Contact reactions to food.

Cutaneous adverse reactions to foods, spices, and food additives can occur both in occupational and nonoccupational settings in those who grow, handle, prepare, or cook food. Because spices are also utilized in cosmetics and perfumes, other exposures are encountered that can result in adverse cutaneous reactions. This article describes the reaction patterns that can occur upon contact with foods, including irritant contact dermatitis and allergic contact dermatitis. The ingestion of culprit foods by sensitized individuals can provoke a generalized eczematous rash, referred to as systemic contact dermatitis. Other contact reactions to food include contact urticaria and protein contact dermatitis provoked by high-molecular-weight food proteins often encountered in patients with atopic dermatitis. Phototoxic and photoallergic contact dermatitis are also considered.