Anaphylaxis Campaign

Supporting people at risk of severe allergies

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£1.5m grant announced to help local authorities implement food labelling laws  

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The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and The Food Standards Agency (FSA) have announced a grant to help local authorities enforce new food labelling laws.

Businesses already had to ensure foods pre-packaged off site showed a full ingredients list, with major allergens highlighted. The new law, known as Natasha’s Law, which came into force in October 2021, means food packed on site must also meets the same standards.

For local authorities, this means an increased workload of inspecting businesses to ensure they’re meeting the new requirements.

Defra and the FSA will pay for these extra costs until 31 March 2023. Their calculations have been based on the assumption that businesses selling pre-packaged foods will be inspected once every two years. The total value of the grant is £1,529,855.

To find out more and to see a full list of local authorities set to receive the grant, see the government website.

 

 

Promising results as Viaskin Peanut trial in peanut-allergic toddlers concludes

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A recent trial by DBV Technologies has produced promising results for very young children with peanut allergies and their families.

The trial assessed whether Viaskin Peanut – an immunotherapy skin patch – was safe, and if it worked for children between one and three years old. Most peanut-allergic children are diagnosed between these ages, but there are currently no approved therapies for this age group.

For a successful result, toddlers intolerant to tiny amounts (10 mg or less) of peanut protein, needed to be able to tolerate 300 mg or more after 12 months. Toddlers who could already manage more than 10 mg had to be tolerant of 1,000 mg of peanut protein after 12 months.

Results:

  • Did it work? Viaskin Peanut met the trial’s criteria for 67% of toddlers on the trial, compared to 33.5% in a placebo trial.
  • Was it safe? 8.6% of toddlers had adverse reactions – this was most commonly mild to moderate skin reactions – compared to 2.5% in the placebo trial.

The findings matched results from other trials DBV Technologies has carried out with children aged four and over. Many of the families (88%) have opted for the toddlers to continue to benefit from the treatment by signing up for a further long-term trial.

Simon Williams, Chief Executive of the Anaphylaxis Campaign, says, “It’s easy for parents of small children to get disheartened about peanut allergy when there is such a lack of treatments. But the truth is, research and development is evolving all the time. This latest trial from DBV Technologies gives us further hope for a much brighter future for families living with peanut allergy.”

Dr Pharis Mohideen, Chief Medical Officer of DBV Technologies, said, “We are thrilled by the topline results of EPITOPE, our second Phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Viaskin Peanut.

“We are grateful to the toddlers and their parents, caregivers and allergists who are contributing to a brighter future by having participated in this first-of-its kind trial.”

FSA approves fully refined corn (maize) oil as temporary substitute for sunflower oil

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The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has updated its guidance on which oils may be used as a substitute for sunflower oil, in light of the continuing supply issues caused by the conflict in Ukraine.

The FSA previously advised that fully refined rapeseed oil, fully refined palm oil, fully refined coconut oil and fully refined soybean oil could be used as a substitute. The FSA has now added fully refined corn (maize) oil to this list.

These oils can replace sunflower oil as a temporary measure. Businesses have been asked to inform consumers using posters and website information if they have not had time to update ingredients labels.

All the substitute oils are fully refined. In most cases it is the protein in a food item that will cause an allergic reaction, and the process of refining and oil removes this protein. For more information on vegetable oils, see our knowledgebase article. If you have any concerns about the new guidance, please call our helpline on 01252 542029.

To see the full guidance from the FSA, click here.

Louise, volunteer allergy buddy

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Allergy buddy LouiseLouise has spontaneous idiopathic anaphylaxis, and multiple other severe allergies. We supported her after a nurse recommended us, and she later became a volunteer.

“I started volunteering as an allergy buddy to be there for someone else. I knew how scary the diagnosis and Anaphylaxis could be, and the idiopathic not known part can cause so much anxiety. I’ve also run an adult idiopathic support group, which was great for reassuring and passing on hints and tips.

“I’ve found that helping and supporting allergy buddies has helped me adjust better. It is rewarding when my buddies send me messages to say that hints and tips have worked and that they are doing well. Volunteering for the Anaphylaxis Campaign has been a ray of light in a dark period of my life.”

If you would like to help someone else by being an allergy buddy, please sign up here.

The Jubilee and allergies: top tips for celebrating safely

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Jubilee buntingThe Platinum Jubilee Celebrations are almost upon us! With an estimated 16,000 street parties planned across the country, if you have allergies, it’s important to think ahead. See below for our top tips on staying safe and making sure nothing gets in the way of you and your guests/customers having a fantastic Jubilee weekend.

Food allergies

Remember that most street parties are not hosted by registered food businesses and, whilst organisers are encouraged to provide allergen information, it’s not a legal requirement.

Follow our top tips for staying safe with food allergies:

• Make sure you have your medication with you, that it’s in date and that you know how to use it.
• Ask about ingredients, how the food is prepared and whether cross-contamination with your allergens is likely. Speak clearly, factually, politely and calmly.
• If the risks seem high because you cannot find out ingredients, or you suspect the food has been prepared with or near your allergens, don’t eat it.
• Bring some pre-packed safe food from home as a backup if needed.
• Always tell someone you’re with if you think you’re having a reaction.
• Treat your reaction according to your emergency care plan and dial 999, or get a friend to do so.
• If you feel at all faint or dizzy, lie down on the floor, ideally with your knees up on a chair. Don’t stand up suddenly.

If you purchase food from a registered food business, for example a catering truck, allergen food information regulations apply – see our guide to eating out for more details and tips.

If you’re hosting a party and would like more information, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has published a handy guide here: ‘How to safely host a street party’. The FSA recommends that you provide as much information about allergens as possible.
‘The more information you can provide about the ingredients in the food you serve the better. This will allow everyone to make safe choices when choosing food to eat, particularly those with specific food allergies. There are resources available if you wish to display?allergen guidance.’

Natural rubber latex allergy

If you have an allergy to natural rubber latex, it is important that you avoid enclosed spaces that might have latex balloons on display.

Latex allergens may become airborne and inhaled, which can mean party balloons are a real concern for people living with natural rubber latex allergy.

• Check in advance with party organisers to find out if they’re planning to have latex balloons.
• Ask if foil balloons could be used instead or alternative decorations.
• Share our Latex Allergy Factsheet with party organisers to raise awareness.

For more information see our Latex Allergy Factsheet.

FSA releases statement on peanut contamination in soya lecithin

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The Food Standards Agency has released the below statement following its investigation into peanut contamination in soya lecithin:

“In response to a small number of concerns raised by people with peanut allergy relating to contaminated soya lecithin, the Food Standards Agency is advising that there is currently no evidence of unsafe food having been placed on the market.

“The FSA has been urgently working with businesses and local authorities to investigate the issue and is reassured that evidence provided by industry to date suggests that the incident has been controlled.

“Food Standards Agency Head of Incidents, Tina Potter, said:

“‘Following FSA and Food Standards Scotland guidance, retailers acted quickly and responsibly to carry out their own food safety risk assessments and hold products until they could be sure they were safe.

“‘All the information we have so far received from businesses indicates that no unsafe food has been placed on the market, and we have received no reports of allergic reactions linked to this issue.

“‘We will continue to work closely with key partners and industry to establish a clearer picture and will provide further updates should there be any change to our understanding.

“‘My advice to those with peanut allergy is to continue to closely follow precautionary allergen labelling on products as you normally would and sign up to our allergy alerts so you can be notified in the event that any product recalls are later undertaken.’

“It is important that those with peanut allergy take extra care to avoid consuming products labelled with precautionary warnings that they may contain peanut, or may contain nuts, while further investigations are carried out.”

New clinical trial from the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation

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Congratulations to the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, which is running a new clinical trial in oral immunotherapy, focusing on children with milk and peanut allergies. The research will investigate whether these allergies can be effectively treated with everyday foods instead of drugs.

The three-year Natasha Clinical Trial is the first major study funded by the Foundation. It will be led by researchers at the University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, partnering with Imperial College, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Newcastle University and Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

The study will recruit 216 people between the ages of three and 23 with food allergy to cow’s milk and aged six to 23 with food allergy to peanut.

Natasha Ednan-Laperouse tragically died in 2016 after suffering an allergic reaction to a Pret A Manger baguette. Since Natasha’s death, her parents, Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, set up the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation and have been raising awareness around food safety. In October 2021, Natasha’s Law came into effect, requiring foods prepared and packed on the same premises they are sold to carry a full list of ingredients with any of the 14 major allergens on the packaging.

Chief Executive of the Anaphylaxis Campaign, Simon Williams, said:

“We would like to congratulate and thank Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse for all the hard work they do to make the world a safer place for the allergic community. This new trial has positive implications for people with severe allergies and their families, and we look forward to hearing what findings are discovered in the trial in due course.”

More details on the trial can be found on the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation website here.

Jake and Jeremy take the plunge

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Jake and Jeremy skydive  Jake and Jeremy

No one likes too much of a build up before they do something scary. Jake (19), who has multiple severe allergies, and dad Jeremy, were finally able to do their sponsored skydive, after over a year of anticipation, with three cancellations through bad weather. The father and son team showed some serious guts, jumping together from the plane, and even smiling for a picture.

Together they’ve so far raised £920 to help others like Jake living with severe allergy.

Mum Emma said, “They both absolutely loved doing the skydive.  Both of them would have gone straight back up and done it again. I, on the other hand, was a little bit nervous!

“Jake really wanted to support the Anaphylaxis Campaign, having had severe allergies from a very young age and now having to manage them himself as a young man. For us the work you do is vital and the advice and support we’ve had over the years is invaluable.”

This was seriously-brave. Thank you so much Jake and Jeremy!

To find out more, visit their JustGiving page https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/emma-price75