Meta-analysisindependent cross-checkabstract only checked★ key study I-EGG-11 in-depth review
How common are food allergies in Europe?
Prevalence estimates of eight big food allergies in Europe: Updated systematic review and meta-analysis.
Overview
Spolidoro GCI et al.. Allergy 2023 · PMID 37405695 · DOI 10.1111/all.15801
Confirmed egg allergy affects about 0.8% of people; 2.4% believe they have it.
Does the study support the specific claim? No · Methodological quality: high
Plain-language summary
Study explained simply
- What did the researchers want to find out?
Prevalence of the eight big food allergies in Europe
- How was the study done?
Systematic review and meta-analysis (EAACI update; PROSPERO CRD42021266657)
- How many people, animals or samples were studied?
93 studies; European populations, all ages
- What was actually found?
Egg: self-reported lifetime 2.4% (1.8-3.0); food-challenge-verified point prevalence 0.8% (0.5-1.2).
- How large was the observed effect?
Pooled prevalence
- What do the results mean in everyday life?
Egg allergy is real but uncommon.
- What are the study's limitations?
Most studies moderate risk of bias
- What does it say about Elawady's specific claim?
Contradicts universal harm; supports individual exceptions.
- Do the results apply to Germany and Europe?
High.
- What can explicitly not be concluded from this study?
Says nothing about snoring or nightmares directly.
Scientific in-depth review
1. Full reference
- Authors
- Spolidoro GCI et al.
- Journal
- Allergy
- Year
- 2023
- Identifier
- PMID 37405695 DOI 10.1111/all.15801
- Verification
- verified – PubMed efetch 2026-10-25
- Retracted
- no
- Corrections
- none
- Extent checked
- abstract only
- Conflicts of interest and funding
None stated in record
2. Research question
Prevalence of the eight big food allergies in Europe
3. Study design and population
- Study design
- Meta-analysis – Systematic review and meta-analysis (EAACI update; PROSPERO CRD42021266657)
- Population
European populations, all ages
- Country
Europe
- Period
Studies up to 2021
- Sample size
93 studies
- Inclusion and exclusion criteria
Studies 2000-2021
4. Methods and endpoints
- Exposure / intervention
Not applicable
- Comparator
Not applicable
- Endpoints
Self-reported and challenge-verified prevalence
- Statistical methods
Pooled prevalence
5. Actual results
- Results
Egg: self-reported lifetime 2.4% (1.8-3.0); food-challenge-verified point prevalence 0.8% (0.5-1.2).
- Absolute risks
Prevalence 0.8% challenge-verified
- Authors' conclusion
Prevalence largely stable over the last decade; regional variation.
6. Strengths
- Systematic
- Distinguishes self-report and challenge
7. Weaknesses
- Most studies moderate risk of bias
8. Risk of bias
- Orienting tool
- AMSTAR 2
- Type of assessment
- simplified assessment (abstract only)
- Full formal assessment
- no
- Overall risk of bias
- some concerns
- Rationale
Simplified.
9. Assessment of the statistical interpretation
Self-report overestimates true allergy.
10. Relevance to the specific claim
C-EGG-01 (individual exception).
11. Independent contrary findings
Not applicable.
12. Transferability to Germany and Europe
High.
13. Overall methodological judgement
Shows egg allergy is uncommon.
| Multidimensional assessment | |
|---|---|
| Authenticity of the source | verified |
| Methodological quality | high |
| Risk of bias | some concerns |
| Precision of results | high |
| Directness | indirect |
| Reproducibility | replicated |
| Consistency with the overall evidence | consistent |
| Regional transferability | high |
| Adequacy of the interpretation (by the archive) | not applicable |
14. Open questions
Non-IgE sensitivity.
15. Linked fact checks
- Eating eggs causes snoring, sinusitis and nightmares in (practically) everyone who eats them, and stopping eggs and chicken relieves headaches. – Studies contradicting or limiting the claim
- Food should not be judged by its nutrient components (such as choline and lecithin in eggs); eggs cause sinus allergy, fermentation in the stomach, bad breath, protein leakage into the urine, Alzheimer's disease, foul-smelling discharge and recurrent vaginal infections (the passage continues with recurrent urinary infections). – Studies contradicting or limiting the claim