As the FSA launches Speak Up For Allergies, encouraging young people to speak to the restaurant every time they make an order, Arvind Thandi, Team Leader for Food Hypersensitivity, explores the campaign and why it's important to speak up every time.
Our research shows that children and young people are at a higher risk of experiencing food allergy reactions.
This can be attributed to a number of factors such as being in a new environment and complacency with eating habits. Young people are also going through a pivotal time as they move from being supported by their parents to leading more independent lives, such as when they leave home to go to university.
While many young people are confident about managing their food allergy in general, they are less likely to tell a café or restaurant about their allergy. This is particularly the case if they have eaten a meal from the same place before.
It’s because of this that this week the FSA has launched its Speak Up For Allergies campaign. It’s an important part of the work we are carrying out to improve the quality of life for people with allergies.
It’s part of our ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to be a consumer with a food hypersensitivity.
Speak up for allergies
The campaign, run by the FSA with support from partners across the food industry, aims to encourage young people to speak to the restaurant or takeaway directly about their food allergy.
It’s important that the server understands their needs and that they are not put at risk of an allergic reaction by miscommunication or cross-contamination of food.
As shown by our recent research through the COVID-19 consumer tracker, young people are eating takeaways more often than before lockdown.
With eating habits shifting to at home food orders, allergen awareness and safety is more important for consumers with a food allergy, particularly as they don’t have the opportunity to ask a server about allergens in-person as they would if they were dining out.
We are asking young people to speak up about their food allergies when making an order, and for their friends and partners to support them when making a group order.
It’s not enough to rely on provided information through in-app messaging services, as this function may not be used in the same way by all restaurants and allergen requirements may be missed.
Never assume a meal will be allergy-safe, even if you’ve had it before, as ingredients can change.
Experiences as a young person with a food allergy
The Speak Up For Allergies campaign will shine a light on the experiences of young people with a food allergy and look to counter the complacency that can sometimes settle into behaviours.
Here Emily Solman talks to her boyfriend about his experience of having a nut allergy and the serious consequences not sharing allergen information can have:
James is not alone in his experiences, with the campaign also highlighting how other young adults navigate life with a food allergy.
Ingredients can change
Ingredients can change, recipes can be recreated, different chefs may be cooking the meal in different ways, and different staff may be taking the order. It’s for these reasons that it’s important never to assume a meal will be safe and to always ask about allergies.
This extends to friends and partners, who we are asking to consider whether anyone has a food allergy when making a group order, and to communicate this to the restaurant if so.
Food business are legally required to make allergen information available when an order is placed, and when the food is delivered, but confirming that this will be the case when ordering the food will help build confidence that a restaurant has good food safety processes in place.
If you don’t feel that the person you’re ordering from fully understands your needs, ask to speak to someone else. If you’re not confident they understand your allergy, consider ordering from elsewhere.
Supporting young people with a food allergy
To support the campaign we have developed specific advice for teenagers and young adults with a food allergy. The page unpacks what to do in different situations when living with a food allergy.
The advice will be developed throughout the campaign to include tips and case studies around how young people can manage a food allergy during particular life events such as moving out, studying and travelling.
Speak up for allergies will give a voice to the real risks that complacency can bring for consumers with a food allergy, and aims to bring about positive, lasting behaviour change in the way food is ordered online.
Follow the campaign conversations across Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook through the hashtag #SpeakUpForAllergies.
Pam #CodiLlaisDrosAlergeddau?
Mae ein ymchwil yn dangos bod plant a phobl ifanc mewn mwy o berygl o brofi adweithiau alergedd bwyd.
Gall hyn fod oherwydd nifer o ffactorau, er enghraifft bod mewn amgylchedd newydd neu fod yn esgeulus gydag arferion bwyta. Mae hi hefyd yn gyfnod pwysig ym mywydau pobl ifanc wrth iddynt symud o gael eu cefnogi gan eu rhieni i fod yn fwy annibynnol, efallai’n gadael eu cartrefi am y tro cyntaf i fynd i’r brifysgol.
Er bod llawer o bobl ifanc yn hyderus am reoli eu halergedd bwyd yn gyffredinol, maen nhw’n llai tebygol o ddweud wrth gaffi neu fwyty am eu halergedd. Mae hyn yn arbennig o wir os ydyn nhw wedi bwyta pryd o'r un lle o'r blaen.
Felly mae’r Asiantaeth Safonau Bwyd (ASB) wedi lansio ymgyrch Codi Llais Dros Alergeddau yr wythnos hon. Mae gwella ansawdd bywyd pobl sydd ag alergeddau bwyd yn rhan bwysig o’n gwaith ni.
Ein nod yw sicrhau mai’r Deyrnas Unedig yw’r lle gorau yn y byd i fod yn ddefnyddiwr â gorsensitifrwydd i fwyd.
Codi llais dros alergeddau
Nod yr ymgyrch, sy'n cael ei chynnal gan yr ASB gyda chefnogaeth partneriaid ar draws y diwydiant bwyd, yw annog pobl ifanc i siarad â'r bwyty neu'r siop tecawê yn uniongyrchol am eu halergedd bwyd.
Mae'n bwysig bod y staff sy’n gweini yn deall eu anghenion alergedd ac nad ydyn nhw mewn perygl o gael adwaith alergaidd trwy gam-gyfathrebu neu groeshalogi bwyd.
Mae ein hymchwil diweddar trwy’r arolwg tracio defnyddwyr ar COVID-19 yn dangos bod pobl ifanc yn bwyta bwyd tecawê yn amlach nag oeddent cyn y cyfnod clo.
Gyda rhagor o bobl yn archebu bwyd i’r cartref, mae ymwybyddiaeth a diogelwch alergenau yn hynod bwysig i ddefnyddwyr sydd ag alergedd bwyd, yn enwedig gan nad ydyn nhw'n cael cyfle i ofyn i staff am alergenau yn bersonol fel y bydden nhw wrth fwyta allan.
Rydym ni’n gofyn i bobl ifanc godi llais dros eu halergeddau bwyd wrth archebu, ac yn gofyn i’w ffrindiau a’u partneriaid eu cefnogi wrth archebu bwyd fel grŵp.
Nid yw'n ddigon dibynnu ar ddefnyddio negeseuon mewn apiau, mae’n bosib nad yw pob bwyty yn defnyddio’r negeseuon hyn yn yr un ffordd, a gallai gofynion alergenau gael eu methu.
Peidiwch byth â chymryd yn ganiataol y bydd pryd bwyd yn ddiogel o ran alergedd, hyd yn oed os ydych chi wedi'i gael o'r blaen. Mae cynhwysion yn gallu newid.
Profiadau fel person ifanc sydd ag alergedd bwyd
Bydd yr ymgyrch Codi Llais Dros Alergeddau yn hoelio sylw ar brofiadau pobl ifanc sydd ag alergedd bwyd ac yn ceisio annog pobl i barhau i fod yn wyliadwrus o ran alergeddau bwyd.
Dyma Emily Solman yn siarad gyda'i chariad am ei brofiad o gael alergedd i gnau a'r canlyniadau difrifol o beidio â rhoi gwybod am eich alergedd bwyd.
Nid yw profiadau James yn rhai unigryw, gyda’r ymgyrch hefyd yn tynnu sylw at sut mae oedolion ifanc eraill yn llywio bywyd ag alergedd bwyd.
Mae cynhwysion yn gallu newid
Mae cynhwysion a ryseitiau yn gallu newid, mae’n bosib bod cogyddion gwahanol yn coginio'r pryd mewn gwahanol ffyrdd, a bod staff newydd yn cymryd eich archeb am y tro cyntaf. Am y rhesymau hyn, mae'n bwysig peidio byth â chymryd yn ganiataol y bydd pryd bwyd yn ddiogel ac i gofio holi am alergeddau bob tro.
Mae hyn yn berthnasol hefyd i ffrindiau a phartneriaid. Rydym ni’n eu hannog i ystyried a oes gan unrhyw un alergedd bwyd wrth archebu fel grŵp, a chyfleu hyn i'r bwyty os felly.
Mae'n ofynnol yn gyfreithiol i fusnesau bwyd sicrhau bod gwybodaeth am alergenau ar gael wrth archebu, a phan fydd y bwyd yn cael ei ddosbarthu, ond bydd cadarnhau hyn wrth archebu'r bwyd yn helpu i fagu hyder bod gan fwyty brosesau diogelwch bwyd da ar waith.
Os nad ydych chi'n teimlo bod y person sy’n gweini yn deall eich anghenion yn llawn, gofynnwch i gael siarad â rhywun arall. Os nad ydych chi'n hyderus eu bod yn deall eich alergedd, ystyriwch archebu o rywle arall.
Cefnogi pobl ifanc ag alergeddau bwyd
Er mwyn cefnogi'r ymgyrch, rydym ni wedi datblygu cyngor penodol i bobl ifanc yn eu harddegau ac oedolion ifanc ag alergedd bwyd. Mae'r dudalen yn nodi beth i'w wneud mewn gwahanol sefyllfaoedd os ydych chi’n byw ag alergedd bwyd.
Bydd y cyngor yn cael ei ddatblygu trwy gydol yr ymgyrch i gynnwys awgrymiadau ac astudiaethau achos o ran sut y gall pobl ifanc reoli alergedd bwyd yn ystod digwyddiadau bywyd penodol fel symud o’r cartref, astudio a theithio.
Bydd codi llais dros alergeddau yn rhoi llais i’r risgiau go iawn y gall esgeulustra eu hachosi i ddefnyddwyr sydd ag alergedd bwyd, a nod yr ymgyrch yw sicrhau newid ymddygiad mewn modd cadarnhaol a pharhaol yn y ffordd y mae bwyd yn cael ei archebu ar-lein.
Dilynwch sgyrsiau'r ymgyrch ar Instagram, TikTok, Twitter a Facebook trwy'r hashnod #CodiLlaisDrosAlergeddau a #SpeakUpForAllergies.
2 comments
Comment by Valerie posted on
Not much use if you don't even acknowledge an allergen is almost all foods currently - Rapeseed Oil
Comment by aamir posted on
Even though a lot of effort is made by the government and food authorities but a massive campaign need taking place including leafletting in people homes which suggests they should know what they are going to order.
Personally, i have seen people ordering food 4 hours ago and then suggesting they were allergic, even though it clearly said on display and they were asked if they had any allergens
Not sure whether it is to do something with a tactic of having free meal or something else, but the world is not a fair place, i think government should invest on social media, billboards and so forth and educate some of the most deprived areas which hugely use takeaways because this definitely puts burden on our NHS
Kind regards
Aamir
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