The prevalence of food allergy in Europe is increasing, while public awareness and understanding remains relatively low. This is why, throughout 2019, EFA gave a renewed focus on issues relating to food allergen labelling and information.

In April we launched the social media campaign #DetectiveFood to share views and experiences with food allergy. The campaign served to support EFA flagship project FoodDETECTives and was presented along with burning topics such as Precautionary Allergen Labelling, novel foods, and food certificates such as “Vegan” to the European Commission DG-Santé.

At EU level, EFA also continued to provide the allergy patient perspective to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), as we are registered “NGO stakeholder”. We responded to the public consultation on the introduction of complementary food (including allergens such as egg and seafood) into an infants’ diet. Among others, EFA highlighted the need for clear guidance on the appropriate introductory age of both babies and breast-feeding mothers. We also took active part in EFSA NGO Roundtable and represented food allergy patients at EFSA’s Third Annual Stakeholder Forum, in Italy.

At global level, EFA was granted an observer status in the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) Codex Alimentarius Committee, the international body drafting standards, guidelines and codes of practice relating to food safety. From now on, we will be able to follow closely the global developments and dynamics, with the recognition to contribute to discussions in the area of food labelling and hygiene.