New Media Awards 2007 Atos Origin

Food Standards Agency

http://www.food.gov.uk/safereating/allergyintol/alerts/

Nominated in Modernising government award category.

Sometimes foods have to be withdrawn if there is a risk to people with a food allergy because the allergy labelling is missing or incorrect, or if there is any other allergy risk.
In such situations the Food Standards Agency issues an Allergy Alert, which appears on its website, and an SMS and email alert: both services that anyone can sign up to for free. As soon as an Allergy Alert is published, a text and email detailing the product and allergen in question are sent out to subscribers, and with a link to further details on the Agency’s website.

1 nomination from readers

  • The number of people who suffer from food allergy in developed countries seems to have increased in recent years, and about 20-30% people in the UK believe they are intolerant to one or more foods. Tests show that about 1 million people in the UK actually have a food allergy.

    People with some food allergies, particularly to peanuts, have to be extremely careful what they eat. If someone has a severe food allergy, this can cause a life-threatening reaction. About 10 deaths a year in the UK are caused by food allergy. Food intolerance doesn't involve the immune system, but if someone eats a food they are intolerant to, this could make them feel ill or affect their long-term health.

    The Food Standards Agency carries out a range of work on food allergy and intolerance, including working with manufacturers and caterers to make sure that that any food they produce that may pose a risk to people with an allergy or food intolerance is labelled clearly. But sometimes products get onto the market that are not labelled correctly and so can put people with an allergy at risk.

    So this year the Agency set up an Allergy Alert system so that people with an allergy or food intolerance can receive a message direct to their mobile phone as soon as the Agency has information on a product that could pose a risk to them. They can also sign up to email alert system. All details of allergy alerts that the Agency issues are on its website.

    We see this as part of the Agency’s work to protect consumers and enable people to access this part of our work in the way that is most convenient to them.

    25 May 2007