Is it true that if you are allergic to seafood, you should eat it often and the allergy will go away? Would it help if we took preventive medication before consuming food that we are allergic to? These are questions regarding food allergies that Thais often ask. Hence, these questions are a part of the exhibition "Uncensored: Perd Mod Plueak (Completely Uncensored)".
Organised by TCDC Commons MunMun Srinakarin, "Uncensored: Perd Mod Plueak" aims to provide information about food allergies. Pamuk Yukong, manager of TCDC Commons MunMun Srinakarin, explained that TCDC Commons is involved in innovative food development and focuses on wellness and sustainability.
The team -- Pamuk (manager), Patteera Jaturongsripat (assistant manager), Aranya Jangjaroonrot (content writer) and Rattiya Namuangrak (content writer) -- noticed an increase in alternative products for people with food allergies including more product labels that include warnings.
"We wondered if it was a trend, but were unsure of how much consumers know about food allergies. When we conducted research, we found that information regarding food allergies is quite scattered and often based on hearsay. Since there has never been an official exhibition about food allergies before, we wanted to create this exhibition to improve the lives of people," said Pamuk.
The exhibit is divided into four sections -- Revealing Most Common Food Allergens; Food Allergy vs Food Intolerance; Label Awareness; and Safe Alternative Food.

Suwitcha Chaiyong
The first section, Revealing Most Common Food Allergens, shows that the five most common food allergens in Thailand are cow's milk, eggs, wheat flour, soy milk and shellfish. Besides these common allergens, Thais are also allergic to peanuts, tree nuts and fish. These food allergens have been identified as the top eight which sometimes appear on food labels or food advertisements.
Since Thailand does not have enough food allergy information, the exhibition also includes information from other countries. Visitors will learn that the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) reported that approximately 220 million people worldwide have food allergies and the number is increasing. Additionally, in the US, on average, a patient experiencing food-related anaphylaxis is sent to the emergency department every six minutes.
To gain local information, TCDC Commons worked with Kitchen Player, a gluten-free brand which avoids the top eight allergens, and consulted Dr Pattara Tanticharoenwiwat of the Samitivej Allergy Institute at Samitivej Thonburi Hospital.
"It is difficult to find statistics about people with food allergies in Thailand, so we teamed up with Tum Sirasa, the founder of Kitchen Player. Her products were inspired by her child who has food allergies. This led to a group between families with members who have food allergies and entrepreneurs who create innovative products for people with food allergies," explained Pamuk.
According to research, Rattiya discovered that food allergies can be due to heredity.

The Revealing Most Common Food Allergens zone. Suwitcha Chaiyong
"Heredity is a possible cause of food allergies. If parents have food allergies, it is possible for their children to be allergic to the same or similar types of food. Additionally, eating too much, too little or never having eaten a particular kind of food can trigger the body to have allergies. It is better to consume a variety of different foods."
Many Thais believe their food reactions to be allergies, though it is really food intolerance. The second section of the exhibition, Food Allergy vs Food Intolerance, provides different symptoms of the two. While food allergies involve the immune system and can be life-threatening, food intolerance does not and the symptoms are less severe.
Aranya gave an example of lactose intolerance which many Thais experience.
"People without lactase, which is an enzyme that helps the body to fully digest lactose in milk, will lead to bloating, gas or diarrhoea after drinking milk. Many people assume those symptoms are due to allergies but they are not," explained Aranya.
"Another common case involves alcohol. People who lack the enzyme ALDH2, which is involved in alcohol metabolism, may have facial redness. Since this condition happens to many Asians, it is referred to as 'Asian Flush'. This is different from an actual alcohol allergy which causes more severe symptoms such as dizziness and difficulty in breathing."
Those who are not sure if they have food intolerance or food allergies should consult doctors for their own safety. Patteera explained there are three methods for food allergy testing -- skin prick test; blood test; and oral food challenge.

"Oral food challenge is to slowly consume allergens and increase its amount under close supervision of a doctor," said Patteera.
According to the Ministry of Public Health Notification No.383 B.E. 2560 (2017), food labels on product packages require entrepreneurs to specify the ingredients that may cause allergies. The label must provide information for people with food allergies. If there is contamination in the production process, they are required to specify "information for people with food allergy: may contain…".
"In case a factory produces a product with gluten and a snack made from peanuts, there is a possibility that the snack may have been contaminated by gluten. Therefore, the factory must label the peanut snack that it may contain gluten," explained Patteera.
The third section, Label Awareness, displays food labels that should be read carefully. Visitors may be surprised to learn that the ingredients of the French fry brand Mun Farang Sed include eggs, wheat flour, soy beans, fish, peanuts, sesame, sulfur dioxide, cow's milk and beef. Meanwhile, instant noodles contain shrimp and squid. It can be frustrating to discover that ingredient details often appear in very small text despite it being crucial information.
The final section, Safe Alternative Food, showcases innovative products designed to substitute food people are allergic to. Visitors may be surprised to learn that there are many local products available on the market.

On display, there are alternatives for cow milk such as oat milk, pistachio milk and soy milk. Trumkin is a cheese substitute made from pumpkin seeds which provides a salty flavour similar to cheese. Instead of using cow milk, Sweet William is a sweetened condensed milk made from plant-based ingredients including soy, corn and coconut.
The team admitted that some products do not provide the same flavours as the original, but they offer a somewhat comparable taste and are free from allergens.
Pamuk hopes that the exhibition will raise awareness of food allergies.
"Food allergies can occur to people around us, including family members and friends. It would be nice if business operators, restaurant owners and food factory owners come to see the exhibition and become interested in managing raw materials to prevent contamination of substances that can cause allergies.
"Uncensored: Perd Mod Plueak" runs at TCDC Commons MunMun Srinakarin, 3rd floor Seacon Square, until Jan 26. Admission is free. For more information, visit facebook.com/COMMONSMunMunSrinakarin.


