Allergy and intolerance
This section gives information on the Food Standards Agency's work on food allergy and intolerance, including research, labelling, advice to caterers and guidance notes.
The Food Standards Agency's approach to food allergy and intolerance has three main aims:
- to fund research that will help increase our knowledge and understanding of food allergy and intolerance
- strengthen food labelling rules to help people who need to avoid certain ingredients
- help raise awareness of food allergy and intolerance among caterers
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Allergy Alerts
Sometimes foods have to be withdrawn or recalled if there is a risk to consumers because the allergy labelling is missing or incorrect or if there is any other food allergy risk.
Food allergen labelling
People with some food allergies, particularly peanut allergy, have to be extremely careful what they eat. Food labelling is very important to these people because the consequences of eating the food they are allergic to could be very serious.
Food intolerance and allergy research
Agency research work that investigates food intolerance and allergy.
Guidance for food businesses on allergy and intolerance
This guidance is designed to help food businesses provide information to customers who need to avoid certain ingredients because of an allergy. It includes general advice and information on allergy and intolerance and specific voluntary best practice guidance on pre-packed foods, loose foods and the food labelling rules.
Labelling of 'gluten free' foods
Around 1% of people in the UK are intolerant to gluten (often referred to as coeliac disease) and need to avoid foods containing gluten to prevent potentially serious health effects. This makes labelling claims about gluten in foods an important issue.
Peanuts during pregnancy, breastfeeding and early childhood
In August 2009, the Government revised its advice to consumers about eating peanuts during pregnancy, breastfeeding and the first few years of life, in relation to the risk of developing peanut allergy in childhood.