Free-from not trusted by allergy sufferers

14-Jun-2015 - Last updated on 15-Jun-2015 at 08:09 GMT

Allergy sufferers mistrust threshold levels, despite safety assurances

Allergy sufferers don't trust the safety of many free-from foods sold in supermarkets, the chief executive of the Anaphylaxis Campaign has claimed.

The trouble is that, apart from gluten-free foods, where products sold need to contain fewer than 20 parts per million of gluten before a claim can be made, there are no consistent rules yet governing the free-from sector, said Lynne Regent. And even with gluten-free foods, if you were severely allergic, you could not eat them, she noted.

“The number of foods sold as free-from is increasing,” said Regent. “But there is no legal definition of the term free-from.”

Weekly problems

The free-from sector was presenting the Anaphylaxis Campaign with problems on a weekly basis, she claimed. This included products labelled as being free-from something, but containing high levels of allergens. “So we would like to see something done about this.”

Surveys have also shown that clinically diagnosed allergy suffers, who are at risk of life-threatening anaphylaxis shock, are also suspicious of clinically determined ‘threshold levels’ for allergens being developed by the industry and other stakeholders, said Regent. If adopted in foods across Europe, they would ensure against an adverse reaction for 95% of allergy suffers.

A global survey of 10,000 respondents in 17 countries, co-ordinated by Anaphylaxis Canada, found allergy sufferers didn't trust threshold levels. Regent attributed this to a lack of understanding.

The Anaphylaxis Campaign strongly supports the introduction of allergen threshold levels, but believes allergy suffers need better communication about their merits from clinicians, such as dieticians and GPs, she added.

Won’t buy food

“When we asked individuals if they would buy a food if they could be sure it was capable of not triggering an allergic reaction, although the allergen was present, the majority said no. And then we asked: what if it gave you a mild reaction? And they also said no,” Regent said.

Hazel Gowland, an allergy sufferer and campaigner for the Anaphylaxis Campaign, will be speaking at the Food Manufacture Group’s Food safety conference: ‘Safer food and drink from harvest to home’, which will take place at the Lowry in Manchester on September 29.

For more information, visit the event’s website or call 01293 610354.