Food allergy and intolerance research
Research programme
The programme is currently funding research under a number of key themes of work, outlined below:
- Development of management thresholds for allergenic foods
- Route and timing of exposure to food allergens in early life
- Immunological aspects of food allergy
- Prevalence and characteristics of food allergy and intolerance
- Food allergen labelling and consumer choice research
- Evaluation of FSA allergy guidance
Major aims include facilitating the development of allergen management thresholds for use by industry and regulators and identifying risk factors associated with the development of food allergy so that appropriate information can be provided for consumers. In addition the programme also focuses on understanding consumer attitudes to food allergy and intolerance and its labelling.
Research projects related to the programme
This report presents the findings from a survey commissioned by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and delivered by Aston University to explore how people living with food hypersensitivities (FHS) such as allergy, intolerance and coeliac disease, are affected by these conditions in their daily lives.
Results available
This study explored the current provision of information on allergenic ingredients by food businesses to consumers for non-prepacked food, and how this has changed since legislative changes came into force in 2014. The study also provides a new baseline on information provided for food prepacked for direct sale (PPDS).
Results available
A literature review of consumer response to allergen declarations and precautionary allergen labelling
This project aims to reduce food allergy alerts by developing a software to help food businesses ensure accurate declaration of food allergens. It will provide a systematic determination of undeclared food allergens to enable food businesses to improve their food allergen management and enhance food traceability along the supply chain.
Around 3% of the UK population have IgE-mediated food allergy and are at risk of potentially life-threatening allergic reactions.
An inability to identify those most at risk of truly severe anaphylaxis and the circumstances leading to such reactions represents an important knowledge gap. This project seeks to better understand these issues.
An inability to identify those most at risk of truly severe anaphylaxis and the circumstances leading to such reactions represents an important knowledge gap. This project seeks to better understand these issues.
The EAT Data Analysis project was funded to further explore the EAT Study dataset. These analyses aimed to identify factors that were responsible for the relatively low adherence of approximately 43% to the study’s early introduction regime and the reasons for this.
Results available
The EAT Data Analysis project was funded to further explore the EAT Study dataset. These analyses aimed to explore of the efficacy of the EAT Study amongst infants at high risk of developing food allergy.
Results available
This project is revisiting the UK EuroPrevall birth cohort which involves reassessing the same cohort at 8-9 years as part of the larger iFAAM (Integrated Approaches to Food Allergen & Allergy Risk Management) project.
The main aim of this project is to undertake additional analyses using existing datasets generated from the FSA-funded Prevalence in Infant Food Allergy (PIFA) study. These analyses will then be used to produce a comprehensive peer reviewed publication on the incidence and risk factors associated with the development of food allergy in UK infants.
This project has been set up to provide a step-change in our understanding of food allergy in adulthood by determining its prevalence in the adult population. It will provide data to allow the trajectories of the condition in relation to both persistent allergy from childhood and adult-onset food allergy to be described, together with adverse reactions to foods that are not mediated by IgE.
This study aims to find out the processes involved in the developing of an immune system that leads to the development of oral tolerance (as opposed to allergy) to peanuts.
This project aimed to investigate the public health risks posed by the levels of unintended allergens found to be present in foods sampled and tested as part of the FSA funded survey of allergen advisory labelling (project FS241038) using a quantitative risk assessment approach based on probabilistic principles.
Results available
This was a randomised cross-over trial that investigated whether common extrinsic factors, such as exercise and sleep deprivation can modulate the threshold of responses to allergenic foods in a representative group of adults from the peanut allergic population.
Results available
An online survey of young people (16-24-year-olds) and their experiences of managing a food allergy/intolerance
Results available
The EAT data analysis project was funded to further explore the EAT study dataset, by investigating whether the introduction of solids has an impact on sleep behaviour of infants. It was also to further understand the factors that impact on the ability of infants’ families to follow an early food introduction regime.
Results available
The joint project with Defra is needed to provide baseline evidence on the current UK food labelling and consumer information requirements ahead of the introduction of the forthcoming EU Food Information to Consumers Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011.
Stage I of the study (completed August 2013) aimed to assess the current baseline level of allergen information provided for loose (not pre-packed) foods. Stage II of the study (completed March 2014) further explored the levels of understanding of the new requirements and the challenges businesses anticipate in complying with these.
Results available
Systematic Review C assesses the evidence available on the influence of dietary exposures during pregnancy, lactation and/or infancy.
Results available
Research was carried out to explore reactions towards new EU legislation relating to the labelling on products marketed to individuals who follow a gluten-free diet.
Results available
This research aimed to establish whether the diet of UK consumers with coeliac disease, is nutritionally adequate and whether there was a need for specific dietary advice or other strategies to ensure that these consumers can maintain a nutritionally adequate diet whilst avoiding gluten containing cereals
Results available
This research aimed to explore consumer, health professional and other relevant stakeholders’ understanding of the draft revised Government advice on peanut consumption during early life.
Results available
This systematic review assesses the evidence available on the influence of the timing of introduction of allergenic foods into the infant diet on the development of atopic and autoimmune disease, such as eczema, asthma and food allergy.
Results available
This project was carried out to explore understanding of the terms ‘lactose free’, ‘milk free’ and ‘dairy free’ among consumers with a sensitivity to milk or milk components, health professionals who advise such consumers and food businesses who provide products for these consumers.
Results available
This research reviewed all published scientific literature relevant to safe threshold amounts of gluten in foods in order to determine if it was possible to propose a threshold concentration of gluten in food products that would be tolerated by all people with coeliac disease.
Results available
This study aimed to find out whether abnormal skin barrier function predates and predicts food allergen sensitisation and whether the link between skin barrier function and food allergen sensitisation is driven by loss-of-function mutations in the FLG (Filaggrin) protein.
Results available
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