Itchy mouth after pesto, or hives after a salad you could not explain? Pine nuts hide in sauces, baking and Middle Eastern dishes, and they are not on the EU list of allergens that labels must highlight. Our test checks your blood for IgE antibodies to whole pine nut and to its main protein, Pin p 1, as part of 300 allergens and allergen components, so you can see whether you are sensitised.
Pine nuts are the seeds of pine trees, mostly stone pine in Europe and other Pinus species from Asia. Pines are conifers, a plant group that split from flowering plants long ago. So pine nut is not a nut in the botanical sense, and it is not closely related to hazelnut, walnut or almond.
The best studied pine nut allergen is Pin p 1, a 2S albumin storage protein. In a study of people with pine nut allergy, 75% had IgE to it. It is stable to heat, and its sequence differs a lot from the 2S albumins in other nuts and seeds.
Pine nut reactions are uncommon, but published cases often describe reactions that go beyond the mouth. People describe itching in the mouth, hives, swollen lips or eyes, stomach cramps and vomiting, sometimes wheezing or feeling faint, usually within minutes of eating.
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.
A bitter or metallic taste that starts a day or two after eating pine nuts and lasts for days is known as pine mouth. It has been linked to certain pine species, it is not an IgE reaction, and an allergy test will not show it.
Pine pollen is a different matter again. Pine trees release clouds of yellow pollen in late spring, but it rarely causes hay fever. The panel measures the seed, not the pollen.
The lab measures IgE to a whole pine nut extract and to Pin p 1 on its own. Your lab report gives each a measured value and class, from Negative to Very high, next to the tree nuts, peanut and seeds on the panel. A positive result shows sensitisation, not that you will react. Discuss it with a doctor before you change what you eat.
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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.
Not botanically. They are seeds from conifers, and they are not on the EU list of nuts that labels must highlight. Some people still react to them, so check the ingredients list for pine nuts, pinoli or pignoli rather than relying on allergen warnings.
That is pine mouth, a taste disturbance linked to certain pine species. It is not an allergy and does not show on an IgE test. It usually passes on its own within days to a couple of weeks.
Not necessarily. Pine nut proteins differ from those in hazelnut, walnut or almond. The panel measures each nut and seed separately, so you and your doctor can see the actual pattern.
