University College Cork (UCC) is to develop an app to collect real-time information from people who have allergies. The college is taking part in the largest-ever study of food allergies.

The €9 million project builds on an earlier research and will involve the world's leading experts in the Ireland, UK, Europe, Australia and US.

The 3-part contribution from UCC will firstly integrate the information being gathered in Ireland's first birth cohort study. The follow up of these nearly 14,000 children at the ages of 5-7 years is the biggest such study ever and hopes to determine how allergies and asthma evolve from infancy to early childhood.

It is looking at early life influences such as genetics, early feeding and nutrition and aspects of the external environment, including antibiotic use, pet ownership and skin care.

Doses of food for allergy sufferers 

The university is also working on finding the lowest doses that food allergic people react to in food challenge studies using volunteers. It hopes to clarity to 'may contain' labels.

Up to 20 million European citizens suffer from food allergy. European Commission-sponsored research, known as the Integrated Approaches to Food Allergen and Allergy Risk Management (iFAAM), is to produce a standardised management process for companies involved in food manufacturing.

Nikolaos Papadopoulos is head of the allergy department at the University of Athens. "Food Allergy is a disease that can be conquered, if critical steps are taken. iFAAM sets the stage for facilitating such steps to be taken" he said.

While scientific director at Eurofins Dr. Bert Popping added "We are looking forward to sharing our newly-developed multiple allergen detection method and making a meaningful contribution to this crucial initiative".

Dr. Mairead Kiely is a senior lecturer in Human Nutrition at UCC.