University of Manchester commences international study on food allergies

The University of Manchester is leading a newly launched international project on food allergies which is aimed at developing a standardised approach to allergen management for food manufacturing companies.

The Integrated Approaches to Food Allergen and Allergy Risk Management (iFAAM), supported by the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA), will develop various tools to convey new health advice to prevent the development of food allergies.

Expected to take three years to complete, the project will offer additional guidance on the management of allergens in food manufacturing and production from an industry and regulatory perspective.

Nearly 20 million people in Europe suffer from food allergy; however the management of both food allergy and allergens can be difficult due to the lack of guidance to prevent the onset of food allergy or protect people who are already allergic.

Funded by the European Commission, the €9m project will involve experts from across the world, including the UK, Europe and the US.

The UK FSA Allergy Branch head Sue Hattersley said that the agency will be supporting iFAAM through some of its own current research projects.

"Information learned through iFAAM should help to develop a more consistent approach to providing consumers with information, so they can make safe choices about the food they eat," Hattersley said.

For the study, a team from the University of Manchester will work with 38 partners including the FSA, the food industry and patient groups from Germany, the UK and Ireland, which represent people at risk of severe allergic reactions.

Additionally, iFAAM will also work with groups of children from several countries, including the UK, who have been monitored from birth, in order to study the development of food allergy and other allergic diseases, such as asthma or eczema, in early life.

A food allergy is an adverse immune response to a food protein, and the following foods are considered to be responsible for the majority of food allergies: milk, egg, peanuts, soya, wheat, tree nuts, mustard, lupin, fish, crustacean and molluscan shell fish and celery.

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Image: The new project will offer additional guidance on the management of allergens in food manufacturing and production. Photo courtesy of abcdz2000.