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Chronic idiopathic urticaria affects 1% of the population and is defined as hives with no discernable cause that persist for 6 weeks or longer. Many patients worry that foods or occult food additives cause their hives, but little evidence supports this association.
One hundred adolescent and adult patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria were evaluated at a single allergy clinic; 43 reported possible food or food-additive allergies. All patients underwent single-blind oral challenges to tartrazine (FD&C Yellow 5), potassium metabisulfite, monosodium glutamate, aspartame, sodium benzoate, methyl paraben, butylated hydroxy anisole, butylated hydroxy toluene, FD&C Yellow 6, sodium nitrate, and sodium nitrite. (No effective skin or blood test …