FOOD ALLERGY AWARENESS CHAMPIONS: TOWARDS IMPROVING FOOD SAFETY STANDARDS IN ONLINE FOOD PROCUREMENT FOR PEOPLE WITH FOOD HYPERSENSITIVITY

食物过敏包括过敏、不耐受和乳糜泻。在英国，受影响的人数尚不确定，但大约1%-2%的成年人和5%-8%的儿童患有食物过敏，这可能会导致危及生命的症状。每100个人中至少有一个人患有乳糜泻，这要求他们避免食用含面筋的谷类食品。更多的人报告说，他们对一系列具有不同症状的食物有不同的耐受性。所有这些都要求严格避免食品--故意添加到食品中的成分，以及额外的控制措施，以防止供应链、准备或服务/销售环境中的非成分过敏原交叉污染。这些个人和那些代表他们选择食物的人依赖于所有食品企业提供的正确信息-通过包装上的标签、在线信息、打印菜单和文件夹，或者通过询问工作人员。食品企业还需要评估风险并采取控制措施，以减少过敏原污染，并鼓励与消费者进行知情对话。为了应对近年来备受瞩目的死亡事件，并在征求意见后，2021年10月正在修改立法，要求预先包装好的直销产品(现场制造和包装以供稍后销售)上标有食品的名称，以及强调存在的14种受监管过敏原中的任何一种的完整配料表。订制的菜肴或产品的过敏原信息必须根据客户的要求--以书面形式或通过询问工作人员--提供给客户，并应让客户意识到这是可能的--在酒店和网上的菜单和标志上。在过去十年中，全球疫情加速了社会的重大变化，导致对在线外卖的需求飙升，包括即食即食、饮料和零食；现在有四分之一的消费者考虑定期使用此类服务。食品企业已经选择，或者被迫做出相应的调整，同时仍然满足监管要求，在选择的地点以及在食品收集或交付时提供信息。他们还需要确保他们的做法和程序能够记录和管理消费者关于避免过敏原的请求，控制交叉污染，并在交付时明确识别专门为此类请求准备的食品。处于风险中的消费者在进行此类购买时，可能会遇到与工作人员讨论他们的特定需求的障碍。在从英国公众招募的公民科学家的参与下，该项目旨在从食品过敏症患者的角度了解在线购买食品的安全性、效率、做法和行为。公民科学家将向最终目标众包他们的贡献，与专业科学家合作，公开讨论和发展他们的方法。该项目为期8个月，工作分为四个目标：1)招募一群积极从事避税饮食的公民科学家，并记录他们的看法、行为和做法；2)绘制从事在线食品配送的个别食品企业的绘图程序和做法3)通过分析参与者使用认可的方法获得的选定样本中是否存在某些过敏原；4)以创新和有效的方式有效传播结果。更具体地说，招募的公民科学家不仅将积极参与使用智能手机和计算机在他们家里订购食物的数据收集，而且还将参与制定实验设计和科学过程的进一步阶段，包括数据分析和结果传播(共同设计的公民科学项目)。该项目的成果有可能塑造未来的食品安全政策，其新的方法将在未来的研究中得到更广泛的应用，使所有参与者都受益。

Food hypersensitivity includes allergies, intolerances and coeliac disease. The numbers affected in the UK are not known for sure, but about 1-2% of adults and 5-8% of children have food allergy, which can lead to life-threatening symptoms. At least one person in 100 has coeliac disease requiring them to avoid cereals containing gluten. Many more report different intolerances to a range of foods with different symptoms. These all require rigorous food avoidance - of ingredients deliberately added to foods, and additional controls to prevent cross contamination of a non-ingredient allergen in the supply chain, preparation or service / sales environment. These individuals and those making food choices on their behalf rely on correct information being provided by all food businesses - via labelling on the packaging, online information, printed menus and folders, or by asking staff. Food businesses also need to assess the risk and put controls in place to reduce allergen contamination and encourage informed dialogue with consumers. In response to high-profile fatalities in the recent years, and after consultation, legislation is changing in October 2021 to require products prepacked for direct sale (made and packed on site for later sale) to carry the name of the food, and the full ingredients list highlighting any of the 14 regulated allergens present. Allergen information for dishes or products made to order must be supplied to customers on request - in writing, or by asking staff, and customers should be made aware that this is possible - on menus and signs on the premises and online. Significant societal changes in the last decade hastened by the global pandemic has led to soaring demand for online food delivery including ready to consume meals, drinks, and snacks; one in four consumers now considers using such services on a regular basis. Food businesses have chosen, or been forced, to adapt accordingly whilst still meeting regulatory requirements to provide information at the point of selection and when the food is collected or delivered. They also need to ensure that their practices and procedures enable consumer requests for allergen avoidance to be recorded and managed, cross contamination controlled, and food prepared specially for such requests to be clearly identified when delivered. Consumers at risk may encounter barriers discussing their particular needs with staff when making such purchases. With the involvement of citizen scientists recruited from the UK public, this project aims to understand the safety, efficiency, practices, and behaviours involved in procuring food online from the perspective of people with food hypersensitivities. Citizen scientists will crowdsource their contributions towards the end goal, working in collaboration with professional scientists, openly discussing and developing their methods. The project duration is 8 months with the work divided into four objectives: 1) recruiting a cohort of motivated citizen scientists following an avoidance diet and recording their perceptions, behaviours and practices 2) mapping procedures and practices of individual food businesses engaged in online food delivery3) determination by analysis the presence of certain allergens in selected samples procured by participants, using accredited methods4) effective dissemination of the results in innovative and impactful ways. More specifically, the recruited citizen scientists will not only actively engage in the data collection of the food ordered at their household using their smartphones and computers but also participate in shaping the experimental design and in further stages of the scientific process including the data analysis and result dissemination (co-designed citizen science project). The project's outcomes have the potential to shape future polices in food safety, and its novel methodology will have wider applications for future studies with benefits for all involved.