Claiming ''free from'' is not a light
statement to make.
The ''free from'' market has grown by over 300 per cent since
2000, according to Mintel. This market is built entirely on the ability to carry the label ''free from'', but the foundations are rocky due to a lack of sufficient regulation.
While I would not wish to throw mud at a niche sector of the industry that does a good job at providing safe food for those with dietary issues, it is baffling there is no actual legislation determining an internationally accepted threshold for manufacturers to declare ''free from'' for almost all
allergens.Technology that a few years ago would have concluded a product was free from an allergen can now find minute traces - maybe even traces that are widely considered to pose no risk to allergy sufferers at all, but enough, nonetheless, to question the legitimacy of the
statement ''free from''.
Across the industry, ''free from'' does not necessarily mean 100 per cent free from said allergen or additive. Whether it is through changing the term ''free from'' or increasing the transparency of the statement, the public and the industry deserve to know what the limits are so the choice of what to eat, however the small the amount, is in the hands of the consumer.