Allergy researchers call for better food labelling
by
, 30-05-2012 at 21:41
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My gorgeous little neice recently had a mild reaction to peanuts.
She is currently in the process of having further testing done but in the meantime we've been told to be vigilant when giving her food.
Well that is easier said than done.
Ever cautious while she was in my care recently I began reading labels before giving her the same food as my little boy. Rice crackers? Nope, they may contain traces of peanuts ... Cereal snacks? Nope, same reason.
Almost everything I had in the cupboard warned of a potential risk. I was confused and it appears that I'm not the only one ...
Allergy researchers call for better food labelling
Precautionary food labels such as "may contain" or "may be present" are confusing and could increase the risk to children with allergies, according to allergy researchers.
Researchers at Murdoch Childrens Research Institute have called for improved labelling as they say the current system makes it hard for consumers to make informed decisions when buying food.
Associate Professor Katie Allen says food allergy has reached epidemic proportion with one in 10 children born with allergies.
"Buying food products with confidence can be a daunting task for parents with children with food allergy," she says.
"The high number of products that contain precautionary statements as highlighted in our report continues to restrict food choices for the allergic customer.”
Co-lead researcher, Giovanni Zurzolo, a Victoria University PhD student based at the institute, says the large number of products containing vague food labelling statements restricts choice and could cause apprehension for consumers.
A/Professor Allen says the precautionary food labelling system needs to be changed.
"We would like to see a more rationale use of precautionary labelling based on good manufacturing processing like the Voluntary Incidental Trace Allergen Labelling (VITAL) 2.0 system," she says.
For more information visit the Murdoch Children Research Institute
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