Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24059866›Full record

ArticleClinical and translational allergy2013

Characteristics and purchasing behaviours of food-allergic consumers and those who buy food for them in Great Britain.

Stella Anne Cochrane, M Hazel Gowland, David Sheffield, René Wilfrid Robert Crevel

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical and translational allergy, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Poor understanding of allergen labelling by allergic and non-allergic consumers.Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology · 2021
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Stella Anne CochraneUnilever SEAC, Colworth Science Park, Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, MK44 1LQ, UK. stella.a.cochrane@unilever.com.
M Hazel Gowland
David Sheffield
René Wilfrid Robert Crevel

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBuying behaviours of food-allergic consumers can affect the risk they incur. An online survey was undertaken to understand the characteristics and buying behaviours of food-allergic consumers in Great Britain (GB) and people buying food for them.

methodsDescriptive study of food-allergic individuals in GB and their buying behaviours, based on a survey of 500 food-allergic consumers and 500 people buying for allergic individuals.

resultsFruit and vegetables were the most commonly mentioned food allergens for adults, cows' milk in school-age children and eggs in younger children. 45% of respondents reported a formal diagnosis, almost half (48%) by a specialist. Significantly (P < 0.0001) more respondents reporting severe symptoms were likely to be formally diagnosed, but most reactions remained unreported. Nearly 2/3 of respondents always read product labels first time, however only 1/3 on every occasion. Only a third of respondents always avoided products with 'may contain' labels. Respondents reporting severe symptoms, albeit still a minority, showed significantly (P = 0.0026) more cautious buying behaviours.

conclusionsAlthough self-reported, the pattern of food allergy reflects other studies. A minority of food-allergic individuals in GB, even among those reporting severe symptoms, have a formal diagnosis and most never come to the attention of health services, suggesting that food allergies are under-estimated while more severe reactors are over-represented in GB clinic populations. A substantial proportion of respondents regularly take risks when purchasing food including those reporting severe reactions, confirming that current application of precautionary labelling to mitigate and communicate risk is of limited effectiveness. Furthermore the failure of most food-allergic consumers to read labels on every occasion highlights the importance of thinking beyond legal compliance when designing labels, for example when adding an allergen to a product that previously did not contain it, the change should be flagged on the front of the pack to alert allergic consumers.

Identifiers

PMID24059866
PMCPMC3850942

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.