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Are allergies a problem with additives?
Allergy to food additives is often perceived as a risk, but there is a great deal of misunderstanding of the subject. We know that if susceptible people are sensitive to certain additives, they are invariably also allergic to natural food ingredients too. People are much more likely to be sensitive or allergic to natural constituents in food such as eggs, milk, strawberries, shellfish and certain spices.
Studies carried out in the UK have estimated that adverse reactions to natural foods is fairly common, and about one in 50 of the population are affected. In contrast, sensitivity to additives is as low as one in 1000. Allergies to additives are extremely rare, and careful labelling can minimise the problems experienced by susceptible people.
The legislation covering food labelling in Europe includes rules about labelling additives that may have an allergenic effect to ensure that consumers with food allergies are given appropriate information.
Insufficient animal study data are available to assess the allergenic properties of additives, so surveillance and follow-up are essential in cases of suspected reactions or consumer complaints.
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