An adverse food reaction is an adverse

Adverse

Adverse or adverse interest, in law, is anything that functions contrary to a party's interest. This word should not be confused with averse.-Adverse possession:...

 response by the body to food

Food

Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...

 or a specific type of food.

The most common adverse reaction is a food allergy

Food allergy

A food allergy is an adverse immune response to a food protein. They are distinct from other adverse responses to food, such as food intolerance, pharmacological reactions, and toxin-mediated reactions....

, which is an adverse immune response to either a specific type or a range of food protein

Protein

Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...

s.

However, other adverse responses to food are not allergies. These reactions include responses to food such as food intolerance

Food intolerance

Food intolerance or non-allergic food hypersensitivity is a term used widely for varied physiological responses associated with a particular food, or compound found in a range of foods....

, pharmacological reactions, and toxin-mediated reactions, as well as physical responses, such as choking

Choking

Choking is the mechanical obstruction of the flow of air from the environment into the lungs. Choking prevents breathing, and can be partial or complete, with partial choking allowing some, although inadequate, flow of air into the lungs. Prolonged or complete choking results in asphyxia which...

.