Occupational Contact Dermatitis: Chefs and Food Handlers

Abstract

Chefs and food handlers are at high risk for developing occupational skin diseases. Incidence rates per 10, 000 workers per year range from 2.9 (butchers/food processing industries) and 6.6 (cooks) up to 23.9 (pastry cooks) and 33.2 (bakers). Irritant contact dermatitis is the most prevalent occupational disease in chefs and food handlers followed by allergic contact dermatitis (most frequently due to Compositae (foods), thiurams (gloves), and formaldehyde (detergents and disinfectants)). Food-handling occupations are also prone for IgE-mediated protein contact dermatitis and immunological (IgE-mediated) and nonimmunological occupational contact urticaria. Some foods and food additives can trigger several of these mechanisms independently and may induce different clinical pictures. The prerequisite for a successful treatment is the individual identification and exclusion of the disease-eliciting allergen(s) as well as implementation of skin protection.