Dietary management of food allergy – different channels of education of patients in hungary

*Erzsébet Pálfi, Zoltánné Horváth, Márta Veresné Bálint, Istvánné Németh, Mária Barna

Summary
Introduction. The prevalence of food allergy is approximately 1-2% in adults and 5-8% in children less than 3 years of age. The allergen avoidance diet is the key treatment of food allergy and it is feasible only with information about food allergen content. In Hungary there are different techniques of conveying information for sensitive consumers.
Aim. The authors aimed to find the most practicable ways of conveying information in food allergy management.
Material and Method. We measured the Hungarian situation with a computer background multi-criteria interview method that took 1.5 ± 0.50 hours. The interview contained 20 pre-defined options that showed the complex situation of food allergy management in Hungary and some viewpoints of their evaluation. We compared the opinions based on criteria developing a comprehensive opinion spectrum. The 30 interviewees were involved from patient organisations, the health care and scientific sector, food companies, the food commerce and public catering area, consumer protection, the media, and the food safety and policy sector.
Results. Allergen information as patients' information on the food labelling is not sufficient and they do not replace dietitian counselling and further patient management by a dietitian. Education of patients was a priority in food allergy management. The Databank is a parallel way for consumers suffering from food allergy to obtain information about "free from” products that supplements the food labelling legislation.
Conclusions. Both the health system and food safety include channels of allergen information from product to patient.

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