New report on nut allergy labelling shows room for improvement

Thursday 13 June 2002

Ref: 2002/0228

A new report published today by the Food Standards Agency shows that the labelling of products that may contain traces of nuts is far from consistent and, rather than being helpful for people with nut allergy, the labelling is often confusing and difficult to read and locate.

People with nut allergy have to be extremely careful of the food they eat and labelling of food is very important for them.

Manufacturers often use the phrase "may contain" to indicate the possible presence of nut traces in food, either in the product ingredients or through contamination in the production process.

It is not a legal requirement to label nut trace contamination, but it's used to give people who have a nut allergy vital information.

However, consumers have raised concerns over the way this labelling is used.

They feel it is overused and can unnecessarily restrict consumer choice. They are also concerned that its use on unrelated products undermines valid warnings.

Faced with only anecdotal evidence, the Agency commissioned the Anaphylaxis Campaign, a respected organisation with expertise and experience in this area, to look closely at the issues raised.

The report shows that:

• More than half (56%) of the products in an average shopping basket were labelled with a phrase to indicate the presence of nuts.
• A wide variety of phrases are used to describe nut trace contamination, from 'may contain nut or nut traces', 'not suitable for nut allergy sufferers' to 'made in a production area that uses nuts'.
• Of the products examined, 11% carried allergen information in a different place on the label to the ingredient listing.
• The report shows that the shopper avoiding nuts took an average of 7 minutes, almost 30 seconds longer per item, to purchase a basket of 16 items.

Dr Catherine Boyle, Head of Allergy and Food Intolerance said;

'The Food Standards Agency recognises that "may contain" labelling is essential to allergy sufferers, and that manufacturers are striving to provide this information.

However this report confirms that consumers are concerned and confused about the inconsistent way this information is communicated.

'Using "may contain" as a blanket insurance policy has a real impact on nut allergy sufferers as they find their choice of even the most basic of food items significantly restricted.

We would encourage manufacturers to re-examine the labels they are using in light of this report, and will be working closely with them to develop new guidelines that are both practical and helpful.'

The Agency will use this research to consult the public and stakeholders on the best ways to improve the situation for nut allergy sufferers.

A programme of focus group work is already underway to examine in more detail the experience of the allergic consumer and to identify their preference on what is helpful and meaningful to them.

This work will be completed in early summer.

The recommendations of the focus group will, along with the report, be presented to key stakeholder groups.

The Agency will then work with industry and consumers to help identify practical solutions to these problems.