A global standards organisation has called on the food industry to include QR codes on packaging to aid consumers in understanding allergens in products.
It comes following a study which revealed that a fifth of Brits believe they have a food allergy – yet one in six cannot identify any allergens in common food groups.
Led by GS1, the not-for-profit organisation which is the global provider of interoperable standards that it says covers 90% of UK retailers, the research comes as part of their feed us the facts campaign which calls on extra transparency from the entire food industry to protect people and businesses.
The organisation said that a ‘clear indication’ that allergen information needs to become accessible is that, through social awkwardness, 62% said that they do not feel comfortable asking about allergens in food and would rather ‘take the risk’ instead.
Further to this, the pandemic-prompted shift to online shopping caused confusion to many – with the research showing that consumers are twice as likely to understand everything that is inside a product when shopping in store, compared to online.
Currently, 42% ‘trust’ large brands to accurately label their products with allergen information, more than smaller brands. However, a third of respondents said that they would trust a brand if they knew it had previous for recalling products due to contamination or misleading information on packaging.
One in four said that a code to scan food products would make allergens clearer when shopping. Anne Godfrey CEO of GS1 UK commented, “2D barcodes – like a QR code or DataMatrix – can hold significant vital information which, in the future, will empower a more responsible, protected and informed consumer. Quick smartphone scans will be able to show a product’s allergens, environmental impact, extended producer responsibility and much more.
“To achieve this, the standards that sit behind the labelling of products must be used universally to enable a common language which will allow consumers to identify, capture and share data about food products.
“This would allow retailers to recall a food item more effectively by having the ability to instantly inform everyone across the supply chain with a click of a button, including the consumer who purchased the item – rather than using todays slow methods of communication.”
Lynne Regent, CEO of the UK’s Anaphylaxis Campaign, added, “We hear daily how seriously severe allergy impedes the lives of those at risk. There is no treatment or cure for anaphylaxis – people at risk have two options: manage their condition and carry adrenaline.
“Our ultimate aim is to create a safe environment for all people with allergies. Whilst good progress has been made in the food industry to improve safety for allergic consumers over the last few years, this new consumer research highlights that there is still a great deal of work to do.”
Mary Feeney, the group chair of the British Dietetics Association’s Food Allergy Specialist Group, said, “Many people may be unaware that allergen information can be provided in different ways, for example, some types of packaged foods do not need to include this on a product label; in a restaurant, allergen information may not be listed on the menu but could be provided in a separate folder. Finding the information needed to choose safe foods can be difficult for people with food allergies, especially when eating out or on the go.”
