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Food Allergies

The substance in a food that causes an allergic reaction in certain people is called an allergen. Allergens are normally proteins, and there is usually more than one kind of allergen in each food.

Most allergic reactions to food are mild, but sometimes they can be very serious. If someone has a food allergy they can react to just a tiny amount of the food to which they are sensitive.

Allergies are characterised by the rapid release of chemicals in the body that cause the symptoms of the allergic reactions, which can occur within minutes or up to an hour or more after ingestion.

Whilst almost any food protein can cause an allergic reaction in some people, the most common food allergens in the UK include peanuts, nuts, milk, egg, fish and shellfish, soya wheat and sesame.

The proportion of the population with true food allergy is approximately 1-2% of adults and about 5-8% of children, which equates to about 1.5 million people in the UK.

From November 2005, labels on pre-packaged foods, including alcoholic drinks, are required to make it clear if the product contains certain ingredients to which people may be allergic or intolerant. These food labelling rules which will cover all European Union countries, list 12 foods that will now have to be mentioned if they are used in pre-packed food.

These are:

  • celery
  • cereals containing gluten (wheat, barley, rye and oats)
  • crustaceans (such as lobster and crab)
  • eggs
  • fish
  • milk
  • mustard
  • nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios and macadamia nuts,
  • peanuts,
  • sesame seeds
  • soybeans
  • sulphur dioxide and sulphites (preservatives used in some foods and drinks) at levels above 10mg per kg or per litre

Under these rules, labels must give clear information about ingredients made from the above listed foods, for example a glaze made from egg.