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Seafood allergies and Seaweed

Seaweed seafood allergies are a concern, and we advise customers who have confirmed allergies to seafood not to eat seaweed, Pacific SeaMoss or from any source. The reason is that the ocean is full of life, and in the harvest and processing we cannot ensure there is no “hitchhikers” who turn out to make you sick. Explore the community of sea life.

Seafood allergies and Seaweed - why we say do not eat seaweed if you have an allergy

Biosea Health warns customers about seafood allergies and seaweed. The ingredients in Pacific Seamoss is listed as Kappahycus alvarezii or a red tropical seaweed in a gel capsule. In some other products it is a blend and the percentages of the seaweeds are listed. It is 100% seaweed. For the full and most recent label – check out www.bioseahealth.com/label

For more information, there is a a detailed list of nutrients and vitamins.

For food compliance we put a warning for seafood allergies and seaweed on the packet. Why? Seaweed grows in the ocean and that is a whole soup of plants and animals – as soon as we plant the seaweed we get tiny shellfish such as mussels and oysters. Seaweed is their food source of choice. Then little fish come along to feast on the shellfish and the seaweed. Likewise bigger fish and in some areas, turtles get involved as well.

With squid and other tropical fish it soon becomes an area where pelagic fish such as barracuda and even whale sharks. 

When we harvest seaweed in about 45 days later there is a whole community. Our seaweed farmers remove all the things they can see. But we know there will may be small creatures that get through the inspection and subsequent washing in clean fresh water. It may be just be a microscopic shellfish that got through the process and it might be in a 1 in a thousand or even one in 10 thousand capsule.

Symptoms and Signs of Seafood Allergy

Symptoms and signs of seafood allergy. About 2.3% or 6million in the USA have allergy – 2% for shellfish, 0.4% with fish, and 0.2% for both. Women are twice as likely as men to have allergies. [1]

Seafood allergies can be serious. Symptoms of fish or shellfish allergies vary and range from mild reactions to a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). The most common symptom is raised red bumps of skin (hives). Other symptoms include wheezing and trouble breathing, cramps, diarrhoea, nausea or vomiting.

Hence the warning. A bit like the warning that chocolate might be made in a factory with nuts.

Seaweed Farming Creates Sustainable Ecosystems

From a sustainable ocean practice we come up against food rules that are designed for sterile glasshouses…..

References

[1] Sicherer S, Muñoz-Furlong A, Sampson H 2004 Prevalence of seafood allergy in the United States determined by a random telephone survey,
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 114, Issue 1, pp 159-165,
ISSN 0091-6749, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2004.04.018.