Majority of Brits believe allergies are ‘much more common’ now than when they were younger

Eight in 10 Brits say food allergies appear to be far more commonplace now than they remember from when they were younger

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Eight in 10 Brits believe allergies are ‘much more common’ nowadays, than they remember from when they were younger.

Research among 2,000 adults found one in five believe they currently have a food allergy - but a sixth are unable to identify any allergens in common food groups.

Nearly one in three had no idea that in yoghurt, the allergen is simply milk.

However, eight in 10 agree it is important that new food legislation is introduced to protect those with severe food allergies out of the home.

The research was commissioned by GS1 UK, which is running a campaign for extra transparency from the food industry.

Anne Godfrey, CEO of GS1 UK, said: “This is much needed which will undoubtedly increase transparency within the food industry and protect consumers - as the research shows, it’s not always clear what is or isn’t an allergen.

“Food allergies are clearly increasingly prominent across the UK, so it is imperative that the industry offers more support to those that are unable to eat certain foods.”