Date Published: 22 September 2008
Discussion of food allergy research
The Food Standards Agency is to investigate how external factors might impact on the reactions of people allergic to different foods. The Agency will hold an open meeting on 26 November in Cambridge to talk to potential researchers.
The new research, which will look at the affect of factors such as alcohol, exercise or asthma on food allergies, is needed as part of the Agency’s work to determine levels of allergens in food that don’t pose a significant risk to health.
The information will eventually be used to improve labelling and allergen control practices used by industry and risk managers. It could also improve the Agency’s advice to consumers who suffer from food allergies.
Potential contractors will be invited to submit proposals to explore the quantitative relationship between external factors and the threshold and severity of reaction in people with a food allergy.
At the open meeting there will be:
* background information and guidance on what the Agency needs from this research
* an opportunity for potential contractors to discuss, with the FSA and each
other, suitable experimental approaches
* a chance to fine tune the parameters of the research to make sure that it
is both fit for the Agency’s purposes and reflects what is feasible in
the clinical environment
The nature of the Agency’s food intolerance research programme means this meeting will be most applicable to allergy clinicians and specialists.
If you are interested in attending the meeting, contact Ruth Hodgson on 020
7276 8536 or email her at
ruth.hodgson@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk. As space is limited, please reply with
expressions of interest by Wednesday 8 October.
Source: Food Standards Agency (FSA), UK.
