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

Manufacturers of packaged foods containing any …