Food allergies are emerging health risks in much of the Western world, and some evidence suggests prevalence is increasing. Despite lacking scientific consensus around prevalence and management, policies and regulations are being implemented in public spaces (e.g., schools). These policies have been criticized as extreme in the literature, in the media, and by the non-allergic population. Backlash appears to be resulting from different perceptions of risk between different groups. This article uses a recently assembled national dataset (n = 3,666) to explore how Canadians perceive the risks of food allergy. Analyses revealed that almost 20% self-report having an allergic person in the household, while the average respondent estimated the prevalence of food allergies in Canada to be 30%. Both of these measures overestimate the true clinically defined prevalence (7.5%), indicating an inflated public understanding of the risks of food allergies. Seventy percent reported food allergies to be substantial risks to the Canadian population. Multivariate logistic regression models revealed important determinants of risk perception including demographic, experience-based, attitudinal, and regional predictors. Results are discussed in terms of understanding emerging health risks in the post-industrial era, and implications for both policy and risk communication.

在西方世界的大部分地区，食物过敏是新出现的健康风险，一些证据表明患病率正在增加。尽管在流行和管理方面缺乏科学共识，但政策和法规正在公共场所实施（例如，学校）。这些政策在文献、媒体和非过敏人群中都被批评为极端。强烈反对似乎是由于不同群体之间对风险的不同看法造成的。本文使用最近组装的国家数据集 (n = 3,666) 来探讨加拿大人如何看待食物过敏的风险。分析显示，近 20% 的人自我报告家中有过敏者，而平均受访者估计加拿大食物过敏的流行率为 30%。这两项措施都高估了真实的临床定义患病率 (7.5%)，表明公众对食物过敏风险的理解被夸大了。70% 的人报告食物过敏对加拿大人口构成重大风险。多变量逻辑回归模型揭示了风险感知的重要决定因素，包括人口统计学、基于经验、态度和区域预测因素。从理解后工业时代新出现的健康风险以及对政策和风险沟通的影响方面讨论结果。