Category Archives: Allergies

Vegan products not always safe for people with dairy allergy, watchdog says

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Food Standards Agency advises consumers with dairy and fish allergies to check labels carefully

People with dairy and fish allergies are being advised not to buy vegan products without checking the label carefully as they may contain animal products due to cross-contamination.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched a campaign to make consumers aware of the dangers after research released by the regulatory body showed 62% of people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who have allergic reactions to animal-based products, or who buy for others who do, are confident that vegan products are always safe to eat.

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Man with peanut allergy died after slice of pizza, inquest in Newcastle hears

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James Atkinson, 23, who died in 2020, described by parents as having ‘a gift of making others happy’

A 23-year-old man with a peanut allergy who died after eating a slice of takeaway pizza ordered through Deliveroo has been described by his parents as someone who brightened everyone’s day and lived life to the full.

An inquest opened on Monday into the death of James Atkinson, a Newcastle University computer science graduate who had found his “dream job” as a computer programmer in the city.

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Student died after allergic reaction to Dorset pub risotto, inquest hears

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Georgina Mansergh, 24, reacted to sesame oil in a tahini sauce in the meal and collapsed at the Angel Inn in Ferndown

A student died after suffering an allergic reaction to sesame seed oil in a mushroom risotto she ate at a family dinner in a Dorset pub, an inquest has heard.

Georgina Mansergh, 24, was visiting the Angel Inn in Ferndown with her family on 11 February when she suffered the reaction to the oil used in the tahini sauce included in the dish. She was studying for her masters degree.

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Hospital admissions for life-threatening allergies more than double in England

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Number of people taken to hospital increased to 25,721 in 2022-23, from 12,361 two decades before

The number of people being admitted to hospital in England for life-threatening allergic reactions has more than doubled in the past 20 years, figures show, with an even higher rise in food-related cases.

There were 25,721 admissions to English hospitals for allergies and anaphylaxis in 2022-23, more than double the 12,361 two decades before, according to data obtained by the drugs regulator the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). For food-related anaphylaxis and other adverse reactions, the figures increased from 1,971 admissions in 2002-03 to 5,013 last year.

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One in three UK vegan products found to contain milk or egg

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Exclusive: Trading standards body warns shoppers with severe allergies could face ‘tragic consequences’

More than a third of foods labelled vegan contained animal products, research has found, prompting experts to warn shoppers with severe allergies they face potentially “tragic consequences”.

Forensic scientists found traces of egg or milk in an array of goods that were labelled as vegan or plant-based, with trading standards bosses calling for legal protection to stop consumers being “exploited by unethical food businesses”.

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Eurostar urged to carry adrenaline injectors in first-aid kit after medical alert

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A doctor was shocked to find no anti-allergy pens on board the train, though operator says law forbids it at present

A junior doctor is calling for lifesaving adrenaline auto-injectors to be carried on Eurostar after caring for a young child who suffered an allergic reaction on the service.

Dr Raphaelle Debray, 26, who is French and works for the NHS, was en route to Paris when she responded to an appeal for a doctor. She requested the onboard medical kit and found it contained only some plasters and a defibrillator. In contrast, international guidelines state that commercial airlines should carry emergency medical kits, with equipment and medication including adrenaline. British Airways and easyJet said they carried adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs) on all flights.

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Family of woman who had fatal reaction to ‘vegan’ wrap call for better testing

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Celia Marsh’s family say more people will die unless testing throughout food industry is improved

The family of a woman with a severe dairy allergy who suffered a fatal reaction after eating a “vegan” Pret a Manger wrap contaminated with milk protein have warned that more people will die unless comprehensive testing throughout the food supply chain and better labelling is introduced.

Celia Marsh’s family also said they believed the 42-year-old dental nurse would still be alive if a company that made a coconut yoghurt added to the wrap had informed Pret there was a risk it could have been contaminated because it was made in a factory that used milk.

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Huge domes of dust drift across my floor. Where do they come from – and why do I feel so afraid? | Brigid Delaney

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I spend all day at home in lockdown in a state of revulsion. When I’m not cleaning, I’m sneezing

Is it Covid or is it dust? Since I moved into this apartment, I frequently wake up with a runny nose, an inflamed throat and watery eyes.

I’ve never lived in a place that’s so dusty. The amount of dust I must deal with each day is confounding. I am constantly dusting, only for it to return an hour later. Where does it come from? Why is it here? Can we cohabitate or will I inhale so much of it that I’ll eventually choke?

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Goodbye wheat! Readers on 10 great gluten-free recipes – from katsu curry to cherry cake

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Steering clear of wheat, rye and barley doesn’t mean avoiding delicious dishes. Here are some of the tastiest offerings, including soda bread, peanut butter cookies and banana oat pancakes

My favourite gluten-free recipe is poodla (small pancakes), which I make using gram (chickpea) flour, water, cumin seeds, garam masala, turmeric and salt, with added chillies (chopped), grated onion and grated courgettes (it also works with mashed peas, spinach, grated cauliflower etc). Simply make a batter to any consistency, add your vegetables, then shallow fry on both sides. It’s delicious with a raita and a salad; we eat them for breakfast, lunch and sometimes as a main meal. Rekha Shah, retired, Bournemouth

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NHS told not to give Covid vaccine to those with history of allergic reactions

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Two health service workers experienced symptoms after receiving Pfizer vaccine

People with a history of significant allergic reactions should not receive the Covid vaccine, the medicines regulator has said, after two NHS workers experienced symptoms on Wednesday.

Both of the NHS staff carry adrenaline autoinjectors, suggesting they have suffered reactions in the past. These kind of devices, of which the best-known brand is the EpiPen, administer a swift adrenaline boost to counter allergic reactions that occur when some people, for instance, eat nuts.

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How to clean your bed: ‘If you didn’t wash it for a year it would be a kilo heavier from dead skin’

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How often should you wash your sheets, pillows, doona and mattress? And when is it time to throw them out? Experts explain how to keep your bed clean

Do you treat your sheets like a cast iron skillet? Mainly wiped down, occasionally rinsed, never with detergent?

Men be treating their bedsheets like a damn cast iron pan

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Hummus firm in salmonella scare was fined for egg contamination

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Zorba fined £93,000 in Wales for supplying egg-free branded tzatziki dip containing egg

The food company at the centre of a hummus salmonella scare received a substantial fine less than a month ago for food standard offences involving another dip, it has emerged.

Zorba Delicacies, which has been forced to extend a recall of 80 types of hummus products supplied to various supermarkets, was found to have supplied an egg-free branded tzatziki dip which contained egg protein.

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Grieving family’s call for allergy law gets cool response

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Restaurant industry says change would be ‘incredibly challenging’

A grieving family’s call for a law compelling restaurants to put full allergen information on menus has been coolly received by the body representing the industry because of the extra costs involved at a time when many businesses are struggling.

Owen Carey died from anaphylactic shock after eating a burger that had been marinaded in buttermilk. On Friday a coroner ruled he was misled into believing the burger was safe for him to eat because he had warned staff he was allergic to dairy products.

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Junk food may be fuelling rise in food allergies, say experts

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Children with food allergies are found to have higher levels of substance in processed foods

A ballooning diet of junk food might be one of the factors fuelling a rise in food allergies, researchers have suggested.

Experts say they have seen a rise in food allergies in western countries, including the UK. While true prevalence can be tricky to determine, data published by NHS Digital shows episodes of anaphylactic shock in England due to adverse food reactions rose steadily from 1,362 in 2011-12 to 1,922 in 2016-17.

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Death of dairy-allergic boy hit with cheese ‘unprecedented’, says expert

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Karanbir Singh Cheema, 13, was unconscious within 10 minutes of incident at London school

The death of a schoolboy with a dairy allergy after cheese was thrown at him could be the first known case of its kind, an expert has said.

Karanbir Singh Cheema, 13, known as Karan, went from “absolutely fine” to unconscious in under 10 minutes after the incident at William Perkin Church of England high school in Greenford, west London, on 28 June 2017.

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Half of people who think they have a food allergy do not – study

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US study finds some people needlessly avoid foods while others do not have life-saving medication

The number of adults who think they have a food allergy is almost double the figure who actually have one, research has revealed.

While the study was conducted in the US, experts say a similar situation is also seen in other countries, including the UK. The researchers found that many people with an allergy do not have a prescription for potentially life-saving medication, while others might be avoiding foods unnecessarily.

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