Production of allergen-free products

Cow’s milk, eggs, nuts, soya, seafood or fish are common foods in the shopping basket, yet they can cause allergies for many people.

Exponential increase in food allergies and intolerances

In recent years, the number of foods causing allergies and intolerances has doubled and hospitalisation in Europe for severe anaphylactic shock in children has increased sevenfold over the last decade.

According to studies conducted by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 5% of adults and 8% of children have food allergies, although some researchers put the number at 15-20% of the population of children. Despite the difficulty in diagnosis, it is estimated that food intolerance can affect 23-25% of the population. In fact, the Federation of the Spanish Coeliac Association estimates that more than 450,000 people in Spain may have coeliac disease, 75% of whom are unaware of their condition.

Given the increase in the number of people with food allergies, the manufacture of gluten-free and allergen-free products in Spain will not be sufficient to meet the needs of the population.

This has been highlighted by professionals and patients attending the recent Allergy Hall and Food Permtent (Salaia) in Madrid. Sales of such products manufactured in Spain accounted for only 4% of the food industry’s total. While 20% of the product is German or 18% is French.

Allergen-free industry

The food industry has reacted to the increase in food allergies by substituting the production of products with milk and replacing eggs, the main cause of food allergies, as well as gluten-free foods, adding many types.

However, there are still few companies manufacturing allergen-free food products on the market. Experts also draw attention to the lack of fructose-free products and warn that many manufacturers introduce too much fructose to eliminate sugar.