Nearly half of Brits unsure of what allergens are contained in a product: survey
Mintel stressed that the lack of uniformity in labelling can cause confusion amongst consumers.
48% of Brits surveyed say that they are unsure whether or not allergen labels are clear, a survey by Mintel revealed.
37% think that it’s easy to identify which allergens a product does not have based on its label whilst 15% disagree.
“While current regulations require allergens to be listed in bold on the ingredients list, many companies choose to highlight certain free-from credentials on the front of packaging as well,” Emma Clifford, associate director of Food and Drink at Mintel, said.
“At the moment this is not regulated and as such, there is no uniformity between the labelling used, which can fuel confusion among consumers, particularly given the huge amount of other product information on packaging,” she added.
Mintel also mentioned that a UK-wide allergen labelling system on free-from product packaging appeals to 29% of those who have bought free-from products. This represent a 39% rise on those users who avoid food because of an allergy or intolerance.
The free-from market has also grown by 133% from 2013 to 2018 and is now worth £837 million.
