In the summer of 2016 Natasha was flying to Nice from the UK’s London Heathrow Airport. While at Heathrow she purchased a filled baguette to eat on the flight. She was sure she had selected a sandwich that was safe for her to eat because the food label on the packaging did not say it contained the allergens to which she was allergic, such as sesame seeds.
On the way to Nice Natasha began eating her baguette. Within minutes she began experiencing an anaphylactic reaction (a rapid allergic reaction). Unfortunately with fatal consequences because the aircraft was not equipped with the medical care Natasha needed. She died the following day. It turned out that the bread dough contained sesame seed, although this was not mentioned on the packaging and the seeds could also not be seen.
Natasha’s death led to extensive investigation and action being taken: On 1 October 2021 the UK Food Information Amendment, or Natasha’s Law, came into force. Its aim is to reduce the risk of other unnecessary deaths. The Law makes it mandatory to provide a full list of ingredients on all pre-packaged food. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has been tasked with ensuring companies continue taking the steps needed to make the information on their food labels complete and correct.
The growing number of people with food allergies can no longer be ignored. The increase in the number of children diagnosed with an allergy is particularly worrying. The provision of reliable allergen information on the label is vital for this group of people. It is, therefore, essential that companies state the presence of allergens clearly and uniformly on every label. Natasha’s Law came into being to protect people with food allergies. They must be able to trust the transparency of the ingredients and food labelling on pre-packaged food. If the Law is not fully complied with lives will continue to be constantly at risk.
Once again it has been proven that it takes a tragedy to trigger much needed change.
Dutch Spices’ seasonings do not contain any of the 14 substances legislation designates as allergens. The absence of any cross-contamination is also guaranteed through conformance with the VITAL standard and by SimplyOK certification.
How is the food industry dealing with the growing need for clear information about food allergens? You can now listen to the podcast on this subject produced jointly by Food Matters Live and Dutch Spices.
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.
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.
