Allergy Family October ’24 Issue 3

The newsletter for the Allergy Community, our families, friends, colleagues, and food providers.

What’s the buzz?

Recalls

There has been a lot of activity over the past couple of weeks due to recalls of over 50 food products (thus far) that have been contaminated with peanut in mustard.

The saga continues, because there is still uncertainty as to how far this has gone around the country, or even the world. The ingredient originated in India, and has been found in numerous places.

The question remains unanswered as to how this happened. How and when was the contamination discovered? Did someone consume some of the mustard and have an allergic reaction? Where was it found? Why was it not noticed before it got though the food chain? What will be done to make sure this never happens again?

The answers to these questions may never be given even if they are known, but we must always be on our guard.

What we do know is that the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has been working hard to locate all the businesses and products that have been affected. There have been almost daily updates, adding information, new items, use by and best before dates for many items to identify them. Some of the use by dates have passed us by now, but there are many more in the future, even as far as 2026.

Whilst on the subject, did you know that there have been 185 products recalled due to allergens since January 1st 2024, with over 30 brands affected? The reasons range from undeclared allergens, foods in the wrong packaging, to labels in foreign languages.

I am not sharing this to be a scaremonger, but to highlight the problems we face each day as The Allergy Community. It has taken a lot of effort to get the message out there about the contamination of mustard with peanuts, and there are still people who may not be aware of it, particularly those who do not watch the news, read the papers or have social media. Please, whenever you hear about a recall, make sure all your family, friends, colleagues and neighbours know about it, you might save a life.

Eliciting Doses

You may well ask, ‘What are you talking about?’.

Good question!

We all know what a ‘May Contain’ statement is, or PAL, or ‘Not suitable for anyone with an allergy to x, y, z’. We also know how confusing they can be.

There has been a lot of research into how much of an allergen will cause a reaction in someone who has an allergy. This is being translated into ED levels, with the aim of food producers having to only use PAL when the food contains more than a set level of any particular known allergen. It is something akin to what is already in place for the definition of Gluten Free, i.e. 20ppm which equates to 2g gluten in 100kg of flour.

Currently, there is a lot of discussion taking place about whether this will be help or hindrance.

From what we know about allergies, everyone reacts differently. In the same person each reaction may be different and will depend on various factors. From the amount of allergen ingested, through combinations with other foods, stress, other illnesses, and exercise, all these may have an impact on the intensity of an allergic reaction.

We will take a closer look at this in a future issue, but personally, my concern is that it could fuel the thought that ‘a little bit wont hurt’, when we also know that a little bit has the potential to kill.

It will take a long time to separate the acceptable from the unacceptable.

You can read an article that I wrote in October 2023 here (9) A little bit won’t hurt. How much is ‘a little bit’? | LinkedIn

?Near Miss Reporting

The Importance of Near-Miss Reporting in Food Safety for Allergens

Caroline Benjamin & Jacqui McPeake are working together with the aim, to get food business operators to report Near Miss incidence.? Together they campaigned and produced the Near Miss Report- to obtain your copy click here or visit HASUK.co.uk for more information

Food hypersensitivity, including food allergies, intolerances, and coeliac disease, affects millions of people worldwide. While awareness has grown, food business operators (FBOs) must constantly evolve to improve safety practices, ensuring customers with food hypersensitivities are protected. The recent Near Miss Campaign Report from Hospitality Allergen Support UK sheds light on the critical aspect of: near-miss reporting, and how it can save lives.

What Is a Near Miss and Why Does It Matter?

A near miss in the context of food safety occurs when an incident almost results in an allergic reaction but is caught before it causes harm. For example, a customer may notice that their food contains an ingredient they're allergic to before consuming it. It may also involve staff identifying and correcting an allergen contamination risk before the food reaches the customer, or removing a dish served on realising it is not safe.

These near misses may or may not result in a physical reaction, but they are crucial warning signs of potential system failures. Near misses offer a window of opportunity to spot areas where the process has failed or how procedures can be improved before a serious, possibly fatal, allergic reaction occurs.

However, as the Near Miss Campaign Report points out, near misses often go unreported or unrecognised, meaning lessons aren’t learned, and the same mistakes could be repeated.

HASUK is working with hospitality to help them report near misses in business, but also encouraging consumers to report near misses.

We all need to work together on this, so here is the link to report near misses: https://foodallergyreaction.report

Get in touch with Caroline Benjamin or Jacqui McPeake to find out more

Caroline Benjamin - [email protected].uknbsp; - 07732 637292

Jacqui McPeake - [email protected].uknbsp; - 07846 067054

Food Allergy Friends Support Group

We started a Food Allergy Friends Support group some years ago on Facebook.

As we really didn’t know what we were doing (the royal we, as it was just me), it didn’t take off very well. I am now revamping it to become a paid membership via the Food Allergy Friends website.

There are two options:

Monthly membership at ￡5 per month plus a one off admin fee of ￡5 for setting up your membership benefits.

Annual Membership at ￡50 for the year, plus a one off admin fee of ￡5 for setting up your membership benefits.

Membership includes:

·?????? Full monthly newsletter

·?????? At least one recipe per month

·?????? Food Sensitive Buddies Support Group

·?????? Allergen Awareness Flipbook

Annual membership gives the added bonus of 2 months free membership and a copy of our ‘Allergy Friendly Christmas Recipe e-book’, which will be emailed at the beginning of December.

Sign up here to continue seeing the full newsletter each month, with the added bonuses. www.foodallergyfriends.com/membership

The Allergy Friendly Christmas Recipe e-book (and other recipes) will also be available to purchase at https://www.provecho.bio/@foodallergyfriends

This month’s recipe

Quinoa Tebbouleh

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 carrot

1 small onion or leek

2 mushrooms

1 stick celery

??courgette

1 clove garlic

200g quinoa, rinsed

1 tbsp vegetable or olive oil

250mls water

herbs and seasoning to taste

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Method.

Cut all the vegetable into small, evenly sized pieces.

Put the oil and vegetables in a pan, cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring to ensure even cooking and that nothing sticks.?

Add the rinsed quinoa, water, and herbs of your choice.

Return to the heat and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until the quinoa is translucent and soft. Check and stir occasionally and add more water if necessary.?

Season to taste.

Serve with salad, or as a side to a main dish.

Delicious hot on a cold day, or cold on a summer's day.

Tips and ideas

Halloween: there are other things to give for Trick or Treat than sweets, cookies and cakes. A small toy or craft item could be an alternative.

When throwing a party, whether it is a traditional Halloween theme or a Light/Bright party, bear in mind that there may be someone there who has allergies.

If it is you or your child with the allergies, speak to the organisers, to make sure everyone has something. Offer to provide a few safe treats, or even organise it yourself.

Remember, remember the 5th of November:

If you’re attending a bonfire party, think ahead and check whether there will be suitable food choices. Many people will provide burgers and hotdogs, but another option would be jacket potatoes, making sure there is a milk-free spread and fillings.

However you are celebrating, don’t be scared to tell hosts about any allergies.

?Next month

Breaking Bread, with Oli Weatherall

More about Near Miss Reporting

Shshshsh Christmas is coming

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