COUNCIL BACKS ALLERGY AWARENESS WEEK

Stockport Council is supporting Allergy Awareness Week 2014 to spread important allergy information to residents and businesses.

Allergy Awareness Week is organised by the Food Standards Agency in partnership with Allergy UK and the Anaphylaxis Campaign, which runs from the 28^th April until the 4^th May.

Food allergies, intolerances and coeliac disease are thought to affect more than three million people in the UK, and in severe cases these conditions can be life threatening or result in death. 

In addition to the health concerns associated with food allergies, there is also a significant cost to the UK economy in terms of lost work days due to illness related to allergy and intolerance.

The aim of Allergy Awareness Week 2014 is for the Council to work together with the Food Standards Agency and other partners to raise awareness of food allergies and to spread important food allergy information to businesses and consumers alike. 

The Council’s Trading Standards team will be providing useful information about the scheme throughout the week via twitter @SMBC_TS. 

Further advice and guidance on food allergens and information is available on the Stockport Council website at www.stockport.gov.uk/foodallergy 

Members of the public who have concerns about food allergies or general food labelling are advised to contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 08454 04 05 06 or online at www.adviceguide.org.uk/consumer_complaint

People can also get details of all the latest Allergy Alerts as soon as they’re issued by getting the details sent as a SMS text message direct to your mobile phone.  To sign up to the free Allergy Alert SMS service, simply send the text message ‘START ALLERGY’ to 62372. Texting ‘STOP ALLERGY’ unsubscribes you.  The initial text will be charged at your network provider’s rate.  For more details see www.food.gov.uk/subscribe/