Allergen alerts - new survey published

A survey by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Allergy UK has shown that whilst there have been improvements for those with allergies since new labelling rules came into force in December 2014, ‘more needs to be done’.

The survey found one in four has suffered a reaction while eating out in a restaurant or cafe since new allergen labelling legislation became law. See our previous news - Allergen alert. It also found that nearly one in five (19%) of those allergic reactions resulted in a hospital visit.

The EU Food Information for Consumers (FIC) legislation came into force in December 2014, and means that food businesses have to make information on 14 allergens available to consumers.

The survey, which was carried out to mark Allergy Awareness Week 2016, found that overall 83% of respondents reported noticing an increase in measures designed to make life easier for allergic consumers  – including menus marking out allergens, and staff actively checking food information with the kitchen.  More than half (58%) of allergic consumers said that their overall experience of eating out has improved; just 6% said it has got worse. As a result, a similar proportion (52%) say they now feel more confident eating out than they did before the legislation was introduced.

The FSA indicated that people with allergies still report a number of problems when eating out.  More than two-thirds (69%) have experienced staff not understanding the severity of an allergy, and how easily a mistake can cause a reaction. A similar number (68%) have seen staff with a lack of knowledge of what’s on the menu or in the food – including staff confusing eggs with dairy, or assuming that the customer was asking for gluten-free rather than avoiding lupin (a grain commonly used in place of wheat). Over half of allergic consumers (56%) said they have been made to feel like an inconvenience due to their allergy.

 In total, around a third of those with a food allergy have suffered a reaction in the last year when eating out of the home. The vast majority of these (25%) took place in a restaurant or cafe, with 9% being a result of takeaway food. In most cases (88%) the reaction was self-treated, with 19% of reactions resulting in a hospital visit.

 The full survey and results can be found here.