European developments in labelling allergenic foods

doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7526.1155

BMJ 2005;331:1155-1156 (19 November), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7526.1155

Editorial

European developments in labelling allergenic foods

More still needs to be done

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The new European Union directive on food labelling, requiringmanufacturers of packaged foods to detail clearly the presenceof certain known allergens, comes into effect later this month.¹This welcome legislation will directly benefit the many peoplewho experience adverse reactions to foods and could save lives,given the increasing numbers of people with IgE-mediated foodallergy who may develop anaphylaxis after even minimal exposure.^2
3Similar initiatives are being pursued in the United States,Australia, and New Zealand, indicating that the plight of thosewho live with the daily threat of allergic reactions to foodsis, in some countries at least, at last being taken seriously.^4-6

Manufacturers of packaged foods containing any of 12 major allergens(see box) will, as of 25 November this year, be obliged by theEuropean Union regulations to label these ingredients. Importantly,this new legislation removes the previously unhelpful "25% rule,"which exempted labelling . . . [Full text of this article]

Chantelle Anandan, research fellow

Division of Community Health Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9DX

Aziz Sheikh, professor of primary care research and development

(Aziz.Sheikh@ed.ac.uk)
Division of Community Health Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9DX

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