Prickly lips or a raw, burning mouth after kiwi? Kiwi is one of the most common fruit allergens in Europe, and it turns up in more fruit salads, smoothies and desserts than you would guess. Our test checks your blood for IgE antibodies to four single kiwi proteins, as part of 300 allergens and allergen components including birch pollen and latex.
Kiwi has its own set of allergy proteins, and they behave differently. The best known is Act d 1, also called actinidin. It is an enzyme that breaks down proteins, which is why kiwi can tenderise meat. Act d 1 is specific to kiwi and is the main allergen in people who react to kiwi itself, especially children.
Act d 2 (a thaumatin-like protein) and Act d 5 (kiwellin) are other kiwi-specific proteins. Act d 10 is a lipid transfer protein (LTP), a sturdy protein family found in many fruits and nuts. A pattern led by Act d 1 is associated with kiwi-specific sensitisation and more often with reactions beyond the mouth. A doctor reads your pattern together with your history.
People often describe itching, tingling or a raw feeling in the lips, mouth and throat soon after eating kiwi. Some report hives, swelling of the face, vomiting or stomach cramps, and some report wheezing. Young children can react on their first known contact with kiwi.
Swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, trouble breathing or feeling faint after eating is an emergency. Call 112 (EU) or your local emergency number. Do not wait for a test.
In birch regions, some people react to kiwi because of a birch-like PR-10 protein in the fruit. These reactions tend to stay in the mouth. That kiwi protein is not on the panel, but birch pollen (Bet v 1) is, which helps a doctor see whether birch is part of the picture.
Kiwi is also one of the foods linked to latex, along with banana, avocado and chestnut. This is called latex-fruit syndrome. The panel checks latex in the same sample, so you can see whether both show up.
Your finger-prick sample goes to the lab, which measures IgE to four single kiwi proteins (molecular components). There is no whole kiwi extract on the panel. Your lab report gives each a measured value and class, from Negative to Very high. A positive result shows sensitisation, not a clinical allergy. Discuss the result with a doctor before you change what you or your child eats.
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One finger-prick sample checks IgE to 300 allergens and allergen components, from birch and peanut to cat and house dust mite. Post it to the lab, and about 5 days after it arrives you get a value for every one. Our plain-English guide shows you how to read them. €399 in total, €1.33 per allergen.
People commonly report itching, tingling or a raw feeling in the mouth and throat soon after eating kiwi. Some report hives, facial swelling, vomiting or wheezing. Swelling of the throat or trouble breathing is an emergency: call 112 (EU) or your local emergency number.
It can have several causes. Kiwi proteins such as Act d 1 can trigger IgE reactions, and in birch regions a birch-like protein can cause a pollen-related mouth itch. Kiwi is also acidic, which some people feel without any allergy. The test shows whether your blood has IgE to kiwi proteins.
Sometimes. Kiwi is one of the foods associated with latex sensitisation, along with banana, avocado and chestnut. The test checks kiwi and latex in the same sample, so a doctor can see whether both appear.
After a child's first reaction, start with a paediatrician or paediatric allergist. They can decide which tests make sense and how to read them for a child.
