A food allergy is when the body's immune system reacts to certain foods. Usually allergic reactions are mild, but there are some that are severe. Allergists must avoid foods that cause them. Importantly - European legislation, based on scientific grounds, ensures the presence of allergen information on food packaging.
Food allergies. How to check the composition of food?
Published Aug. 26, 2024 10:07
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The most common allergies are caused by nuts, shellfish and some fruits. An allergic reaction can be triggered by even a small amount of a food ingredient to which a person is sensitive. As the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) points out, symptoms of an allergic reaction can be mild (itching or rash), but can develop into more severe ones - vomiting, diarrhea, wheezing and (occasionally) anaphylaxis, or shock.
Food intolerances occur when people have difficulty digesting certain substances (such as gluten) and experience bloating, stomach cramps and diarrhea.
Therefore, it is extremely important to be able to easily identify allergens on food labels. By checking the ingredients on packaged food labels for allergens and the information on unpackaged foods, these products can be avoided.
- Labeling requirements for ingredients in foods that can cause allergies are crucial so that allergy sufferers can avoid them. In addition to providing advice for use in labeling, scientists are also evaluating new ingredients when they are potential allergens, and analyzing how factors such as food processing can affect their allergenic potential, says Antonio Fernandez Dumont, protein safety specialist at EFSA.
Currently, manufacturers of food sold in the European Union must label 14 allergens. These include flakes containing gluten, milk, eggs, nuts, peanuts, soybeans, fish, shellfish, mollusks, celery, lupin, sesame, mustard and sulfites. As the science of allergens continues to evolve, this list may be updated in the future.
Elaborated. based on: EFSA
