Reflecting on Anaphylaxis UK’s Business Symposium 2025

Last Wednesday (12 November), we were proud to host our second Business Symposium — an inspiring gathering of more than 140 professionals from the food industry and regulatory sectors. Held at The Edgbaston Park Hotel and Conference Centre, the day was filled with insightful discussions, practical learning, and meaningful connections.

We extend our sincere thanks to all our speakers, whose expertise and passion shaped the event.

Speaker sessions

The day opened with Dr Hazel Gowland from Allergy Action, who explored consumer trust in allergen safety. She was followed by Professor Chrissie Jones of the University of Surrey, speaking on the impact of allergy anxiety on daily life.

Anaphylaxis UK chair of the clinical and scientific panel, Dr Helen Evans-Howells then shared her family’s lived experience of serious allergy, leading into reflections from Zak Marks, CEO of Kitt Medical; Dan Kelly, founder of May Contain; Robbie Epsom, ESG consultant; and Emma Burrows of Dr Helen Allergy.

Dan Kelly summed up the atmosphere: “It was a brilliant event with some genuinely inspiring speakers and businesses!”

A deep dive into allergen labelling and thresholds then followed, featuring Richard Fielder (BioCheck), Gideon Ashworth (Seasoning & Spice Association), Dr James Cooper (Food Standards Agency), and Adrian Rogers (BioCheck).

After lunch, we explored learnings from the 2024 Mustard Flour Crisis with Helen Allan (Domino’s), Jatin Patel (FGS Ingredients), and Dr Jordan Edridge (PiQ, IfP Network), chaired by Iain Ferris (University of Birmingham).

This was followed by a practical session on cleaning processes with experts Peter Littleton (Christeyns Food Hygiene), Dr Emma Ridley (SGS), and Kirsten Berry (Neogen).

Dr Helen Evans-Howells and Dr Frédéric Girard (DBV Technologies) then discussed emerging technology and immunotherapy, before the day closed with a session on managing allergens in high-risk spaces, chaired by Iain Ferris and Lisa Winnall, with speakers Caroline Benjamin (Coffee Shop Project), Emma Milne (Safer Food Scores), and Kevin Burge (Lancaster City Council).

Supporter feedback

Amongst the attendees were our new support group volunteers, who will be leading supportive events for the allergy community in 2026. Sam Phillips, one of our support group volunteers, shared how meaningful the day was:

“I absolutely loved it! It was fantastic meeting other volunteers and some of the Anaphylaxis UK staff for the first time. The presentations were so interesting, and I’ve come away feeling even more empowered.”

Stories like Sam’s remind us why building community — across lived experience, advocacy, and professional expertise — is central to our mission.

Thank you to our sponsors and partners

We are deeply grateful to our sponsors for making the Symposium possible and for championing improved allergen management across sectors.

We also extend heartfelt thanks to the University of Birmingham for their partnership in allergen testing and risk control, and to The Edgbaston Park Hotel & Conference Centre for providing a warm, well-organised venue that helped the entire day run seamlessly.

Looking ahead

This Symposium marked an important step in strengthening collaboration between lived experience, industry, policy, and science. Thank you to everyone who spoke, listened, sponsored, and attended — your contributions made the day truly special.

We’re already looking forward to future events. If you couldn’t join us, or if you’d like to share feedback or ideas, we’d love to hear from you info@anaphylaxis.org.uk. Together, we’ll keep moving toward a safer, more inclusive future for everyone living with serious allergies.