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Allergy information labelling: how can supermarkets meet the needs of today’s allergy sufferers?
1 October 2007
By David Rogers, VP, ZBD Displays
According to a report by the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee, the number of people suffering allergic reactions has trebled in the last 20 years with a third of the population estimated to suffer at some point in their lives.
Over the past year, almost 2,000 people have been admitted to hospital with anaphylaxis, a severe and potentially life-threatening reaction to substances the body rejects, as allergy in the UK reaches epidemic proportions.
The committee warned that, aside from there being too few specialist services for allergy sufferers, inadequate food labelling was also to blame. The report warned that current warnings are often ‘vague and defensive’ and lead to confusion and unnecessary restriction of choice. The common ‘may contain nuts’ labelling approach should be replaced by one that clearly specifies the amount of each allergen contained within the product – interestingly, the report recommended that the traditional advice for pregnant women and children to avoid peanuts be revoked, as it is now out of date and no longer of risk.
With an increasing number of shoppers having to check ingredients very carefully before buying, our traditional labelling methods are out-dated and potentially harmful. Displaying product information more clearly alongside essentials such as price and special promotions would improve the overall customer experience significantly, and reduce any risks to peoples’ health.
In contrast to paper labeling, electronic point of purchase (epop) displays can be updated with ingredient and price information from the back office or in store quickly and easily. This visually engaging display would allow consumers to identity ingredients they are unable to eat almost instantly, and without having to actually handle the product. Giving information on ingredients without the need to scrutinize labels will make customers feel more informed and able to make confident decisions about their purchases.
Furthermore, if it was discovered there had been a problem in production and food now presented an allergy risk, dynamic labels at the point of purchase would mean you could alert customers immediately, across the store or even across the country, saving the need to withdraw the product from the shelves. Eliminating the need to recall products when allergy risks arise would save supermarkets huge sums in staff time and product wastage – and, ultimately, would better serve the 1 in 3 people in the UK who suffer from allergies.
The use of epop technology would be one way supermarkets could remedy the findings of the House of Lord’s report. The use of electronic media on the shop floor can provide customers with the most up-to-date information on products and pricing. It can also go much further in providing information-hungry consumers with the details they need: weight, the temperature that the food is being kept at, as well as ingredients and possible allergens, at a glance.
Putting public health first must be paramount for all food businesses and with the findings of the Government’s report, retailers need to work at winning back consumers’ trust. Supermarkets and other food stores should ensure that signage in their stores transmits the correct messages to customers to make them feel at ease, as well as fulfilling its primary function to direct and inform the shopper. What customers need to see is action, not words. The result of this report will be an increase in customer demand for information at point of purchase and retailers need to act now before they find themselves faced with a crisis in confidence.
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A massive 79% said that they were concerned about the amount of salt contained in food products.
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