The kiwi fruit (also known as Chinese gooseberry or Macaque peach) is an edible berry of a woody vine like plant called Actinidia. Kiwi fruit were introduced to Britain in the 1970’s and have become an increasingly popular food. With increasing consumption there has been a large increase in allergies to kiwi fruit.
The symptoms that people report are varied and range from mild local reactions in the mouth, tingling, sore mouth and swelling (oral allergy syndrome) to much more severe, even life threatening, symptoms such as wheezing, blue lips and even collapse. Symptoms can also include rashes, vomiting, abdominal pain and heartburn.