A recent study found that allergens were responsible for more than half of the food recalls in the UK over a period of 5 years. Allergen-related recalls climbed annually through 2019, peaking at 118 before decreasing to 82 and 84 in 2020 and 2021, respectively. The reduction is achievable due to the direct and indirect impacts of the COVID epidemic, as well as improved labeling.

From 2016 to 2021, the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland reported 1,036 recalls in the UK and 597 of which were allergen-related. More than 7,700 hospital admissions with a main diagnosis of allergic food responses are expected in the UK in 2019-20, with 10 food allergy-related deaths occurring each year.

The European rule recognizes 14 allergens: celery, gluten-containing cereals, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupins, milk, mollusks, mustard, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, soybeans, and sulphur dioxide. Sesame became the ninth allergen to be classified as an allergy in the United States in January 2023.

What is the type of allergen and why they were recalled?

In over a quarter of the recalls, at least two allergic food groups were involved in a single occurrence. According to the study published in the journal Food Control, while there were 597 recalls, 969 allergies were mentioned. Dairy products were the most often recalled allergenic food category, accounting for 244 of the 969 reports. Following that were gluten-containing cereals, nuts, soy, eggs, and mustard.

The 597 recalls were caused by six factors. The main reason was the exclusion of priority allergens from labeling. Cross-contamination and products in the incorrect packaging followed. The top three reasons for recalls were a failure to emphasize priority allergens, unlabeled products, and products discovered to have allergens from which they were certified free. However, the study found that the core cause of allergen-related recalls is frequently unreported.

From 2016 to 2021, 597 recalls for 1,213 goods were issued by 316 companies. At least six goods have been recalled by more than 50 companies. 29 of the 480 recalls had passed either the best-before date or the expiration date. 14 goods were microbiologically harmful to eat after their expiration date. Cereals and baked goods accounted for roughly one-third of all best-before dates recalled, followed by convenience foods and sugar-based confectionery.

Lidl, Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Co-Op, Morrisons, and Booths were the eight retailers with the most food recalls. Lidl has issued 25 recalls owing to allergy information and a non-English ingredient list. Due to cross-contamination or the presence of undesirable allergies, all eight establishments were recalled.

Manufacturers and retailers must focus on allergen labeling management at all stages of the supply chain. This will help to reduce recalls by detecting errors prior to distribution to retailers, specifically recalls of omitted priority allergens on the label, incorrect packaging, a lack of emphasis on priority allergens, and a lack of an English label.

Effects of food allergies

People with food allergies would spend more than £1,000 ($1,200) per year to eliminate all symptoms while those with celiac disease would pay £1,342 ($1,615) and those with food intolerances would pay £540 ($651) per year.

Researchers from the University of Manchester polled over 2,000 adults with food allergies and parents of affected children to see how much they would be willing to pay to be free of their ailment for various durations of time. Parents’ willingness to pay for children with food allergies is substantially higher than for the other two disorders. Adults are more prepared to pay for the abolition of a child’s disease than children. The statistics also revealed that removing conditions momentarily – even for free – is of little interest to some people unless it is for a very lengthy period of time. Between July and December 2021, the surveys were done online.

These are the first estimates of the monetary value of the discomfort, worry, and anguish caused by food allergies, intolerance, and celiac disease, said Dan Rigby of the University of Manchester. They can be used by the government and industry in conjunction with previously calculated monetary values for foodborne infections such as salmonella and E. coli at the University of Manchester.