Buckwheat and pine nuts among foods researchers want categorised as allergens

• Researchers are warning of a new wave of food allergens emerging due to shifts in eating habits, particularly the rise of plant-based diets.
• A study recommends adding goat's and sheep's milk, buckwheat, peas-lentil, and pine nuts to mandatory allergen risk lists in the UK and EU.
• Between 2002 and 2023, the Allergy Vigilance Network recorded 413 severe reactions and two deaths in Europe linked to these newly identified allergens.
• The increased consumption of ingredients like pea protein, often found in plant-based foods, is cited as a reason for new allergy risks.
• Allergy UK advises the 21 million people in the UK with allergies to be cautious and check labels, highlighting issues with unclear labelling and 'may contain' warnings.

IN FULL

The four common foods researchers want added to allergen list