Food and Agricultural Immunology

Food Allergies, Intolerances and Immune Tolerance

Food-related adverse reactions represent a growing global health concern, affecting individuals across all age groups and imposing significant burdens on healthcare systems, food industries, and society. While food allergies are characterized by immune-mediated responses to dietary antigens, food intolerances encompass a heterogeneous group of non-immunological and immune-associated conditions that may result in similar clinical manifestations. Recent advances in immunology, molecular biology, microbiome research, and food science have considerably improved our understanding of the complex interactions between dietary components and the immune system. At the same time, the mechanisms underlying the establishment and maintenance of immune tolerance to food antigens remain incompletely understood. This Article Collection aims to provide a comprehensive platform for the dissemination of cutting-edge research exploring the biological, immunological, and environmental determinants of food allergies, food intolerances, and immune tolerance.

The increasing prevalence of food allergies and related disorders has become a major public health challenge worldwide. Food-induced adverse reactions can significantly impair quality of life, increase healthcare costs, and, in severe cases, lead to life-threatening outcomes. Emerging evidence highlights the crucial role of genetic susceptibility, epithelial barrier integrity, immune regulation, dietary patterns, food processing, environmental exposures, and host–microbiome interactions in shaping immune responses to food antigens. Understanding the factors that promote either sensitization or tolerance is essential for the development of effective prevention strategies, diagnostic tools, and therapeutic interventions. Furthermore, advances in precision medicine, biomarker discovery, immunotherapy, and nutritional approaches are creating new opportunities for personalized management of patients affected by food-related disorders. Bringing together multidisciplinary perspectives is therefore critical to accelerate scientific progress and improve public health outcomes.

This Article Collection welcomes original research articles, reviews, systematic reviews, short communications, and perspectives addressing the immunological and agricultural dimensions of food-related adverse reactions. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• mechanisms of oral and mucosal immune tolerance;
• immune responses to food allergens;
• cellular and molecular pathways of sensitization;
• food allergy epidemiology;
• food intolerances and immune-mediated gastrointestinal disorders;
• gut microbiota and host–microbe interactions;
• food processing and allergenicity;
• biomarkers and diagnostic approaches;
• nutritional interventions;
• allergen-specific immunotherapy;
• novel therapeutic strategies;
• animal and in vitro models;
• omics technologies; precision nutrition;
• the impact of environmental and agricultural factors on food-induced immune responses.

Contributions integrating food science, agricultural research, immunology, and translational medicine are particularly encouraged to foster a comprehensive understanding of the determinants and management of food allergies, intolerances, and immune tolerance.

Keywords: Food allergy, Food intolerance, Immune tolerance, Food immunology, Gut microbiota

Dr. Martina Galasso, PhD, is a Registered Biologist with a background in Human Nutrition and Physical Activity and research and clinical experience in obesity and nutritional medicine. I am involved in clinical and research activities at the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, and in academic and research activities at San Raffaele University in Rome. Dr. Galasso's research focuses on obesity management, ketogenic therapies, chrononutrition, and metabolic health, with particular interest in nutritional interventions, body composition, circadian rhythms, and metabolic and inflammatory outcomes. Dr. Galasso is also interested in the complex interplay between nutrition, immune function, food-related disorders, and metabolic health. She has authored and co-authored several peer-reviewed publications and has presented her research at national and international scientific conferences. Here is the link to her ORCID page:  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4583-8283.

Disclosure statement: The Guest Advisor declares no conflict of interest.

­­All manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo desk assessment and peer-review as part of our standard editorial process; the Guest Advisor for this Collection will not be handling the manuscripts (unless they are an Editorial Board member).

Please review the journal scope  and author submission instructions  prior to submitting a manuscript.

The deadline for submitting manuscripts is July 31st, 2027.

Please contact Ruby Ru at ruby.ru@taylorandfrancis.com  with any queries and discount codes regarding this Article Collection.

To submit your papers to this Article Collection, please:

1. Check "yes" for the question, "Are you submitting your paper for a specific special issue or article collection?"
2. Select the relevant Article Collection from the drop-down menu under the question, "Special Issue or Article Collection Name."