A survey by leading allergy charity Anaphylaxis Campaign, has found that more than a third of people aged between 15 to 25 who suffer from severe allergies do not always carry their potentially life-saving adrenalin.
Every year there are believed to be approximately 20 deaths in the UK due to anaphylaxis, five of which are the result of food allergies. Epipen auto-injectors are used for emergency treatment, but it seems that many young people with such allergies do not routinely carry this device.
At particular risk are students who have moved away from home for the first time; almost a quarter of those who took part in the survey (23%) said that they require more information on allergy management independent of parental assistance.
Don Meredith, Technical Director of Santia Food Safety Services commented:
“When young people step out of their parents’ shadows for the first time, a sense of individual responsibility has to kick in. Anyone with a severe allergy should know how to manage it and where necessary, carry the appropriate emergency medication. Failure to do so is reckless and this places them at unnecessary risk. In addition to individual responsibility, food businesses have an enormous role to play in refining their manufacturing processes to ensure that labelling is as accurate and meaningful as it can be. Mistakes can be costly and not purely financial in nature.”
22% of survey respondents said that allergy management in a social context was a particular concern. Angela Simpson, professor of respiratory medicine at the University of Manchester has spoken of the social pressures that can be a factor:
“It’s about mums no longer supervising what they eat, it’s about drinking a bit too much alcohol and not wanting to embarrass themselves if they can’t eat somewhere when everyone else wants to.”
Earlier this year the University of Manchester embarked upon a major international study into the dramatic increase in food allergies over the last two decades. See our previous blog about the rise of food allergies and the pressure that this places on the UK health system.
Santia’s 1-day Allergen Segregation Training is designed to provide staff with a sound understanding of allergen management best practice, and offers an applied knowledge of how contamination can be prevented in a manufacturing environment.
