Living with a severe allergy isn’t easy, but for some young people this is having a worrying effect. It has become increasing apparent that many young people can at times feel too embarrassed to talk about their allergies to friends, colleagues and in a variety of social settings.
The Anaphylaxis Campaign working with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Allergy UK (AUK) has launched easy to ASK, a campaign designed to empower young people to ask food businesses about allergens when eating out, so that they can make safe choices.
Easy to ASK is also a reminder to businesses to be up front about the provision of accurate allergen information, particularly with this vulnerable group. Asking a customer if they have food allergies could save a life. The campaign includes the simple mnemonic:
- Always ask about allergies
- Speak up
- Keep safe
We are delighted to have had a great response to the campaign and support from some well known faces who have been effected by severe allergies.
The campaign has also been supported by clips on social media which have also highlighted the importance of asking the question when ordering food from any food business.
View this post on Instagram
“Every time we call the pizza place, this hilarious guy takes the order” ??
Anaphylaxis Campaign Chief Executive Lynne Regent “‘We are delighted to be working with the Food Standards Agency on the Easy to Ask campaign. It is unfortunate that most serious allergy related instances and even deaths happen when young people are eating out, or buying takeaway food. We have communicated extensively with young allergy sufferers to make sure they take responsibility for their condition when eating out, but it is also vital that foodservice establishments take the initiative to help prevent tragic accidents. Easy to Ask is a timely development which will provide important materials for foodservice staff and will give allergic consumers more confidence when they go out to eat. We are happy to provide access to our extensive range of information resources to any food business that needs further help and advice.”
As part of the campaign a survey has been conducted by the Anaphylaxis Campaign, FSA and Allergy UK for those aged 16-24 to feedback their experiences when eating out with a severe allergy or intolerance. You can read the results from this survey here.