An international study has found that the most common kind of green kiwifruit is more allergenic than the gold variety.
With kiwifruit becoming ubiquitous in grocery stores worldwide, reports of allergic reactions had also increased.
But some varieties may be less likely to trigger allergies than others, a study said.
In fact, in
Sweden, France and Finland, kiwifruit has become one of the top 10 sources of food allergies, said Karin Hoffmann-Sommergruber at the Medical University of Vienna, who led the study reported in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
In tests of 37 adults with kiwifruit allergies, Hoffmann-Sommergruber and her colleagues found that certain varieties of the fruit - including the "gold" variety - tend to be less allergenic than the deep-green variety known as Hayward, which is the common green kiwifruit in New Zealand.
New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers president Peter Ombler said Hayward would be more allergenic because of its enzyme actinidain but was also good for "gut health".
He believed allergies to Hayward kiwifruit were "not common".
Gold kiwifruit were known for boosting iron levels and the immune system, and were especially helpful for pregnant women.
Six varieties were assessed, including the most commonly available Hayward, with bright-green flesh and medium-brown skin, and Summer 3373, a variety in the same kiwi "species" as Hayward but with light-green flesh. Summer 3373 came to the market later but its availability is growing.
The other tested kiwifruits included Hort 16A, marketed as Zespri Gold and the most widely available golden-fleshed variety, Jintao, a newer golden variety, and two varieties of a species called Eriantha which are expected to come to market in the next 10 to 20 years. The Eriantha varieties are smaller and lighter-skinned than the others and have deep-green flesh.
In general, the Hayward kiwi triggered the most significant skin reactions, while the lighter-green Summer and gold Hort 16A led to the mildest reactions.
Hoffmann-Sommergruber said that more research was needed with a larger group before specific kiwifruit varieties could be sorted out for safe tolerance by the allergy prone.
