Plum allergy

About plum allergy

Plum belongs to the rose family and to the stone-fruit group that includes cherry, peach and apricot. Allergy to it is most often part of pollen-food (oral allergy) syndrome, arising in people already sensitised to birch pollen, so it tends to affect teenagers and adults with hay fever. The reaction is IgE-mediated, but the antibodies chiefly target pollen proteins that resemble a fragile protein in raw plum.

Typically this produces itching or tingling of the lips, mouth and throat within minutes of eating raw fruit, occasionally with mild swelling. Because the responsible protein is destroyed by heat, cooked plum, jam and tinned fruit are usually well tolerated. In parts of southern Europe a more stable protein called lipid transfer protein can cause stronger, sometimes systemic reactions, so severity varies from person to person.

Diagnosis draws on the clinical history supported by skin-prick testing (sometimes with fresh fruit) or specific-IgE blood tests, and component testing can indicate whether the pattern is the milder pollen-related type. Management means avoiding raw plum when it causes symptoms while often still tolerating it cooked. Most reactions are mild, but anyone experiencing throat tightness, breathing difficulty or a widespread reaction should seek urgent care and call 999.