image 1
The British Nutrition Foundation states that 1 to 2 adults
in 100 have a food allergy. When it comes to children with food allergies, the
percentage is even higher, between 5% to 8%.
Almost any type of food can trigger allergic
reactions. FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education Association) names 9 main
foods that cause the majority of reactions:
Cow’s MILK Most common in babies and young children, in most cases they get cured as they grow. |
EGG Most allergies are caused by the egg white, young children usually outgrow it. |
PEANUTS Usually lifelong, only a small percentage outgrow this type of allergy |
SOY Most of the young children leave the soy allergy behind as they get older. |
WHEAT 2/3 of the small children stop being sensitive to wheat by the age of 12.
|
TREE NUT (walnut, almond, hazelnut, pecan, cashew and pistachio) It is usually lifelong. |
SHELLFISH • crustaceans (as shrimp, crab and lobster) • mollusks (clams, mussels, oysters, scallops and octopus) The allergy to shellfish is usually lifelong.
|
FISH (salmon, tuna, catfish and cod) Generally, people do not overcome the fish allergy. |
SESAME A small number of children surpass this type of allergy. |
Allergens and Food Labelling
The vast majority of cases where people had to go to
hospital when they had a food allergy episode could simply be avoided by the
person not consuming the food element that triggers the allergy. In order to
reduce the number of accidentally triggered life threatening allergy episodes,
the European Union introduced a new law in 2014.
‘The Food
Information to Consumers Regulation ….. combines general and nutrition
labelling provisions together into a single regulation to simplify and
consolidate existing labelling legislation. Its aim is to help consumers make
better and more informed choices about the food they buy’ (Gallani B., Turtle
A. 2015)
Practically the labels on all pre-packed food must not
only mention but emphasize in the ingredients list the allergens present in the
food product. ‘This includes substances produced or derived from allergens or
used in processing the food.’ (Gov.Uk 2015)
The Food
Standards Agency lists a number of 14 allergens: celery, cereals (wheat, rye,
barley, oats), crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, tree
nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, soybeans, sulphur dioxide and sulphites.
The most recent changes in food labelling will be
introduced by the Natasha Law that will come to effect in October 2021. This
will call for full ingredients list and allergens to be listed on the labels of
the pre-packed food products.
Food Allergy in Restaurants
Businesses that sell food to customers directly, such
as restaurants, must display in written the allergens found in the food they
offer to customers. The information must be visible, easy to find by the
customers.
In the context of the current lockdown, takeaways and
food delivery services have become more popular. At the same time, it is more
difficult for people with food allergies to find out exactly what the food they
order contains. That is why, when taking orders online or over the phone, the
seller must provide allergen information to the buyer in 2 steps: ‘before the
purchase of the food is completed’ and ‘when the food is delivered’ (Food.gov.uk,
2020)
The British Nutrition Foundation (2009) ‘What is food
allergy and intolerance?’ https://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritionscience/allergy/what-is-food-allergy-and-intolerance.html,
accessed December 10, 2020
The Food Allergy Research and Education Association
(2019) ‘Common Allergens’ https://www.foodallergy.org/living-food-allergies/food-allergy-essentials/common-allergens,
accessed at January 5, 2021
The Food Standards Agency (2020) ‘Allergen guidance
for food businesses’ https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/allergen-guidance-for-food-businesses#allergen-information-for-different-types-of-food-businesses
, accessed at February 20, 2021
The Food Standards Agency (2017) ‘Allergen Labelling
for Food Manufacturers’ https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/allergen-labelling-for-food-manufacturers
, accessed at February 20, 2021
Gallani B. , Turtle A. (2015) ‘Food allergen
labelling: Legislative requirements and guidance’ https://www.newfoodmagazine.com/article/17019/food-allergen-labelling-legislative-requirements-and-guidance/
, accessed at February 20,2021
Gov.uk (2015) ‘Food labelling: giving food information
to consumers’ https://www.gov.uk/guidance/food-labelling-giving-food-information-to-consumers,
accessed at February 20,2021
Official Journal of the European Union (2011)
‘Regulation … On the Provision of Food Information to Consumers’ https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:304:0018:0063:EN:PDF
, accessed at February 20, 2021
Image 1 Lorne E, Shutterstock available at https://www.news-medical.net/health/Food-Allergy-and-Intolerance-Research.aspx , accessed at February 20, 2021
