Most people enjoy a variety of foods with no problems. But for a small percentage of people, specific foods or components of food may cause adverse reactions ranging from a slight rash to a severe allergic response. In order to achieve a higher level of health protection for people and to guarantee their right to information, EU legislation has recently been modified. Food labelling should ensure transparent labelling of food ingredients classed as potential allergens.
For those who are allergic to certain foods, such as wheat or eggs, it is easy to banish them from the diet when they are presented in a natural whole form. However, it is not easy to be sure that those same allergens will not turn up in some pre-prepared food.