The SMS allergy e-mail alerts service was launched this week by the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA). It is being used as a means of getting the agency's allergy alerts out quicker to people who might be at risk, thus warning them not to buy or consume a product that is in the process of being recalled. At present recalls are issued to the general public through the media and publicity displayed in supermarkets. Messaging people individually could improve the effectiveness of companies efforts to prevent illness and recall defective products. Subscribers to the FSA service will receive fast, accurate information as soon as it becomes available highlighting the allergen, the product and where to obtain further details, the agency said. The FSA said that the new alerts have been devised in response to the number of product withdrawals and recalls the agency manages. Sue Hattersley, head of the food allergy branch at the FSA, said the service ensures that people with food allergies get vital information wherever they are as soon as possible. "This new scheme is an efficient way of reaching people whose health could be at risk due to allergens such as peanuts, other nuts, milk or shellfish ingredients used in products that are not properly labeled," she said. Each year, food allergies result in between five and 15 deaths, according to FSA statistics.
