About Allergies to Bakers Yeast

Although not one of the more common food allergies, bakers yeast allergies can have a major impact on a sufferer's dietary lifestyle. Bakers yeast is a main ingredient in dough, making many foods off limits.

Identification

• Bakers yeast is a fungi whose scientific name is Saccharomyces cerevisiae. According to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, bakers yeast gets its name because the fungi produces carbon dioxide when exposed to air, which makes dough rise.

Exposure

• The United States National Library of Medicine states that bakers yeast is more likely to cause an allergic reaction when it is directly inhaled or when a food is freshly baked. The longer a yeast-containing food sits, the less likely an allergic reaction will occur.

Symptoms

• According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, symptoms of bakers yeast allergies include skin rashes, vomiting or difficulty breathing after exposure to bakers yeast.

Foods

• Common foods that may trigger bakers yeast allergies are bread, crackers, tortillas, pretzels, pizza and baked goods.

Significance

• According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, allergies to bakers yeast is one of the least common food allergy types. 90 percent of food allergies are caused by nuts, eggs, wheat, milk, fish, or soy.