Allergy sufferer campaigns to get 'may contain' products out of 'free from' aisles

Creative Nature, a leading advocate for allergy-friendly foods, is launching its new social media campaign, ‘May Contain’– to try to push for truly ‘free from’ supermarket aisles.

The campaign aims to tackle the smoke and mirrors around food labelling which allows products to be called ‘free from’ when they are not. According to a report by barcode specialist GS1 earlier this year 56 per cent of those questioned with food allergies had had an allergic reaction from mis-labelled or unclear food packaging.

Food allergies are on the rise with around two million people in the UK believed to be affected – and around 20 per cent of the population believe they have an intolerance to certain foods.

Julianne Ponan MBE, CEO of Creative Nature, has severe allergies and anaphylaxis. She said: “The law around labelling of foods when it comes to allergens is wholly inadequate, even with the introduction of measures following Natasha’s Law in 2021. The ambiguous ‘may contain’ labelling means people like me literally cannot trust ‘what it says on the tin’.”

A ‘may contain’ disclaimer on the packaging of some products which are housed on the free-from aisles, means that consumers with food allergies or intolerances are not protected – and cannot trust that labelling. Yet those products are still allowed to be sold in those aisles.

Creative Nature’s impactful ‘may contain’ campaign is now in its second year and seeks to ensure that consumers can trust that products labelled as ‘free from’ are genuinely safe for those with allergies.

In August, Julianne illustrated the issue when she hosted an allergy-friendly picnic in a park and she used the opportunity to test just one product, found in the free-from aisle of a supermarket, which had a ‘may contain peanuts’ disclaimer upon it.

The event brought together individuals with allergies and parents of children with allergies to share their experiences and discuss the daily challenges they face – including the lottery of buying products from the free-from aisles of supermarkets.

During the picnic, participants tested a ‘may contain peanuts’ snack bar with an AlerTox Stick, a quick and easy-to-use allergen detection tool.

(AlerTox Sticks are designed to detect allergens at concentrations as low as one part per million, making it a useful tool for those with allergies.) The test showed that the product did contain traces of peanuts.

In another unusual move, Julianne and her team also sent some Creative Nature products and some ‘may contain’ products to be tested by a dog called Harley in the USA. Harley, who lives with his owner in Tanzana, California is known as a FADD ‘Food Allergy Detective Dog’. Videos of what he found are on his Instagram feed where he has an audience of close to 16,000.

Julianne shared her frustration, saying: “It's shocking that products like these contain a major allergen and are still allowed to sit in the ‘free from’ aisle. As someone with severe allergies myself, this is both upsetting and troubling. People with allergies depend on these labels to stay safe, and it’s wrong for them to be misled.

“Our campaign is all about making sure 'free from' really means safe and getting rid of the confusion caused by 'may contain' labels. The 'free from' aisle should genuinely be free from the top 14 allergens so that people can buy with confidence.”

The ‘May Contain’ campaign will run across Creative Nature’s social media platforms, engaging consumers and industry stakeholders in a dialogue about the importance of transparent labelling. Creative Nature is calling on supermarkets and shops to take immediate action by banning 'may contain' products from the 'free from' aisle to uphold the trust and safety of consumers.

The campaign can be followed on the company’s social media feeds here:

https://www.facebook.com/creativenaturesuperfood

https://www.instagram.com/creativenature/

https://www.tiktok.com/@creativenaturesuperfoods

Creative Nature is a pioneering company dedicated to providing allergy-friendly products and advocating for the safety of individuals with allergies. Founded by Julianne Ponan MBE, Creative Nature aims to raise awareness and promote change within the food industry to ensure that products meet the highest safety standards. It also is one of the UK’s leading top 14 allergen free food brands.

The ‘May Contain’ campaign will run throughout October.

Factfile:

The GS1 report is here - https://www.gs1uk.org/insights/news/QR-codes-powered-by-GS1-keeping-allergen-sufferers-informed-and-protected

Harley’s Instagram feed is here - https://www.instagram.com/detectiveharleyfaddapp/