The government has proposed tougher food labelling laws to protect the two million food allergy sufferers across the country.
If the proposals go through, all packaged foods may be required to have a full list of ingredients.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has launched a consultation into food labelling. They will particularly focus on foods that are made, packaged and sold in the same stores.
The move follows the death of Fulham teenager Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who suffered an allergic reaction to a Pret a Manger baguette in 2016.
When buying the baguette at Heathrow airport, Natasha was assured it was safe to eat despite the lack of specific allergen information on the packaging. However, the sandwich contained undisclosed sesame seeds and she went into cardiac arrest on her flight to Nice.
Natasha’s parents, Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, made a statement on Twitter:
"It is now vital that the industry seizes the opportunity to support Natasha's Law. For too long, food producers and retailers have been playing Russian Roulette with people's lives. " Our statement on govt's new proposals for food allergen labelling.https://t.co/A97UWgXly5
— Tanya Ednan-Laperouse (@LaperouseTanya) January 25, 2019
Environment Secretary Michael Gove wants to pay tribute to Natasha’s parents inspirational work by delivering “Natasha’s Law”.
In its effort to safeguard British consumers, DEFRA will ask businesses and allergy sufferers to choose between four options: full ingredient listing, allergen-only labelling, ‘ask the staff’ labels, or promoting ‘best practice around communicating allergen information to consumers’.
The consultation looks to protect two million food allergy sufferers across the UK and ensure that they regain confidence in the safety of their food.
Feature photo by Brandee via Flickr