Caerphilly food businesses are being urged to make sure they are following new rules around allergen labelling.
Research by the Food Standards Agency and Allergy UK has found that despite improvements, one in four people with a food allergy has suffered a reaction while eating out in a restaurant or cafe since new allergen labelling legislation came in a year ago. The survey 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 Caerphilly food businesses have to make information on 14 allergens available to consumers.
This ranges from the most common allergens, such as peanuts and gluten, to less well known triggers for allergic reactions such as mustard and celery. Around two million people in the UK suffer from allergies, including 2% of adults and 8% of children.
Lucy McMahon, 20, from Caerphilly, suffers from a dairy allergy.
She said: “Since the new legislation came in, I’ve noticed a big improvement in how restaurants and cafés cater for people with allergies, particularly at smaller businesses. Because of clearer labelling it’s becoming easier to find out which dishes contain dairy.
“However, while I really enjoy eating out at restaurants, it can still be a challenge. Even though staff are very helpful on average, everyone needs to understand how serious allergies can be and why it’s important to provide accurate information. I hope we’ll see awareness and education around allergies continue to improve in the future.”