Trading Standards officers at Staffordshire County Council are helping local food businesses understand their responsibilities around food allergen labelling.
The reminder coincides with Allergy Awareness Week, from 24 to 30 April, to highlight the risks associated with food allergies. ‘It’s time to take allergies seriously’ is the theme of this year’s national campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the psychological impact and isolation that comes with living with an allergy.
Food allergies can range from mild to life-threatening. The most common food allergens include peanuts, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat. These allergens can cause an allergic reaction if they are ingested, inhaled, or come into contact with skin.
Anyone eating in a restaurant, bar or takeaway has the right to receive allergen information, either in written format or verbally. This should include the name of the food and a full list of ingredients, with any of the 14 major allergens emphasised in the list.
Recent market inspections carried out by Trading Standards officers also identified a number of imported foods where allergenic ingredients have not been declared. This resulted in incidents being notified to the Food Standards Agency and national product recalls taking place.
Further information about food allergies is available at Allergy UK.
People can report cases where they believe food is not correctly labelled to the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 08082231133.
