Food allergies
Food allergies
can bring misery to people that suffer from them, but they can also
be fatal.
It is estimated that around two per cent of the country’s
population, many of them children, suffer from some form of food
allergy. This figure means that in the borough there could
thousands of people whose health – or even life – is at risk from
the food they eat. Nationally, around 10 people die every year
after unknowingly eating food that they are allergic to.
Consumers can be allergic to foods such as peanuts, nuts,
eggs and milk. These ingredients are commonly used in the
foods that we eat.
In extreme cases, the allergy can lead to a reaction called
anaphylaxis (pronounced anna-fill-axis), sometimes called
anaphylactic shock.
The symptoms include rashes, swelling of the lips and throat,
difficulty breathing, a rapid fall in blood pressure and loss of
consciousness. Anaphylaxis can be fatal if it isn’t treated
immediately. Treatment usually involves an injection of
adrenaline.
Food allergy awareness training
Our Food Safety Team is offering food allergy awareness
training to caterers in Rochdale. The course will assist
businesses in complying with the new Food Hygiene (England)
Regulations 2006.
Since January 2006 all food businesses must have documented food
safety procedures. As food allergy is identified as a major
hazard, all food businesses should have adequate procedures in
place to control food allergens.
If you require further information on food allergies or on the
training we can provide, please contact us or complete the form
below.
Food allergy
awareness training - syllabus (44kb pdf file)
Further information
You may also be interested in the following reference paper.
Determination of
the views of consumers with food allergies and an assessment
of the awareness of food allergies in Small-Medium Enterprises:
Practical Implications and Control (75kb pdf file)