Put allergy info on all pre-pack sandwiches, says safety watchdog
SANDWICHES, baguettes and wraps should have full ingredient and allergy labelling to avoid tragic deaths, watchdogs said yesterday.
The Food Standards Agency wants all food firms selling pre-packed sandwiches and similar products to put the precautions in place.
The need for action was highlighted by the deaths of 15-year-old Natasha ednan-Laperouse and mother of five, celia Marsh. Both suffered fatal reactions to Pret a Manger products. Bosses at the sandwich chain last week announced they would spend millions of pounds fully labelling their packaged products.
The FSA stressed the requirements, which were backed by the public in a consultation exercise, would not apply to sandwiches made fresh in front of a customer.
The agency’s research suggested the initial estimate of the cost to the food industry of £8.62million was likely to be a major underestimate.
The decision is a victory for Natasha’s parents, Nadim and Tanya, who launched a campaign for a change in the law to require better labelling following her death three years ago.
She suffered a catastrophic allergic reaction on board a flight to Nice in France after buying a baguette, which contained sesame without this being declared on the label, from a Pret at Heathrow. In a statement, the family said: ‘This is a momentous decision; it is the latest step in making the UK a safer place for people with allergies.
‘We are delighted that the FSA has recognised what
‘Confident it will work’
consumers are asking for, which is that full ingredient labelling across all pre-packaged food is implemented.
‘The response from consumers to the consultation was overwhelming, with 73 per cent calling for full ingredient and allergen labelling.
‘Business must always listen to its consumers particularly in matters of life and death.
‘It is now for Government ministers to implement legislation to save lives. We are now one step nearer to making Natasha’s Law a reality. A label saves a life.’
A decision on whether to change the law on labelling could take six months. There would also be a potentially lengthy period before it became mandatory. Heather Hancock, chairman of the FSA, said: ‘Food allergies and intolerance affects millions of people and its impact can be as big or bigger than almost all other foodborne diseases.
‘That is why we have concluded that more extensive food labelling is the right outcome to provide greater protection for consumers but introduced in a way that we can be confident it will work.
‘While it is impossible to eliminate the risks entirely, we consider that this change along with other measures we are prioritising will deliver more effective protection for allergic consumers.’