Adults are confused about allergens found in everyday food

We should know exactly what ingredients go into the food we eat. If you’re someone who has a food allergy, a trip to the shops can be more like a forensic investigation. Each product must be examined, every ingredient studied. But new legislation is set to change how food is labelled in the UK to ensure Britons aren’t forced to decipher food labels and what they eat doesn’t put them at risk of an allergic reaction.

A new study commissioned by GS1 UK – which is leading the campaign for extra transparency from the food industry – shows only 43% correctly identified nuts as an allergen in pesto, while just 48% knew tofu was made from soybeans. Moreover, one in five (18%) believe they have a food allergy – yet one in six (16%) cannot identify ANY allergens in common food groups.

The research also highlights that one in seven (15%) Britons feel food packaging could do more to alert consumers about what their food contains. In fact, the majority didn’t know that Natasha’s Law will come into effect in October 2021.

Aston spoke to Professor Adam Fox, consultant paediatric allergist and resident allergy expert on ITV’s This Morning and Anne Godfrey, CEO of GS1 UK.

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