Restaurants, cafes, pubs and other food outlets are being urged today to give better information on their menus about ingredients that may cause allergic reactions.
Three quarters of deaths from food allergies involve food prepared by restaurants, caterers and take-aways, the annual conference of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, are due to be told today.
While only five or six deaths from food allergy are reported in the UK every year, experts believe the true figure is much higher.
The institute and the allergy charity the Anaphylaxis Campaign are calling for a national programme to raise awareness of the problem among caterers and consumers.
The institute said: "Over the past two decades there has been an enormous increase in the number of people with serious food allergies. People with a nut allergy have died after eating a coronation chicken sandwich, a piece of lemon meringue pie, Italian ice cream or a shortbread dessert."
It said too many caterers ignored the potential problems that could hit allergy sufferers eating their food: "Many caterers, restaurants and take-aways still have a long way to go to provide accurate product description on menus and up-to-date ingredients information."
The institute wants a legal requirement that food outlets such restaurants and take-aways provide better, accurate labelling of ingredients on menus.
Three quarters of deaths from food allergies involve food prepared by restaurants, caterers and take-aways, the annual conference of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, are due to be told today.
While only five or six deaths from food allergy are reported in the UK every year, experts believe the true figure is much higher.
The institute and the allergy charity the Anaphylaxis Campaign are calling for a national programme to raise awareness of the problem among caterers and consumers.
The institute said: "Over the past two decades there has been an enormous increase in the number of people with serious food allergies. People with a nut allergy have died after eating a coronation chicken sandwich, a piece of lemon meringue pie, Italian ice cream or a shortbread dessert."
It said too many caterers ignored the potential problems that could hit allergy sufferers eating their food: "Many caterers, restaurants and take-aways still have a long way to go to provide accurate product description on menus and up-to-date ingredients information."
The institute wants a legal requirement that food outlets such restaurants and take-aways provide better, accurate labelling of ingredients on menus.
