Caerphilly County Borough Council Trading Standards are reminding local food businesses to ensure they understand their responsibilities around the provision of food allergen information.
The reminder coincides with Allergy Awareness Week, from 24 to 30 April, to highlight the risks associated with food allergies. ‘It’s time to take allergies seriously’ is the theme of this year’s national campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the psychological impact and isolation that comes with living with an allergy.
Food allergy symptoms can range from mild to life-threatening. A food allergy is caused by the immune system overreacting to certain types of food. The most common food allergens include peanuts, milk, eggs, tree nuts, shellfish, soy and wheat.
Cllr Philippa Leonard, Cabinet Member for Planning & Public Protection said:
“Allergy Awareness Week gives us a good opportunity to remind businesses of the importance of providing clear, accurate food allergen information.
We have seen cases locally where people living with food allergies have suffered an allergic reaction after eating unsafe food. We are keen to help prevent this and aim to protect consumers wherever possible”.
“It’s time to take allergies seriously” is the strapline for this year’s campaign and the message is simple. If you are a business who manufactures, prepares or sells food you must tell customers if any of the 14 allergens declared by law are in the food or drink you sell.
To ensure consumers living with food hypersensitivities can make safe food choices we would encourage them to ask for allergy information every time they order food and to check food ingredient labels”.
The Greater Gwent Food Group, a partnership between Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport City and Torfaen councils has produced a multilingual allergen resource for food businesses in Wales, England and Northern Ireland to help protect the estimated two million plus people living with a diagnosed food allergy in the UK.
The resources can be downloaded from the Chartered Trading Standards Institute website https://www.tradingstandards.uk/practitioners/food-allergen-resource/
The Food Standards Agency also offers free online food allergy and intolerance training at https://allergytraining.food.gov.uk/
For business advice or to report a food problem in a restaurant, a food shop, a concern about an item purchased or food ordered online contact:
tradingstandards@caerphilly.gov.uk Telephone 01443 811300.