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Food Allergy in Ireland: Confiscate or Reinstate

This informative article discusses the challenges and issues surrounding food allergy in Ireland, emphasizing the need for better diagnosis, management, and collaboration to improve the quality of life for affected individuals. It explores labelling laws, awareness, and existing structures while highlighting the importance of education and communication in addressing food allergy concerns. The text provides insights from various stakeholders and suggests ways to enhance patient care and support groups in the region.

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Food Allergy in Ireland: Confiscate or Reinstate

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  1. Confiscate or reinstate? That is the question for Food Allergy in Ireland.Ruth Charles, Paediatric Dietitian, MINDI.Ballinderry Clinic, St. Francis Hospital, Mullingar,Co. Westmeath.info@nutrikids.ie

  2. Irish Food Allergy NetworkOctober 2009. • Increased presentation of allergy at dietetic OPD clinics. The associated burden of care and quality of life issues are significant. • No dedicated HSE funded Childhood Food Allergy (CFA) service in the Republic • Wealth of knowledge and experience currently exists. • General consensus reached on the need to network, collaborate, share resources, reconfigure existing structures and avoid duplication. • Stakeholders database. Affiliation with IAAI (EAACI).

  3. IFAN members: 61 • Nutrition & Dietetics (Paediatrics, Adult & Community) 23 • Nursing (Allergy, Respiratory, Dermatology) 23 • Medicine (Paediatrics, Dermatology & Community Health) 7 • Nutrition industry 3 • Allergy Academia 2 • Food and nutrition legislators, enforcers & trainers 2 • Patient support groups 1

  4. IFAN Issues • Patient issues • DIAGNOSIS, management & rechallenge: who, where, how • No basic GP/A&E/HCP training • Awareness/understanding of allergy and implications lacking • Replication/duplication best avoided • Food issues • Food labelling • Eating outside the home

  5. Food labelling & the law • Legislation European Directives 2003/89/EC and 2006/142/EC  • All ingredients • Presence of 14 recognised allergens intentionally added to prepacked foods • Not applicable to low level unintentional contaminants or non prepacked. • www.fsai.ie

  6. EAACI Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Meeting February 2011 Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Alliance FAAA • Criteria for use of precautionary statements • Major allergens declared • Simple language clear terms • Consumer communication European Federation of Allergy & Airways Disease EFA • Packaged and non packaged foods • Abolish precautionary labelling • Establish thresholds ( Taylor et al. Clin Exp Allergy,2004; Moneret-Vautrin. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2004; Crevel at al. Allergy 2008. Working groups: ILSI Europe, Europrevall, CONGEN etc)

  7. Food Allergens & labelling survey June 2011. www.fsai.ie • Survey: affected by Food allergy intolerances • Crude, 509, voluntary, biased, web based, 5 questions, 85% medically diagnosed. • Peanut & tree nuts, Egg & other, Milk • Analysis: 229, no label/precautionary egg, nut, soy • No allergen labelling 11/106 (nut 2, egg 5) • Precautionary labelling 7/108, 93.5% had undetectable egg, peanut, soy.

  8. Food Allergens & labelling survey June 2011. www.fsai.ie Conclusions • Scepticism and low consumer confidence in precautionary labels is justified • Zero risk unfeasible • National and EU registry of severe allergic reactions (Worm at al, Allergy, 2010) : detect prevalence • Safety/labelling thresholds: processes for risk assessment & robust monitoring systems

  9. Where to next? • The patient & family • IFAN • huge knowledge and skill base • aims & objectives • Lead/chair

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