Allergies Understanding Mold, Food, and Penicillin Allergies By Daniel More, MD Daniel More, MD Daniel More, MD, is a board-certified allergist and clinical immunologist with a background in internal medicine. Learn about our editorial process Updated on February 04, 2022 Medically reviewed by Jurairat J. Molina, MD Medically reviewed by Jurairat J. Molina, MD Facebook Jurairat J. Molina, MD, is a board-certified allergist who has been practicing in field of allergy and clinical immunology for the past two decades. She owns Corpus Christi Allergy Associates in Corpus Christi, Texas. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print When mold fungus spores reach the air, they can cause a variety of allergy symptoms like a runny nose, itchy eyes, and coughing. While there are many different types of molds, one common indoor mold is Penicillium, which can cause nasal allergies and asthma in certain people. If you've been diagnosed with a Penicillium mold allergy, you might be wondering if that means you could have a penicillin allergy or food allergies too. xfotostudio / Istockphoto.com Mold Allergy vs. Penicillin Allergy Having a Penicillium mold allergy doesn't mean that you're allergic to the antibiotic penicillin. While penicillin was indeed originally developed from Penicillium mold, people with this specific mold allergy are not at any more risk of developing an allergy to this class of antibiotics than anyone else with a history of allergies. Risk factors that make it more likely to have a penicillin allergy include: Having a history of allergiesHaving a family history of drug allergyHaving had an allergic reaction to another kind of drugBeing exposed to high or prolonged doses of penicillinHaving an infection such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or Epstein-Barr virus, which can contribute to allergic drug reactions Modern-day penicillin antibiotics are produced synthetically and are not contaminated with mold particles. Allergy to Penicillin Drugs Mold Allergies and Food Allergies It is possible, however, to have related food allergies if you have a mold allergy. Penicillium can be found in certain aged and blue-veined cheeses, such as Roquefort and Camembert. There have been reports of food allergy reactions in Penicillium-allergic people who eat these cheeses and other foods with this mold. If you have an allergic reaction to mushrooms, it's more likely that it's from the mushrooms themselves, but symptoms of oral allergy syndrome have been reported in people with mold allergies who have eaten raw mushrooms. Yeast is another potential food allergen if you have a mold allergy. You may be wondering how a mold allergy can be related to a mushroom or yeast allergy. The answer is explained by a phenomenon called cross-reactivity. The Basics of Cross-Reactivity Cross-reactivity means that there are similar proteins shared between certain foods and certain molds. So if you're allergic to molds, you may very well react to foods like mushrooms that contain a similar protein. There is also ample scientific evidence suggesting cross-reactivity between different pollens and raw fruits and vegetables. Likewise, an allergy to latex can predispose people to certain food allergies (mostly fruits and nuts). Doctors have even named this condition the latex-food syndrome. A Word From Verywell The big picture here is that while a mold allergy may lead to a food allergy such as yeast or mushrooms, it doesn't mean you'll develop allergies to medications like penicillin. That being said, a history of allergies puts you at a higher risk of developing other allergies, so it is possible for you to have both an allergy to certain molds and a penicillin allergy, but the two are not interconnected—it's simply a coincidence. 5 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. PennState Hershey Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Mold allergy. Mayo Clinic. Penicillin allergy. Lombardero M, Díaz-Donado C, Añibarro B, Núñez M, Barber D. Role of Penicillium molds in three cases of food allergy. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2005;115(2):S247-. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2004.12.998 Gabriel MF, González-Delgado P, Postigo I, et al. From respiratory sensitization to food allergy: Anaphylactic reaction after ingestion of mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus). Medical Mycology Case Reports. 2015;8:14-16. doi:10.1016/j.mmcr.2015.02.003 Popescu F-D. Cross-reactivity between aeroallergens and food allergens. World Journal of Methodology. 2015;5(2):31-50. doi:10.5662/wjm.v5.i2.31. By Daniel More, MD Daniel More, MD, is a board-certified allergist and clinical immunologist. He is an assistant clinical professor at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine and currently practices at Central Coast Allergy and Asthma in Salinas, California. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit