🚨 Allergy Alert: More Foods Could Require Warning Labels! 🚨
Researchers have sounded the alarm on “emerging allergens” that aren’t yet included in mandatory labelling, despite being behind many serious reactions. Foods like goat’s milk, pine nuts, buckwheat, peas, and lentils might soon need allergy warnings due to their connection to life-threatening anaphylaxis. 📋
🔍 In a study analysing food-induced anaphylaxis cases reported over two decades in France, eight such allergens were responsible for around 413 serious reactions, including two deaths. Experts suggest it’s about time to update the allergen list to help protect people from unexpected and dangerous allergies.
🌿 Researchers recommend keeping an eye on ingredients such as kiwi, apple, beehive products like pollen, and alpha-gal (found in red meat) as they could pose hidden risks.
✅ In the UK and EU, there are currently 14 major allergens that must be noted on food packaging, including:
– Celery
– Gluten-containing cereals
– Crustaceans
– Eggs
– Fish
– Lupin
– Milk
– Molluscs
– Mustard
– Peanuts
– Sesame
– Soybeans
– Sulphur dioxide and sulphites
– Tree nuts
💡 Allergy UK is advocating for all-inclusive ingredient labelling to ensure safety. With products like pea protein sneaking into unexpected places, it’s crucial for labels to be clearer and more reliable.
🔗 Watch out for vague “may contain” warnings and ensure to scrutinise labels before eating. Allergy UK is pushing for better regulations to protect the 21 million people in the UK living with allergies, and for a registry to understand and mitigate the risks of anaphylaxis.
Stay safe, and always check before you munch! 🛍️🍽️