Nut allergy sufferer Alexa Varley, an A-level student from Gressenhall, is starting a four-week project at the Institute of Food Research to develop a young person's guide to food allergy.

Helen Penny, Science Communications Officer at IFR, said "True food allergies are very dangerous. Food intolerance is less dangerous, but much more common. Alexa will spend her time interviewing our experts, and writing a guide that is relevant to young people." The guide will be available in both printed and web versions. The project is funded by the Nuffield Foundation and runs from 7^th to 29^th August.

Alexa was the only successful candidate of 8 applicants to the Institute, who are co-ordinating a network of over 30 European experts in food allergies. The network, Protall, is looking at how plant food proteins cause allergic reactions, and the effects of food processing and cooking.

Within the European Union, about 1 in 100 adults and nearly 1 in 10 children have some form of food allergy. Allergies in general have become much more common in the last 20 years, but we don't know whether this increase applies to food allergies. Studying allergic reactions to food is very complicated as, unlike other allergic diseases such as hay fever, most foods are cooked and consist of many different ingredients.

The Nuffield Foundation is a charity with a long-standing interest in science, mathematics and technology information. Its Science Bursary Scheme helps students take part in science based projects in industry or in research institutions during the summer holidays.

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Notes for editors:

• The mission of the Institute of Food Research is to carry out independent basic, and strategic research on food safety, quality, nutrition and health. It is a company limited by guarantee, with charitable status, grant aided by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

• The Institute is based on the Norwich Research Park