Allergens
I have a serious food allergy — how can I check whether there are any traces of allergens in my food?
A food allergy occurs when the body's immune system reacts to specific foods. Although allergic reactions are often mild, they can be serious. And the only way to manage the condition is to avoid food that makes the person ill. European legislation, backed by science, ensures that allergen advice can be found on food packaging.
People typically suffer from allergies to nuts, shellfish, and certain fruits. An allergic reaction can be produced by a tiny amount of a food ingredient that a person is sensitive to. Symptoms of an allergic reaction can be mild (itching or a rash) but can progress to more severe symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, wheezing and on occasion anaphylaxis (shock).
Food intolerances are when people have difficulty digesting certain substances, such as gluten, and experience bloating, stomach cramps, and diarrhoea.
So, it’s really important to be able to easily identify allergens on food labels.
By checking ingredients on labels of prepacked foods which provide allergen ingredients and information for non-prepacked foods, this means people can steer clear if they are allergic.
The labelling requirements for allergenic ingredients on food products are crucial so that people with allergies can avoid ingredients that can make them sick. As well as giving advice for use in labelling, scientists also evaluate new ingredients in case they are potential allergens and look at how factors like food processing might affect allergenic potential.
Antonio Fernandez Dumont, a protein safety specialist at EFSA.
European scientists responsible for food allergies contributed their scientific advice to the legislative process for the labelling of food. Currently, manufacturers of food sold in the European Union must label 14 allergens under EU law. These include cereals containing gluten, milk, eggs, nuts, peanuts, soybeans, fish, crustaceans, molluscs, celery, lupin, sesame, mustard and sulphites. And the science of allergens continues to evolve so this list could be updated in future.
It is reassuring to know that science is there to help consumers make safe choices.