Trace One issues food allergy increase warning

 

The British food industry needs to prepare for an explosion in food allergies, Trace One has warned.

Following a series of Freedom of Information requests and research, it is clear that adverse reactions to food across Great Britain are growing at a concerning rate; with the number of hospital admissions for serious reactions growing by almost 75% in England in the last 10 years.

In comparison, the population has grown by only 8% in this time, so this increase cannot simply be down to there being more potential sufferers, the company says.

This pattern is repeated in Scotland, where the number of patients consulting a GP or practice nurse for a food allergy increased by over 20% between 2004 and 2013, versus a population increase of under 5%.

Trace One says transparency will become increasingly critical for the industry and consumers, both to know exactly and reliably what potential allergens products contain and to swiftly recall products in the event of supply chain issues that could put higher risk allergy sufferers in significant danger.

“The rise in demand for ‘free from’ products started in the UK but is now a trend in all industrialised countries. It has often been dismissed as a fad, with lifestyle choices rather than genuine health reasons driving the majority of purchase decisions. However it’s clear from our research that we are facing a huge rise in both minor and major food allergies that can’t be explained away by factors such as population growth,” comments Shaun Bossons, EVP for global business development at Trace One.

“Our research found that hospital admissions in England due to food reactions rose from 2,758 in 2004 to 4,744 in 2015. For anaphylactic shock specifically it almost doubled. Transparency in the food supply industry will be a major step in limiting any further growth in the admissions rate. It’s a big, indeed life and death, responsibility for retailers.”

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