Background Information
In the UK there are around 10 deaths each year from food allergies. With each exposure the reaction gets worse: it can kill, and in some cases it does. In the UK alone, 40,000 people suffer life-threatening attacks every year, and, worryingly, the numbers of nut-allergy sufferers in Britain doubled between 2001 and 2005. At the present time, nearly two children in every 100 have a full peanut allergy - which is why every school, every restaurant and every parent has to be on guard.
But as yet, there is no legislation to enforce food labelling – most supermarkets do so for fear of being taken to court following an allergic reaction. Eating out is a fearful prospect for many vigilant parents of nut-allergy children, as the staff in many restaurants and pubs are unfamiliar with the ingredients they use and how they can affect certain people.
Anna was enjoying a family pub lunch in a popular UK coastal resort last summer when she witnessed the frightening scene of her 7-year old son screaming about the stinging spicy sensation on his tongue and then breaking out in red bumps all over his face. He had tried a teaspoonful of the honey and yoghurt dessert delivered to his father, which had been sprinkled with nuts. The waiting staff could not say what the nuts were and there was no mention of them on the menu. On further probing, none of the staff (except the chef) knew how and where nuts were used in all the establishment’s dishes.
Crucially, this was the first time Anna’s son had reacted to nuts but, thanks to the information she had received through his school, she knew exactly what they were dealing with and took him straight to the nearest hospital. Her son is now equipped with an Epi-pen and checking the labels on everything before it is allowed in the shopping trolley has become a life-saving habit.
Living with a nut-allergy requires acute awareness of what can be threatening to the sufferer because of the potential fatal consequences. According to Allergy UK, reactions to peanuts or nuts can be life threatening for nut-allergy sufferers. “Once diagnosed, it is important that nuts and all sources of nuts are excluded from the diet at all times. Peanut allergy is usually life-long, although a few patients do “grow out” of it.”
Although the standards of food labelling are improving year on year, the onus is on the consumer to find out about the content of foods himself. There will be foods where nuts are an obvious ingredient and those where it may be unexpected. Many supermarkets will provide a list of foods they consider to be nut-free on request. Allergy UK’s advice is simple: “Always read product labels. Always.”
At the present time, the EU is considering proposals for the regulation of food labelling that will simplify the information required by consumers. Once agreed, this new legislation will supersede current UK law. In the past 18 months the Food Standards Agency, the independent food guidance body set up by the Government in 2000, has worked with leading supermarkets and manufacturers in the UK to develop a more uniform approach to labelling, many of whom have adopted the “traffic light” scheme. This new activity has materialised on a mainly voluntary basis, since there are no laws, yet, that require all food sold to the consumer to provide certain details regarding the ingredients and processes used in their production.
High profile campaigning, government lobbying and the increased number of litigation cases over adverse reactions caused by foods that were not detailed in the labelling or packaging have forced supermarkets in particular to take an overly cautious approach. But restaurants are extremely varied in their level of knowledge and caution and the Food Standards Agency offers a great deal of advice for allergy-sufferers including some allergy chef cards that can be downloaded and passed to staff in the place you plan to dine.
The School Food Trust, established by the Department for Education and Skills in September 2005, is tasked with the transformation of school food and food skills, the promotion of education and health of children and young people and to improve the quality of food in schools. Their success in transforming the standard and choice of food available in schools is dependent on how the local authorities adopt their advice and guidance. As yet, there are no provisions for nut allergy sufferers according to their website, but given that new evidence is emerging that peanuts may not need to be avoided in pregnancy or in infant years, this may be an area of contention. A six-year study by King’s college London will be completed in 2012 and in the meantime, even the Department of Health is reviewing the advice it gives on the matter.
The independent organisation “Kids Allergies” recommends regular communication with head teachers and the devising of an action plan of managing your child’s allergy in school times without isolating them.
Information sources:
http://www.kidsallergies.co.uk/ManagingChildrensAllergiesAtSchool.html
http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/healthissues/foodintolerance/eatingoutwithallergy/