Allergens

1. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Food intolerances
and allergies

2. Learning objectives
• To identify the difference between a food
intolerance and an allergy.
• To recognise the common food intolerances
and causes of allergic reaction.
• To describe how allergens are identified on
food labelling.
• To examine how allergens can be consumed
inadvertently and discuss how to avoid
this.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

3. Food intolerance
Most people can eat foods without any
problems although they may have different
likes or dislikes that influence what they
choose.
However, some people react to certain foods
and eating them may cause uncomfortable
symptoms or, in rare cases, a severe illness.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

4. Reasons for food intolerance
There are many reasons for unpleasant
reactions to food. A general term for those that
are not caused by food poisoning are food
intolerances.
Food intolerance is more common in children
than in adults. Children often grow out of the
intolerance before they go to school.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

5. The difference between intolerances
and allergies
Food intolerances are more common than food
allergies. The symptoms of food intolerance
tend to come on more slowly, often many hours
after eating the problem food. Typical
symptoms include bloating and stomach
cramps.
A food allergy is a rapid and potentially serious
response to a food by your immune system.
It can trigger classic allergy symptoms such
as a rash, wheezing and itching.
Genuine food allergy is rare. About 2% of the
population and 8% of children under the age of
three are affected. (www.nhs.uk)
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

6. Food intolerances
• Gluten (coeliac disease) – the protein found
in wheat, rye, barley and some oats;
• Dairy (lactose) – the sugar found in all
mammals’ milk, e.g. cow’s, goat’s and
buffalo;
• Yeast – bread and cereal products
containing yeast, fermented or ripe foods,
vinegar and salad dressing.
(www.allergyuk.org)
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

7. Food allergies
Most unpleasant reactions to food are not true
food allergies.
A food allergy is one particular type of food
intolerance that involves the body’s immune
system. Food intolerances may cause
uncomfortable symptoms, but only true
allergies involve the immune system.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

8. Food allergies
The immune system is part of the body’s
defence system, as it protects against foreign
organisms like bacteria and viruses. In some
people, they may also react to substances in
foods, or in the environment, e.g. pollen or
animal fur.
This response is known as an allergic reaction.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

9. Causes of allergic reactions
Most foods may cause an allergy, the symptoms
of which can be uncomfortable but when severe
can be fatal.
In the UK, the most common food allergies are
to eggs, milk, fish, peanuts and tree nuts (such
as walnuts, Brazil nuts and almonds). * In the
UK, kiwi fruit allergy among children is
becoming more common.*
There are up to 10 recognised deaths from food
allergies in the UK every year. *
Source: http://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/food-industry/about-food-allergy
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

10. Symptoms
A food allergy usually occurs between a few
minutes and a few hours after eating a
particular food.
The symptoms of food allergies vary from
person to person and can include:
• Coughing;
• Dry, itchy throat and tongue;
• Nausea and feeling bloated;
• Wheezing and shortness of breath;
• Swelling of the lips and throat;
• Runny or blocked nose;
• Sore, red and itchy eyes.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

11. Preventing allergic reactions
People who have an allergic reaction to foods or
ingredients must be particularly careful about
what they eat and reading labels and menus
carefully is especially important.
New rules that came into effect from December
2014 include the way allergen information
appears on labels and on food that is pre-
packed, sold loose or served in a restaurant,
café or take-away.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

12. Major allergens
Fourteen major allergens have been identified
and will be highlighted on the label within the
ingredients list. They are:
• Cereals containing gluten;
• Crustaceans, e.g. prawns, crabs, lobster
and crayfish;
• Eggs;
• Fish;
• Peanuts;
• Soybeans;
• Milk;
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

13. Major allergens
• Nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts,
walnuts, pecan nuts, Brazil nuts,
pistachio, cashew and macadamia nuts;
• Celery (and celeriac);
• Mustard;
• Sesame;
• Sulphur dioxide which is a preservative
found in some dried fruit such as
apricots;
• Lupin;
• Molluscs, e.g. clams, mussels, whelks,
oysters, snails and squid.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

14. How will allergens be listed on a
food label?
The fourteen major allergens will be highlighted
on the label within the ingredients list rather
than in a separate box as has been done in the
past.
The allergen could be identified in bold,
highlighted, underlined or in italics.
The example below is for a basic Victoria
sponge:
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Eggs, wheat flour, butter, sugar, vanilla essence,
baking powder

15. Eating out
From December 2014, information on any of
the 14 allergens used as ingredients will need
to be provided for foods sold without
packaging or wrapped on site, e.g. in delis,
cafes and restaurants.
This information could be written down on a
chalk board or chart, or provided orally by a
member of staff.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

16. Unexpected allergens
Most severe allergic reactions are triggered by
an ingredient that was intended to be in the
product but the consumer did not read the
label or menu carefully or had been
misinformed by staff when eating out.
Examples of this could be:
• Peanut flour used to thicken the sauce in a
takeaway curry;
• Nuts present in a coronation chicken salad;
• Milk present in a minor ingredient in a pre-
packed or catered food.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

17. Did you know?
People with allergies or preparing food at home
need to be aware that:
• Peanuts are also known as groundnuts;
• Satay sauce is made with peanuts;
• Marzipan, praline, nougat and frangipane
are made with nuts;
• Pesto sauce can be made with nuts, and also
contains milk;
• Waldorf salad contains nuts;
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

18. Did you know?
• Dishes containing sesame include tahini and
hummus;
• Whey and casein are proteins in milk and
therefore must be avoided by people with
milk allergy;
• Caesar salad dressing normally contains
anchovies;
• Worcestershire sauce is likely to contain
anchovies.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

19. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Acknowledgement
For further information, go to: www.food4life.org.uk
© LMC 2015