The apparent current increase in the number of people with food allergies means the need for innovation and clear information about allergens has also risen. How is the food industry dealing with this? Three guests from the food production chain answer this question in an interesting new podcast produced jointly by event and content marketing platform Food Matters Live and food producer Dutch Spices.
The Food Matters Live podcast went online at the end of April 2023: to be precise, during the annual Allergy Awareness Week in the UK. This week was created by the British charity Allergy UK with the aim of making people aware of the existence of allergies. The central theme of the 2023 Awareness Week was allergen-free food. The podcast with the title ‘Allergen awareness – innovation and building trust’ dovetailed perfectly with this theme.
During the podcast the Food Matters Live-presenter, Stefan Gates, talks to three guests each of whom represents a key link in the chain from food production to communication with customers. These three guests are: Peter Curry, General Manager of Gastrome Professional Ingredients, speaking as a wholesaler in the artisanal sector (such as butchers), John Smith, General Manager of Finnegan’s Farm, speaking as an industrial retail partner and a producer of potato and other vegetable products, and Piet Buis, Export Manager of Dutch Spices, speaking as a supplier to industrial, retail and artisanal partners. They each explained how they, from their position in the chain, are responding to the opportunities and threats related to allergens.
The podcast discussion also stresses the importance of listing ingredients and allergens on food labels because food allergies and intolerances affect millions of people worldwide. In Europe alone over 17 million people suffer, to a greater or lesser extent, from a food allergy and, as a result, they avoid eating out, skip meals with family and friends and spend endless hours checking food labels. To avoid an allergic reaction food must be safe and labels must state very clearly precisely what is incorporated in the product. It is also vital that consumers can trust this food information.
In recent years a number of high-profile cases have shown just how badly things can go wrong. For example, Natasha, a young British woman, died as a result of an allergic reaction causing the complete shutdown of her immune system (read the article about Natasha’s Law).
In the podcast our Export Manager, Piet Buis, also explains that the seasonings produced by Dutch Spices are safe for people with a food allergy because they do not contain any trace of the 14 substances legally-designated as allergens. These seasonings enable producers of consumer products to add flavour to their meat, snacks, potato dishes, vegetable dishes and other food products without using any allergens. The result – guaranteed Freedom of Taste for everyone.
Listen to the podcast Since April 2023 the podcast has been available to listen to here (duration: 17.32 minutes). During the coming period Food Matters Live will be paying considerable attention to the podcast, including via social media and newsletters
You can also read our article about the annual Allergy Awareness Week and the article about how Natasha’s Law is ensuring better allergen information.
Food Matters Live is a leading community that connects food professionals all over the world with influential people in the food industry and provides them with information in the field of nutrition, health and innovation. The British platform does this in a number of ways including events, videos, podcasts, articles, master classes, trend panels and newsletters.
In 2023 the UK’s annual Allergy Awareness Week aimed at raising awareness about allergies and offering support to sufferers is from 24 – 30 April.
Natasha’s Law requires all food outlets to provide full ingredient lists with clear allergen labelling on pre-packed food for direct sale.
The NVWA noted: 60% of the inspected retail, artisan and hospitality companies gave customers inadequate information about allergens in food and dishes.
Dutch Spices uses the inspiration report it compiles twice a year as a basis for the development of new delicious and innovative products and concepts.
