Creative Learning Solutions

Over the past twelve months, we have seen a conversation emerge in the allergy space around vegan products and current labelling practices. Last year, a study by Hampshire and Kent Scientific Services revealed that over a third (39%) of the 61 vegan-labelled foods they tested contained traces of egg or dairy, posing potential health risks for those with severe allergies.

This raises a question mark about the accuracy of current labelling practices for those living with food allergies, especially given that our 'living with a food allergy' survey found that 65% of parents with children who live with milk and egg allergies eat vegan products.

A free-from label is a food safety label and provides a guarantee that the product is free from the specified ingredient. Guidelines prevent a product from being labelled as free-from if it has a may contain statement; so why can a product be labelled as vegan despite having a may contain egg and dairy statement? The term ‘vegan’ is not defined by law; therefore, it isn’t a food safety label the way a ‘free-from’ is. The FSA website states that ‘a vegan claim on a food product means no ingredients of animal origin were intentionally used in the making of the product. However, there is still a risk that foods of animal origin could be unintentionally present in foods marked as vegan. This is due to the potential of cross-contamination at some point in the food supply chain.’

This is just another example of why and why there is a need for clear, accurate and transparent labelling. With more people making a choice to follow a vegan diet, there has been a rise in vegan products. This has opened up more choices for those managing certain food allergies. In theory, vegan products should be free of five of the top 14 allergens: crustaceans, eggs, dairy, fish and molluscs. But with current labelling practices, this just isn’t the case.

We know labelling of food products can be confusing. With full and accurate disclosure of all ingredients and transparent labelling, everyone can understand what is in the food they are eating. For those living with a food allergy, it goes beyond being a choice. It could be a matter of life or death.

Today is the day! Allergy UK is heading up to House of Commons in London to launch our Patient Charter, to raise awareness and understanding of the challenges that allergy patients face in all aspects of their lives - from accessing high quality care, wherever they live in the UK, to feeling equal in society that dismisses their condition and disregards their needs.

We believe