has all the foods in once printable sheet, rather than list form.

This article covers a lot of ground so be sure to use the table of contents to jump around as you see fit.

Table of Contents

What is Latex

Natural latex, also called natural rubber latex, is a milky fluid that’s taken from the hevea brasiliensis tree, AKA rubber tree. The sap of the rubber tree is collected and used in the production of latex and rubber products.

Originally native to the Amazon basin, rubber trees are part of the Euphorbiaceae family, and is now an important crop in South and Southeast Asia. In the early 20th century, Amazonian rubber trees were victims to blights, which lead cultivation and production to move to other parts of the globe.

Types of Latex

There are two types of latex, along with synthetic latex:

Dipped Latex: These are made from rubber that stretches (balloons, gloves, etc.) and will contain the larges amount of latex proteins.

Molded Latex: These are hard rubber items and are made through a dry molding process. Items include art molds, casted statues & figurines, and medical parts/components.

Synthetic Latex: This is made from petroleum, and does not contain proteins from natural latex rubber. However, it’s possible to react to the chemicals used during manufacturing, so make you learn more about that before purchasing products.

What is a Latex Allergy

A latex allergy, also called a natural rubber latex allergy, is an allergic reaction to the proteins present in the milky fluid/sap of the rubber trees.

On thing that makes a latex allergy stand out is how increased skin contact exposure to latex puts a person at an increased risk of developing the allergy. With a traditional IgE food allergy, it’s more likely that you’re born with the allergy, though food allergies can also develop later in life.

There is a higher prevalence of a latex allergy diagnosis in workers in the health care field (and it’s considerably higher in dental workers), along with patients that have multiple surgeries or medical procedures, such as spina bifida patients.

The ongoing and frequent exposure to the natural rubber puts these people at risk, along with others, such as rubber industry workers. To help prevent allergic reactions to natural rubber latex in the workplace, powdered medical gloves have been banned in the United States. Additionally, several states have started to ban latex gloves in the foodservice industry. You can search online for “latex glove ban + country (or state) you live in” to see up to date info on what is and isn’t allowed.

There are three types of latex allergies, which are:

Type I – IgE Mediated Allergic Reaction

This is generally an immediate allergic reaction natural rubber latex. A person can react to one or more of the proteins found in natural rubber latex. The reaction can be triggered by skin contact, inhaling latex particles, or via contact with mucus membranes (mouth, eyes, nose, etc.)

Type IV – Allergic Contact Dermatitis

This is a T-cell mediated response to latex, and is usually delayed 24 to 96 hours after exposure. Often times, this is a reaction to chemicals used to process and manufacture natural rubber latex. Interestingly, you can have a Type I allergy (IgE) in conjunction with the delayed chemical allergy component.

The Type IV reaction is also called allergic contact dermatitis, a chemical allergy, or a T-cell mediated allergy. A T-cell reaction won’t produce the severe reactions that can be seen in a Type I allergy. Additionally, the reaction is usually limited to the point of contact, however, always remember that no two people are the same.

Irritant Contact Dermatitis

This type of condition isn’t mediated by your immune system. Instead, it’s caused from frequently using latex products, such as the gloves food service workers might wear. With this type of reaction, it’s always localized to the point of contact. For example, if a dental professional always wore latex gloves and had contact dermatitis, it would be on their hands (point of contact), not on their face, legs, etc.

Latex Allergy Symptoms by Type

Each of the three types of latex allergies comes with different common symptoms. Let’s take a look at those.

Type I Latex Allergy Symptoms

Symptoms of Latex Allergy Type I include typical IgE mediated responses. This reaction can be systemic and severe in nature. A patient may experience chest tightness and difficulty breathing, hives, swelling, severe headaches, and more. Further down in this article, you can see an expanded list of general latex allergy symptoms.

Type IV Latex Allergy Symptoms

Symptoms of Latex Allergy Type IV include a rash, oozing skin, and blisters. Continued exposure can cause the rash(es) to move beyond the initial point of contact.

Contact Dermatitis Symptoms

The number one symptom of this type of latex allergy is an itchy rash. Patients may also experience skin cracking, and dry red skin. These symptoms will be limited to the point of contact, and it never extends past that since it’s not T-cell or IgE mediated.

If you were diagnosed with this type of latex allergy, but find symptoms expanding, meet with your doctor to reevaluate your diagnosis.

Latex Allergy Cross Reactivity

When it comes to latex, it’s possible to experience an allergic reaction to specific foods due to similar protein structures. In simple terms, this is how cross-reactions work:

You have an IgE latex allergy.
Your immune system knows what latex proteins look like.
You eat food items that have proteins that “look similar”, your immune system is “confused”, and you have a reaction.
The similar food proteins belong to foods you’re not IgE allergic to. However, because the proteins looked similar enough, your immune system readied the troops.

Another way to think about similar proteins is a case of mistaken identity. It’s almost like when you glance and see someone you think you know, only to do a double take and realize you have no idea who they are. Your immune system can do that as well when the proteins are close enough in structure.

Critical Cross Reactive Info

It’s important to understand that cross reactivity is hyper individualized, and there’s no allergy testing (skin testing or blood testing) that can accurately predict how you will respond to foods that are known to be cross reactive.

Work with your medical care team, do food trials as needed, and keep a detailed food journal, and learn which foods are safe for you to consume, and what you’ll need to avoid.

Items That Commonly Contain Latex

There are tens of thousands of products used across the globe that contain rubber latex. This can make navigating everyday life difficult, but not impossible. Here are items that usually contain latex, however, you’ll be able to find latex free options these day.

Balloons
Bandages
Baby Bottle Nipples
Bath Mats & Carpet Backing
Children’s Toys
Clothing
Condoms
Elastic
Erasers
Garden Hoses
Goggles
Latex Gloves (and food they come into contact with)
Latex Paint
Latex Mattress & Specialty Pillows
Pacifiers
Raincoats
Rubber Balls and Other Rubber Toys
Rubber Bands
Rubber Gloves
Shoe Soles
Spandex
Sports Gear (mainly in handles such as tennis rackets)
Tires

Be Aware of Medical Supplies

There are a wide range of medical supples (including dental supplies) that contain latex. Latex-sensitive individuals (and even health care workers) should become familiar with these items. Talk with your doctor before visiting the office to ensure safe supplies are available (such as non-latex gloves). Some medical devices and supplies to be aware of:

Blood Pressure Cuffs
Physical Therapy Bands
Stethoscope Tubing
Tourniquets
Dental Dams
Orthodontic Bands (for braces)
Root Canal Seal

Latex Free Items to Purchase

Allergy & Asthma Network List of Latex Free School Supplies & Office Supplies
Latex Free Balloons (confirm info with company before purchasing)
Latex Free Clothing by Rawganique
Men’s Latex Free Clothing by Cottonique
Women’s Latex Free Clothing by Cottonique

Search Tip: If you’re searching for children’s toys, be sure to include the term kids or children when searching. Let’s just say I did not know that searching for “latex free toys” would make my clutch my pearls.

Life Tip: Is you manage a severe latex allergy, it’s in your best interest to always wear a medical alert bracelet (that’s latex free) to prevent an allergic response if you’re suddenly being treated in an emergency situation.

One More Life Tip: To reduce the risk of reactions, there’s a very good chance that your family members in your home will also need to eliminate most latex-containing items from their life. This could be kitchen tools, some clothing items, and so on.

If you’re a mother taking on traditional household roles and have a latex allergy, you’ll want to purchase latex free clothing for your children to prevent issues when doing laundry, and so on. As someone who manages more than 200 allergies and intolerances and managed a household of kids, I share that from personal experience. Your life is a million times easier if everyone meets most of your needs inside the home.

What is a Traditional Food Allergy?

A traditional food allergy is a response by your immune system that’s triggered by a protein that your body sees as a threat. This is not the same thing as a food intolerance (sometimes called a food sensitivity) or an autoimmune disease.

If you suspect you have a food allergy (or latex allergy), ask your healthcare provider/main MD to refer you to an allergist for allergy testing where blood tests and/or a skin prick test can be ordered to determine if you have an allergy. Know that tests are not 100% accurate, but are still a good diagnostic tool.

A “true” food allergy is IgE mediated, and the immune system usually elicits a reaction within immediate ingestion/contact to four hours. Outside of that window, it’s usually suspected that you have a food intolerance. In addition to immunoglobulin e, there are 4 other Igs that play a role in food intolerance and histamine reactions.

There are some types of allergenic diseases that are “true” food allergies and the reactions happen outside of the four hour window. Additionally, a person can have a more rare or complex case and suffer from a delayed reaction (which can still be “true” food allergies).

Contact & Airborne Reactions

In some food allergy patients, they have what’s called a contact allergy and/or airborne allergy as well. This tends to be more common in those with a tree nut allergy or peanut allergy, and is also well documented in those with a latex allergy. In fact, all latex allergy patients have a contact allergy component, since that’s how the proteins are transferred.

For IgE latex allergy patients, an airborne reaction can be triggered by breathing in latex particles. These latex proteins can be in the air, and enter the body via the mucous membranes and cause allergic symptoms.

An example: a patient goes to a salon and the hairdresser puts on latex gloves that have cornstarch powder on the inside. As the gloves are being put on, cornstarch (carrying latex particles) are released into the air, near the patient’s head/face. They breathe in said particles, then have trouble breathing and realize it’s the start of an allergic reaction.

Food and latex allergies can be life threatening and should always be taken seriously. Work with your allergist and healthcare providers to create an action plan that will meet your needs.

General Latex Allergy Symptoms

IgE mediated allergic reactions can vary among patients, as no two people are the same. Some allergy symptoms of an IgE latex allergy include:

Swelling of the Lips
Swelling of the Tongue
Swelling of the Throat
Itchy Mouth and/or Throat
Tingling of the Mouth, Lips, or Throat
Shortness of Breath
Difficulty Breathing or Asthma Symptoms
Wheezing
Skin Rash and/or Severe Redness of the Skin
Itching
Hives
Racing Heart Rate
Decreased Blood Pressure
Impending Doom/Dread
Dizziness
Fainting/Loss of Consciousness

These symptoms are more the more severe symptoms of the allergic reaction spectrum, and can indicate anaphylaxis. It’s critical that if you see these latex allergy symptoms, you recognize you’re having a medical emergency, and you need to seek immediate medical attention. If you have a known allergy, follow your action plan including the use of an epipen if you have one, or prescribed antihistamines.

Milder reactions can include watery eyes, runny nose and/or sneezing, eczema, an itchy rash, persistent congestion, allergic rhinitis (inflammation of the nose membrane), and more. However, milder symptoms don’t mean you should let your guard down, or take your allergy less seriously.

Three Critical Points

There are hundreds of symptoms a person can experience during an allergic reaction, but it’s important to know three things about latex allergy symptoms, and allergic reactions in general:

Not every reaction is anaphylaxis. People can have “non-traditional” latex allergy reactions (or have mild symptoms) and still be allergic to latex.
Should a person experience anaphylaxis, or you see signs of anaphylaxis, it’s important to seek immediate medical treatment (use your epinephrine auto-injector if you have one). When left untreated, anaphylaxis can lead to anaphylactic shock, which can cause death.
Previous allergic reactions don’t predict future reactions (or the severity of future reactions). In some patients, continued exposure to known allergens can cause more severe reactions each time. This is why strict avoidance of allergens is so important.

How Kids May Talk About Food Allergies

A child may talk about a food allergy differently than adults. Many children will say things like “my mouth is spicy” or “there’s a frog in my throat”, or “it feels like a swallowed a balloon”.

They’re trying to express what the reactions feel like to them with language or experiences that are familiar to them. Always take note of these types of statements from a child, as they can indicate a serious medical situation.

If needed, don’t hesitate to seek medical treatment, and be sure to ask your doctor for a referral to an allergy specialist.

You May be Asked to Do an Oral Food Challenge

A food challenge, sometimes called an oral challenge, is when an allergy patient eats a food they’ve tested as allergic to, or for a food where the results were inconclusive, under the supervision of their doctor and/or medical care team. The goal of the challenge is to confirm the positive results or to determine if the patient isn’t allergic to the food.

There are several steps involved with a proper oral food challenge, including raising the patient’s heart rate to make sure a reaction doesn’t happen. If you’ve been tested for a banana allergy, or other food allergy, you may be offered an in-office oral food challenge to ensure the test results are accurate.

How Challenges Can Help

Traditionally, oral challenges have been used to confirm if a patient has outgrown their food allergy (more common in children), after test results show a reduction in numbers. At a checkup, the allergist may schedule this and provide guidance on the types of foods they can bring with them on the big day.

Within the context of a latex allergy, oral food challenges can be an amazing tool. Your doctor may review your blood test and/or skin tests and determine that a series of trials is in your best interest.

This is because of the potential for cross reactive allergic reactions. Unfortunately, there’s no way to accurately predict if you’ll experience cross reactive reactions. Additionally, it can’t be predicted which foods your immune system might respond to, if you manage cross reactivity as well.

Enter the oral challenge to help. Your doctors may feel it’s best to start with the low and undetermined category, and have you eat your way through that list. They may also give you guidelines for testing personal thresholds, and ensuring that you can eat the foods safely when several are combined (think fruit salad or a smoothie).

This information is so critical, as it will make shopping, cooking, and baking much more manageable, and lot less frightening.

Know that in some cases, an allergic individual may not be offered an oral food challenge by their allergist, and that’s because of other risk factors (including their medical history, or a history of severe allergic reactions). Also, food challenges are completely voluntary, and you don’t have to do anything you’re uncomfortable doing, nor do you have to subject your children to them. At the end of the day, do what’s best for you and your children.

List of Latex Allergy Foods

Earlier I explained what cross reactivity is, and now we’ll take a look at the foods that apply to a latex allergy (product of the rubber tree). There are at least 13 distinct proteins that have shown an association with latex sensitivities and latex allergies. People managing an allergy, more often than not, react to several (or more) of these proteins. Healthcare workers, spina bifida patients, and even some people in the general population have a sensitization to said proteins.

These same proteins are the cause of cross reactivity with food. The foods are divided into three cross reactive categories: low/undetermined, moderate, and high, all of which I’ll cover below.

What’s important to know is that not everyone will need to avoid all of these foods just because they’re on the list. A food being on this list doesn’t mean you are guaranteed to have an allergy reaction. It’s a potential list of items, and a great guide for potential food trials.

Foods with High Cross Reactivity with Latex

These are the four foods that you’re most likely to react to if you manage a latex allergy with cross reactivity:

Avocado
Banana
Chestnut
Kiwi (Green, Gold, and Red Kiwi Fruit)

Foods with Moderate Cross Reactivity with Latex

These foods have been known to cause cross-reactive reactions in patients over time, but not as often as the high cross reactive group. The foods to lookout for are:

Apple
Carrot
Celery
Melon (cantaloupe, honeydew melons, etc.)
Papaya
Potato
Tomato

Foods with Low Cross Reactivity with Latex (or Undetermined)

This is an interesting category because doctors and experts have built the list based on potential. When a food is low cross reactive, that means there’s a lower chance you’ll have a reaction. However, the undetermined foods are also on the list because of plant protein structures, plant defense mechanisms, and the possible potential to cause a reaction in some patients. Remember, there are at least 13 proteins involved in cross reactive reactions, and this list is robust to account for possibilities.

You’ll want to work with your doctors to determine if any (or all) of these foods are safe for you to consume:

Apricot
Buckwheat
Cassava (also called Manioc)
Castor Bean
Cherry
Chickpea (also called Garbanzo Bean, sometimes written as chick pea)
Citrus Fruits
Coconut
Cucumber
Dandelion
Dill
Eggplant (Aubergine)
Fig
Goji Berry (also called Wolfberry)
Grape
Hazelnut
Indian Jujube
Jackfruit
Lychee
Mango
Nectarine
Oregano
Passionfruit (also spelled Passion Fruit)
Peach
Peanut
Pear
Peppers (Bell Peppers, Cayenne Pepper, Sweet Peppers)
Persimmon
Pineapple
Pumpkin
Rye
Sage
Shellfish
Soybean
Spinach
Strawberry
Sunflower Seed
Tobacco
Turnip
Walnut
Wheat
Zucchini (Courgette)

Latex Fruit Syndrome

In addition to the standard cross-reactivity for latex across the three categories, there’s also the term latex-fruit syndrome. There are specific fruits that are notoriously known to cause an issue for someone with a latex allergy. Some of the fruits in this category are:

Fig
Mango
Passion Fruit
Pineapple
Orange
Strawberry

This term isn’t widely used these days since both fruits and vegetables can cause cross reactive reactions. However, it’s good to be aware of these terms.

Latex Cross-Reactive Free Cooking & Baking Resources

When managing a cross reactive latex allergy, you may wonder how to cook certain recipes once you’ve eliminated a range of ingredients. If you’re concerned about replacing tomatoes, bananas, carrots, and more, I’ve got you covered. Rest assured, there are lots of ways to work around a latex dietary restriction.

Apple Substitutes (apple juice, baking, vinegar, and more)
Banana Substitutes (snacking, baking, stove top cooking)
Carrot Substitutes (raw, snacks, cooking, roasting, desserts, and more)
Celery Substitutes (snacking, cooking, mirepoix, and more)
Legumes Substitutes (beans, peas, lentils)
Onion Substitutes (cooking, grilling, roasting)
Nightshade Substitutes (Potatoes, Tomatoes, Eggplant, etc.)
Tomato Substitutes (raw, salads, pasta, cooking, condiments, and more)

If you manage a latex allergy, along with other dietary restrictions, be sure to check out the Advanced Recipe Search on RAISE. You can mix and match over 100 filters for food allergens, food families, special diets, and much more.

How to Grocery Shop When Managing a Latex Allergy with Cross Reactivity

When you’re new, you’ll find grocery shopping difficult, if not nearly impossible because no where on the product label will it say “this item is latex free”. You have to contact brands to find safe options (latex is very present in food manufacturing which I’ll cover further down in this article). Plus, if you have the added layer of cross-reactive foods to avoid, you have to account for each of those as well.

Before You Shop: What’s Your Tolerance Level

Being allergic to latex comes with an individual tolerance that you’ll need to understand. The best way to do this is to keep a detailed food journal, and take photos of skin reactions (in good lighting, preferably in the same place each time).

Over time, you’ll see a pattern in any reactions, and that will help you determine your unique tolerance level. You can also fast track this process with supervised oral challenges with your doctor.

You’ll also need to know if you manage any cross reactive allergies in relation to your latex allergy. This will greatly alter how you shop, so know this info going in.

The 30% Group (for cross-reactive reactions)

Something else you’ll want to know about yourself when it comes to shopping is if you can tolerate traces of cross-reactive ingredients in your food. About 30% of people with food allergies self-report that they’re unable to eat foods that have been made on shared equipment with what they’re allergic to, due to traces of allergens.

If you’re in the 30% group, you’ll need to ask additional questions when finding new products to try, to ensure there are trace amounts of foods you need to avoid. Remember, this will vary person to person, and until you have proof otherwise, assume you’re in the 70% group. No sense in worrying over something that may not apply to you.

Shopping Whilst Avoiding Latex at the Top Level Only

Shopping when you only need to think about a narrow scope of latex is very manageable. It’s still something you have to adapt for, but you’ll be OK. Here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Shop with latex free bags in your cart. As you shop, place your items in the safe bags so they never come into contact with the shopping cart.

2. Avoid purchasing items that naturally contain latex, which I covered in an earlier section of this article.

3. Before purchasing fresh meat or fish, ask about the gloves the workers are wearing. If they have both latex and non-latex on site, you may ned to purchase your meat elsewhere. The workers who wear latex gloves can easily create cross-contact without realizing it.

4. Purchase loose produce to avoid rubber bands and any other latex containing packaging.

5. Before checking out, ask a store manager to check out at the customer service register, where there’s no conveyor belt. The belt will be covered in latex particles. When you do this, they usually scan an item and hand it right back to you (where you can put it back into your safe bags). This allows you to eliminate potential cross contact.

How to Shop with a Severe Latex Allergy

In the case of a severe latex allergy, you may need to take the entire food chain into consideration. You can find a small amount of latex pretty much everywhere in the whole system, which is why your first step is to find safe, raw materials to work with.

Whilst you probably won’t be shopping in grocery stores, that’s OK. I can tell you from first hand experience that utilizing farmer’s markets and online options is easy, and you’ll have access to a whole world of products not available in stores.

1. Start with the most basic of foods (whole grains, produce, raw meat).

2. Use Local Harvest and Eat Wild to find good leads. Call farmers, and then try foods that seem like they may work out. Also visit your local farmer’s market, as you may find excellent options. Be sure to keep a detailed food journal.

3. Batch cook and freeze (make sure your containers are latex free) basic meals for yourself so you have stock to pull from.

4. Once you have a three month supply of food tucked away in the freezer, start looking into convenience foods. Start with organic and minimal style foods. You can search online, or visit an organic/natural/co-op style grocery store in your area. Take pictures of products you think might work, including the back where the contact info is located. Contact each brand to ask about latex in their supply chain, and if its present in their manufacturing process. Email is the best way to go about this since they won’t have this kind of information available when you call. Having it in writing can be helpful as well.

5. When you want to purchase something, consider buying several items at once on Amazon. This usually allows you to buy one, and easily meet the requirement for free shipping. Note: whilst you can buy one, it’s more per item this way, trust me, I’ve checked. However, this is the most efficient way to try just one, in case it doesn’t work out.

6. Only try one new food at a time, whilst keeping a detailed food journal. This allows you to confirm if something is really working.

7. Once you’ve successfully eaten something, shop around for the best price. Be sure to check the manufacturer’s website, as they often offer free shipping over a certain amount. For example, there’s a product I was able to trial on Amazon that’s $21.50 for one. The manufacturer sells the same product for $16.99 direct. However, I have to buy 5 to bring the shipping cost down enough to beat out the Amazon price once shipping is factored in. Be sure to check VitaCost for items, and Thrive Market if you have a membership.

Shopping with a Severe Latex Allergy + Cross Reactivity

1. Trust no one or anything you read online unless you’ve confirmed it yourself with manufacturers. They can change at ANY time. I might tell you today that something is safe, and next week, they can make a change to their product. They won’t send me a letter, and neither of us will be aware of said changes.

2. Everything you read online or scan with an app is a LEAD. None of it is the Gospel Truth. When you manage a severe allergy along with cross reactivity, you don’t have wiggle room to accept what you see at face value. So, make the calls and send the emails to confirm that a food is truly safe for you.

3. Food journal everything. You should have a process in place, alongside proper food journaling, anytime you try something new. You need to know what’s working and what’s not, especially if you manage delayed reactions (ingestion based) to cross reactive foods.

4. Start with the most basic, farm fresh options available to you. Use Local Harvest and Eat Wild to find good leads. Call farmers, and then try foods that seem like they may work out. Also visit your local farmer’s market, as you may find excellent options.

5. Learn to cook and bake, then invest in kitchen tools that make sense. There’s a good chance you’ll be making most of your food at home from scratch, so make it easy on yourself.

6. Batch cook and freeze, as this is the only way you’ll ever start to thrive. You can’t go out and LIVE if you spend 6 hours a day cooking and cleaning in your kitchen. So work smarter and harder so you can enjoy the things that are important to you.

7. If you need recipes, check out the Advanced Recipe Search on RAISE, my membership website. The ARS has filters for latex cross reactive foods. There’s an option for low cross reactive, and moderate/high cross reactive. You can use one or both of the buttons when filtering. There are an additional 120+ filters you can use for food allergens, food groups, special diets, and so on.

Note: In this scenario, there’s a very good chance you won’t be shopping at a grocery store, and that’s OK.

The Biggest Tips I Can Give You

When you’re newly diagnosed, stick to super basic meals made from safe raw materials. Here are a few examples:

Pan seared meat + steamed veg + steamed rice
Oven baked fish + steamed veg + cooked quinoa
Scrambled eggs + safe fresh fruit

The more basic your meals are, the less likely your are to run into latex. It’s easier to source safe versions, and you can cook these ingredients easily. Over time, you can expand your options and make more complex meals, but the worst thing you can do for yourself is walk into a severe latex allergy situation (with cross reactivity) and try to buy up a load of packaged foods or convenience products.

Second to that, learn to cook and bake at home. In fact, that may be the best advice I can give you. If you’re able to foster an appreciation and joy for the time you spend in your kitchen, you’ll find allergy management a lot less mentally burdensome.

A Note to Inspire You

Whilst I used to own and operate a gluten free, vegan, top 9 free bakery, I don’t believe in sugar coating things, so I’m going to give it to you straight: depending on your personal thresholds to latex, cross-contact, and all the things, there’s a chance you won’t be purchasing convenient food products.

If you’re managing a severe latex allergy, most likely you’ll have to batch cook and make all of your own food at home. You’ll have to learn about the food industry and how to source safe raw materials. You will also purchase a lovely storage freezer and fill it with homemade safe options (make sure your food storage containers are also latex free).

Truthfully, it’s going to cost you a small fortune up front, but, and this is a BIG BUT. All of the effort is 100000% worth it. The elbow grease you put in, the time you invest, there will be a huge return.

That ROI comes in the form of your health and safety, plus your peace of mind. Let me tell you, there’s nothing like being neutral, with zero reactions, and having a freezer full of safe food you can grab whenever you feel like it.

If you’re at the start of your journey, welcome. It’s a long one, but when you make it to the top of this mountain, you’re going to feel so damn good, I promise (we’re talking Everest levels of joy).

Hidden Sources of Latex: List of Foods That Can Contain Latex Cross Reactive Foods

When it comes to the hidden sources of latex, there are two ways to look at this: ways latex proteins work their way into the food chain, and how latex cross-reactive foods work their way into the food chain.

Below, I’ll share how latex can find its way into the food chain. To learn more about how latex cross-reactive ingredients can end up in a range of food products, I’ve linked you to the hidden sources sections for each allergen I’ve covered in great detail.

Remember, just because something is on this list doesn’t guarantee the presence of latex. This is more of a cautionary list, and it gives you things to ask about as you go about shopping. Also, this is not an exhaustive list.

Hidden Sources of Latex Cross Reactive Foods

It’s important to know that foods cross-reactive with latex have hundreds, if not thousands of uses in food across a range of product categories. This also includes natural flavors, bath and body, and non-food items. Each article I’ve linked to will drop you to the hidden sources section. Read that over carefully, along with any warnings I’ve detailed.

Hidden Sources of Latex in Foods

Checkout Lane: latex particles can be on the conveyer belt at a grocery store, and the cashier may be wearing latex gloves.
Raw Fish: works will wear gloves which can be latex based when handling the raw fish.
Raw Fruits & Raw Vegetables: produce can arrive in packages containing latex or be bound together with rubber bands.
Raw Fruits & Raw Vegetables: some workers wear gloves which can be latex based whilst handling the fresh produce.
Raw Meat: workers wear gloves to handle raw meat and you’ll need to ask if they’re latex gloves.
Raw Meat: the meat arrives in specialty packaging before it’s processed at the store level, and you’ll need to know if it contains latex.
Specialty Cheeses: workers may wear gloves to handle the cheese wheels as they slice and package.
Packaged Products: latex can be in food packaging. Chocolate wrappers and ice cream packaging has the highest levels of latex.
Cross Reactive Foods: these can be in almost every kind of packaged food, so treat lightly if you manage cross-reactivity.
People: you can jump thru all the hoops to protect yourself, but as other people shop, they can transfer latex particles all over a store. Personally, I find online shopping much safer, as there are a lot less people involved.
Medication: latex can be used in the manufacturing of a wide range of medications, and cross-reactive ingredients can be used as well. Compounding medication will be the safest option for some people that manage a latex allergy.

Tips on Sourcing Latex Free Fish

Purchase frozen at sea fish from a trusted fish monger. Honestly, just shy of going fishing, this is going to be the safest option. In many cases, you can talk directly with the fisherman to find out what the boat conditions are, and if latex gloves are present.

FYI: Frozen at sea fish are caught, and processed directly on the boat. There are tools to vacuum seal and a deep freezer to hold the catch until they make it back to land. It’s the closest way to get fish directly from the source. Just be sure to ask about gloves, what kind of cleaning process there is, and the type of packaging used.

You can also see if they’ll sell you whole frozen fish which eliminates a lot of steps, and you can clean and gut it yourself.

Tips on Sourcing Latex Free Meat, Dairy, and Eggs

Use the Eat Wild website to find quality farms in your area. Talk to the farmers directly about latex and more often than not, you’ll find a safe source for basic raw materials.

You’ll need to know how the items are packaged. Most will be willing to let you see any safety data sheets available from the manufacturer, or tell you who manufactures the packaging so you can find out.

Meat will go through some kind of butchering process, even if you purchase a quarter, half, or whole animal. The butcher is the weak link, because if the farm is latex free, you still have to confirm that the butcher is as well. In the case of the butcher, call around your local area to find a latex free processor, then see if your farmer is willing to send your animal to said butcher (it may cost you more, but it’s worth it).

Tips on Sourcing Latex Free Produce

Visit your local farmer’s market and talk to farmers directly. The dirtier the food (and if their hands have that permanent dirt thing going on), the higher your chances of finding safe options to purchase. Remember, if their hands are dirty, there’s a high chance that gloves weren’t covering their hands as they did their work.

However, farmers still use rubber bands at the farmer’s market. If you find a potential safe farm, ask if they’d be willing to set aside produce for you without the bands as it’s harvested for you to pick up at the market. You’d be surprised just how KIND most farmers are, and they’ll do something like this for you. Write them a thank you note and bake them cookies at Christmas.

Product Warnings for Latex

Latex products (and therefore latex particles) can be used in the manufacturing of most foods and even some beverages. It’s used at the farm level, factory level, grocery store level, and everywhere in between.

Latex can also be in the physical packages that hold the food, or rubber bands may be used to hold produce together.

Natural flavours is a term that encompasses thousands of individual ingredients and compounds. Latex cross reactive foods can absolutely be present, especially banana and celery. The only way to find out if latex is present is to call the company and request the details. Explain that you have a latex allergy, along with the foods you can’t have, and you need to know about each of the ingredients in their natural flavours (it’s usually a blend). Some brands will say things like “it’s proprietary”. If you run into that, walk away. Companies that can’t be transparent don’t deserve our support.

The bath and body category will be coated in latex. Like, just dip me in a vat of natural latex rubber and call it a day, levels of contaminated. Join online support groups to find out which brands and products people are having success with.

You’ll want to purchase the most basic of bath and body products, or learn how to make them yourself at home. Huge Tip: Start with the corn allergy folks. Most truly corn free brands are basic and minimal, giving you a higher chance of success. Contact those brands for latex info first, then move on to other brands. At the very least, truly corn free brands won’t have gloves dusted with cornstarch powder, which is a carrier for latex allergens.

Eating Out at Restaurants with a Latex Allergy

Before attempting to eat out at a restaurant with a latex allergy, it’s important to know if there are specific foods you can’t have, due to cross reactivity. Eating out is already a hard task, and if you have cross reactivity as an additional layer, you’re going to work really hard to find safe restaurants.

As someone who has worked in the food service industry, owned a bakery, manages food allergies, and raised kids with food allergies, know that I have a lot of empathy. Having said that, here’s a list of potential ways latex can contaminate food at a restaurant:

The restaurant sources food products from a farm or processing warehouse where workers wear latex gloves.
The food products are in packages contaminated with latex (very interesting info about that).
Fresh produce is held together with rubber bands.
The restaurant staff wear latex gloves when handling the raw meat, which is cooked, and makes its way into a wide range of dishes.
The restaurant uses cooking utensils that contain latex.
Said restaurant uses a range of ingredients, many of which are cross reactive with latex.
The servers and front of house have hands covered in latex particles since they’ve been handing out crayons to children all day.
The menu is littered with latex cross reactive foods, including some of the highest risk foods.
There’s cross-contact in the kitchen with latex via the ingredients used.
The restaurant uses pre-made food products that contain natural flavours derived from foods you’re cross reactive allergic to such as banana and celery.

This about sums up the field of landmines you’d be facing if you were to try to eat out with a latex allergy, and notice, I barely mentioned cross reactive foods.

Types of Restaurants to Consider

Honestly, the first step in eating out is going to be searching for latex free restaurants, started by people who manage a severe latex allergy themselves. If anyone knows how to serve us safely, it will be them.

Let’s say you don’t find your unicorn restaurant. At that point, you’ll have to get busy calling around to see who might be able to serve you safely. The absolute safest starting point: a farm to table restaurant, that’s directly on a farm. They cut fresh produce outside, walk 30 steps, and they’re in the kitchen. In those scenarios, there’s no need for latex products where produce is concerned.

That style of restaurant is also able to accommodate food allergies a little easier since they make most foods and components onsite, and can customize something for you with fresh herbs and spices, etc.

If you manage cross reactivity, I’d suggest getting the Equal Eats app and having a food allergy dining card available. It also gives you a good reminder of foods to ask about when you make your phone calls.

The second type of restaurant to look into will be live fire meaty restaurant (where they cook on outdoor grills or flames). This will put you in a similar situation to a farm to table restaurant.

A high quality steak house *might* be able to serve you something safely, but don’t be surprised if it’s simple like pan roasted meat and steamed rice.

The thing is, for every packaged item a restaurant uses (there are a lot), you’d have to investigate everything about it. A minimalist restaurant, AIP Paleo restaurant, or Paleo eatery might be better on this front, but you’re still going to have to look at gloves, rubber bands, and so much more.

The bottom line is this:

I’m never going to say something is impossible when it comes to food and dietary restrictions. What I will say though is that depending on the severity of your latex allergy, you have about a 0.5% chance of finding a truly latex free place to eat (it’s a higher chance for milder cases, but you get the idea).

This latex allergy website has put together a list of restaurants to investigate, however, they focus mostly on latex gloves, not very small way latex makes its way into the food chain.

Cross Contact and Cross Contamination

Cross-contact and cross-contamination are not the same thing. When talking with food professionals, it’s important that you use the correct terminology. Cross-contamination refers to pathogens (e. coli, etc.), and cross-contact refers to allergens.

You can read this article to learn more about cross-contact, and how you can work towards preventing it.

Answering Your Latex Allergy Questions

Should I avoid all tree nuts if I have a latex allergy?

First, you’ll only need to avoid foods connected to latex if you manage cross reactive food allergy reactions. Not all patients experience this, and the foods vary from person to person since the body’s immune system is unique.

Perhaps you’ve been told that you’re at higher risk of developing food symptoms and have been told to avoid all latex cross reactive foods for now. In that case, you’d need to avoid chestnuts and hazelnuts only.

There are lots of other tree nuts you’d be able to consume, including almonds, Brazil nuts, pili nuts, pine nuts, pistachios, and so on. Those foods haven’t shown cross reactivity with latex.

As you go about eliminating foods, be sure to keep a detailed food journal. This can help your medical team (in conjunction with your detailed history) at future appointments, arranging potential food trials, and so on.

Is a latex sensitivity the same thing as a latex allergy?

No, a latex allergy and a latex sensitivity are like two halves of the same coin, so similar, but still different. The biggest differences are the mechanisms that elicit the latex allergy symptoms.

In the case of latex, there’s the IgE antibodies pathway, T-cell pathway, and the milder form which is skin irritant only. In the case of the IgE latex allergy, it can cause a severe allergic reaction, with the most severe being anaphylaxis (when not treated, this can cause death, but that is very, very rare). Know that almost all allergy patients respond well to the treatment of their symptoms when they seek medical attention.

When someone has the T-cell Type IV allergy or the irritant only allergy, that’s where people may use the phrase sensitivity, rather than allergy. No matter which version of a latex allergy you manage, latex should be strictly avoided as needed to prevent allergic reactions.

Is there a cure, or treatments available for a latex allergy?

There are no cures for food allergies (or Celiac Disease). Whilst there are treatments for people with oral allergy syndrome which has cross reactivity due to plant pollens, there’s no cure for an IgE latex allergy or its cross reactivity.

However, there’s evidence to suggest that a latex allergy is preventable and you can read more information about that here on the Allergy and Asthma Network page.

Is a latex allergy related to oral allergy syndrome?

Oral allergy syndrome (now called pollen food allergy syndrome) and a latex allergy have a lot of overlapping features, however, they aren’t connected in a “if you have one you’ll have the other” type of way and are two different medical conditions.

Due to cross reactivity with pollen, and of course the different latex proteins, both diagnoses have a profound impact on patients’ daily lives. When cross reactivity is involved, both groups have to make a lot of diet changes, go through food trials, and so on.

Yet, even with those similarities, these conditions have different mechanisms that drive them. With OAS, it’s all about pollen allergies and protein structures that look similar to said pollens. On the other hand, with latex, it’s about the associated proteins and plant defenses, as well as the contact allergy component.

So whilst both diagnoses have cross reactivity with specific foods as a hallmark feature, they aren’t medically related in a way that means you’ll have both, or something of that nature. That doesn’t mean you can’t have both, because you can. There just aren’t any guarantees as the body’s immune system is unique in each person.

Will synthetic rubber products cause a reaction if I have a latex allergy?

According to this info published by the CDC back in 1997, no, synthetic rubber products don’t release the proteins that cause latex allergy symptoms. Synthetic rubber is usually made from petroleum, hence the lack of proteins.