Consumer preferences for food allergen labeling

Marra, Carlo A.; Harvard, Stephanie; Grubisić, Maja; Galo, Jessica; Clarke, Ann E.; Elliott, Susan J.; Lynd, Larry D.

doi:10.1186/s13223-017-0189-6

Cited by 27 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…These results are consistent with the current regulations of Argentina and Ecuador, which enforce the use of the statement “contains” in capital letters (Ecuador) or special typography (capital letters, bold letters, or different colors than the label (Argentina) [ 18 , 21 ]. Although previous studies highlighted that using symbols in combination with word-based allergen labelling statements can be more effective for communicating with food-allergic individuals than using word-based labelling only [ 29 , 30 ], no Latin American regulations for food allergen labelling enforce the use of symbols for such a purpose. The use of symbols in food allergen labelling could, perhaps, reduce the extra time that food-allergic individuals spend identifying suitable foods.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characteristics of Allergen Labelling and Precautionary Allergen Labelling in Packaged Food Products Available in Latin America

et al. 2020

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The characteristics of food allergen labelling are relevant for avoiding accidental exposure to the allergens of interest but no Latin American country has evaluated these characteristics. Our aim was to evaluate the characteristics of food allergen labelling and precautionary allergen labelling (PAL) in six Latin American countries. All data were collected directly from the supermarkets surveyed. A total of 10,254 packaged food products were analyzed, of which 63.3% (n = 6494) and 33.2% (n = 3405) featured allergen labelling and/or PAL, respectively. Most products complied with local regulations (≥87.4% for both locally produced and imported). Thirty-three types of PAL statements were detected; the most frequent was “may contain traces of…” (35.1%). Countries without regulations on the characteristics of allergen labelling had two-fold more products that contained allergens in their ingredients lists but no food allergen labelling. The use of PAL in countries that regulate it (38.2%) was as high as that in countries without PAL regulations (19.2%–44.7%). The findings suggest that the lack of regulations for the characteristics of allergen labeling increases the risk of accidental exposure to allergens of interest. Our findings also suggest that beyond regulations, a scientific approach is required for minimizing and standardizing the use of PAL.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characteristics of Allergen Labelling and Precautionary Allergen Labelling in Packaged Food Products Available in Latin America

et al. 2020

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“…Trust as a concept has been extensively studied in relation to consumer perceptions of food safety, and food risk management in general. Consumer trust in different actors and institutions responsible for guaranteeing and controlling food safety, as well as trust in the information provided by different information sources that communicate about food safety or food‐related risks, is considered to be important for consumer confidence in the safety of food . To assess the association feeling/attitude variables on quantitative assessment and ‘trust in a product if a quantitative risk assessment (QRA) had been carried out’, we carried out a hierarchical multiple regression analysis.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Consumer trust in different actors and institutions responsible for guaranteeing and controlling food safety, as well as trust in the information provided by different information sources that communicate about food safety or food-related risks, is considered to be important for consumer confidence in the safety of food. [38][39][40] To assess the association feeling/attitude variables on quantitative assessment and 'trust in a product if a quantitative risk assessment (QRA) had been carried out', we carried out a hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Our findings showed that perception of safety, anxiety, convenience, choice and understanding would be positively impacted when making purchasing decisions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding how consumers with food allergies make decisions based on precautionary labelling

Galvin

Roberts

Regent³

et al. 2019

Clin Experimental Allergy

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Background Understanding consumer perceptions is crucial if effective food safety policy and risk communication are to be developed and implemented. We sought to understand how those living with food allergy assess risk with precautionary allergen labelling (PAL) and their preference in how risks are communicated within a quantitative risk assessment (QRA) framework. Methods The Integrated Approaches to Food Allergen and Allergy Risk Management (iFAAM) labelling online survey was developed for adults and parents of children with food allergy and distributed across Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain and UK via patient support groups. Results There were 1560 complete responses. ‘This product is not suitable for’ was selected as first choice for PAL by 46% overall and ‘May contain’ was selected as the first choice by 44%. Seventy‐three percent reported that it would improve their trust in a product if a QRA process had been used to make a decision about whether to include ‘may contain’. Overall, 66% reported that a ‘statement + symbol’ on the label indicating a QRA, would help them to understand the risk assessment process that had been used by the food manufacturer. Conclusions Consumers want to know what process has actually taken place for the placing of a PAL and/or risk assessment statement on a particular food product. Our findings provide a basis for the development of more informative communication around food allergen risk and safety and support evidence‐based policy‐making in the context of the legislative requirements of the European Union's Food Information for Consumers Regulation.

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“…In this context, food product labels play a significant role in providing consumers with adequate nutrition-related information, which facilitates making healthy and safe choices when buying food products [30]. Food allergen labeling is also an important tool in reducing the risk of exposure and in preventing anaphylaxis for individuals with food allergies [31]. It is especially important in case of masked Immunoreactivity of extracts obtained from soy seed isolates with the highest protein content was additionally analyzed by Slotblot with sera of patients' allergies, among others, to soy (Figure 4).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soy Preparations Are Potentially Dangerous Factors in the Course of a Food Allergy

Jędrusek‐Golińska

Piasecka‐Kwiatkowska

Zielińska

et al. 2019

Foods

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The special properties of soy preparations make them common additives for food production and can be dangerous for sensitive individuals. Our aim was to check consumers’ awareness of potential risks of soy preparations added to numerous food products, depending on respondents’ education, and to evaluate immunoreactive properties of chosen soy preparations. A personal questionnaire was used. Respondents (n = 251) were aged 23–28 years old, lived in Poland, and were graduates or students in their last year of food technology, medicine, and university of technology. The slot blot and Western blotting methods were used to mark immunoreactivity of soy preparations. It was shown that most respondents often or usually read labels of food products they buy. The surveyed indicated protein is the allergenic component in soy. Almost half of them were of the opinion that hydrolysis removes the allergenic properties of soy. Most of the medical students surveyed thought that people allergic to soy may consume products that contain soy preparations. The analytical results indicated that soy preparation contained protein fractions that were immunoreactive with sera of allergenic patients. It was proven that preparations, even hydrolysates, contain immunoreactive proteins that may be the source of hidden allergens, even though they are not recognized as dangerous by well-educated respondents.

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Consumer preferences for food allergen labeling

Cited by 27 publications

References 42 publications

Characteristics of Allergen Labelling and Precautionary Allergen Labelling in Packaged Food Products Available in Latin America

Characteristics of Allergen Labelling and Precautionary Allergen Labelling in Packaged Food Products Available in Latin America

Understanding how consumers with food allergies make decisions based on precautionary labelling

Soy Preparations Are Potentially Dangerous Factors in the Course of a Food Allergy

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