Introduction

The aim of the project is to provide credible information sources, which address the concerns and needs of various stakeholder groups. These include the general public consumers, the agro-food industry, including primary producers, manufacturers and retailers (particularly SME's who lack in-house technical expertise regarding food allergy), allergic consumers, health professionals and regulators involved in safety assessments of allergenic risks posed by novel foods.

Food allergies (i.e. Type I IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reactions) are thought to affect around 1-2% of European adults and between 5-7% of children. However, the perceived prevalence of food allergy amongst the general population is much higher, with around one in three individuals believing they suffer from some form of food allergy or intolerance. It appears that many of these individuals are self-diagnosed who go on to implement some form of treatment, which usually involves exclusion of so-called 'problem' foods, without the advice or supervision of a medical practitioner. Not only can such exclusion have implications for consumption of a balanced diet, especially when adults apply such dietary restrictions to children, but it may also result in the actual disorders underlying the symptoms associated with perceived allergy not being diagnosed and treated.

The perception that food allergy is a common condition is heightened by the fact that food allergies, along with other types of allergy, appear to be on the increase. Childhood food allergy has historically been a transient disease primarily caused by cow's milk, but an increasing number of children are now becoming sensitised for life to peanut, an allergy associated with severe symptoms, including life-threatening anaphylaxis. Food allergy, true or perceived, can have severe social implications, with allergic children being excluded from school canteens and from full participation in school life, and in many schools nut-based confectionery is banned from school lunches. It can impair an individual's ability to work, and for those allergic individuals in food-related occupations this may result in loss of earnings and even unemployment. This ultimately translates into an economic loss for society for those who are truly allergic.

Adequate information provision is crucial if these problems are to be addressed. At present the bewilderment of the consumer regarding the credibility of information sources available on the allergenic nature of certain foods has also been exacerbated by the proliferation of web sites offering allergy information, much of which is of poor quality, anecdotal in nature and commonly linked to specific, alternative remedies.