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Patients' corner

Veronique Olivier

On July 24 an article appeared in the French press congratulating a chef from the city of Nancy for his disobedience to the new food labelling law.

The restaurateur refused to comply with the INCO decree on non-prepackaged allergens. His disobedience was deliberately aggressive and insulting. Hanging on his window, he mocked people with allergies on a poster that every passerby could read, inviting them to eat elsewhere than his restaurant if they wanted security from as pasteurized or lyophilized products. I firstly contacted the journalist who wrote this article without knowing the risks of food allergy. He wanted to let speak a friend where he often eats. He answered my call aggressively, conscious of having committed a mistake. He did not know what food allergies are and considered the decree stupid, because he has always eaten well in that restaurant...

At AFPRAL we then called the Union of restaurateurs and hoteliers, which has committed to intervene with the restaurateur from Nancy to provide him with information about his obligations. Then we contacted the French food security and anti-fraud authorities which entailed a restaurant control, and verbalized the restaurateur that refused to implement the decree.

One year to comply
The French decree implementing the INCO Regulation requires the written mention of the 14 allergens since July 2015. A year later, a study of the magazine Que Choisir (see PJ) indicates that professionals in the food industry do not apply the regulations and consider allergic as a threatening minority.

Since 2015 AFPRAL multiplied the proposals with the unions to help them implement the decree.

Since September 2016 the DGCCRF has launched inspectors to monitor and verbalize professionals who refuse to apply the law.

Today AFPRAL think focus its prevention work and information directly to professionals with actions in professional journals catering, bakers and butchers. Because by the organizations that federate the message does not go well.

Veronique Olivier is President of EFA Member AFPRAL (Association Française pour la Prevention des Allergies)

 

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