The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has announced a new campaign highlighting the risk of food labelled as vegan to people with allergies.
The campaign comes as new research released by the FSA, which shows that 62 per cent of people who react to animal-based products, or who buy for someone who is, are confident that products labelled ‘Vegan’ are safe to eat, which is incorrect and may be putting them at risk.
In response, the FSA has launched a campaign to support people who have an allergy to milk, eggs, fish and crustaceans or molluscs. It encourages people with allergies, or who buy for someone who has, to always check for a precautionary allergen statement such as ‘may contain’, on products labelled ‘Vegan’ to decide on whether it’s safe to eat.
The research from the FSA has found 54 per cent of those who react to products of animal origin have used vegan labelling to indicate whether a food is safe to eat at least sometimes when buying packaged food, and 53 per cent who buy for someone with a food hypersensitivity to products of animal origin have used vegan labelling in this way at least sometimes when buying packaged food. Furthermore, 29 per cent of people who react to or buy for those who react to products of animal origin weren’t aware they should check for a precautionary allergen label on vegan products to inform a decision on whether it’s safe to eat.
Emily Miles, CEO of the Food Standards Agency, explained: “It’s concerning that so many people who are allergic to milk, eggs, fish and crustaceans or molluscs believe food labelled as ‘Vegan’ is safe for them to eat because they assume it doesn’t contain products of animal origin. Unfortunately, the reality of food production means there is still a risk of cross-contamination with animal-based allergens in vegan and plant-based products if produced in the same factory as animal-based products.
“That is why, through our ‘Vegan Food and Allergens Campaign’, we are urging people to always check for a label such as a ‘may contain’ and have a conversation about their allergens with food servers and businesses. I hope this campaign will support people to have confidence in making food choices that are safe for them to enjoy.”
The campaign also explains how a free-from label, which is a food safety label, is different to a vegan or plant-based label. To use a free-from label, food businesses must follow strict processes to eliminate risks of cross-contamination so that they do not contain any of the allergen that they claim to be free-from.
