Jersey 'very behind' on allergy labelling laws, says industry expert

Jersey's leading allergy expert says the island is "behind" the UK and EU in passing laws about the labelling of allergens in food products. 

Dr Matt Doyle told ITV News that it was nearly the "10 year anniversary of this being standard practice across the whole of Europe and the UK.

"And yet in Jersey, we haven't caught up".

Mother, Neva Richardson, has a son with a number of severe allergies - she believes the lack of legislation means that eating out on the island is "risky".

"It's his life, if he has severe allergic reactions he could die", she added.

The situation is the case in Guernsey where there's currently no legislation relating to the labelling of allergens in food products.

In 2016, Natasha Ednan-Laperouse was only 15 years old when she died after eating a baguette containing sesame - a product she was allergic to.

Her parents successful led a campaign to introduce a new law in the UK, named after their daughter, which introduced more rules around the labelling of food.

Her dad says the Channel Islands need to act fast on the issue: "It's vital actually, or not only for their own citizens but also very much for the tourists who visit the island there could be a tragedy waiting to happen".

When asked about possible changes to the legislation, Jersey's Environment Minister Deputy Jonathan Renouf says he's hopeful it can be updated soon.

"I started my ministerial term just over a year ago, within five months I brought the food law into place and it has put in place the framework for us to now develop allergies.

"I think that's moving at a reasonable pace".

The States passed a food law last year that will be used as the framework for a future allergy law, but it remains unclear when actual changes will occur.

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