An alarming investigation has revealed that food products sold on TikTok Shop in the UK are frequently missing vital allergen information, posing a potentially life-threatening risk to consumers, particularly those with food allergies.
Under UK law, businesses selling food are legally required to declare if their products contain any of the 14 main allergens. Furthermore, for online or ‘distance selling’, this crucial allergen information must be provided at two key stages: clearly stated in the online product description and again on the product packaging.
Investigation Findings Uncover Dangerous Lapses
Multiple investigations into food listings on the popular social media platform’s shopping arm have uncovered widespread non-compliance with these fundamental safety regulations. Findings show sellers listing snacks, sweets, and meal kits without highlighting the presence of mandatory allergens like milk, wheat (gluten), eggs, or nuts.
Specific examples flagged include a seller listing ingredients and allergens for a sweet treat simply as “not applicable.” Another vendor described allergen information for a burger kit containing milk and wheat as just “spices” and the ingredient as “flour”, despite milk and wheat being among the 14 allergens requiring explicit declaration. Worryingly, even when a seller’s own separate website correctly listed allergens, this information was absent or incorrect on their TikTok Shop listing.
Further investigations found numerous other instances of critical information being withheld or misrepresented. Examples included chocolate crepes and Fray Bentos pies listed as having “not applicable” allergen information, despite containing wheat and other common allergens. Listings for Nutella-stuffed cookies claimed only eggs were an allergen, missing flour, milk, and the inherent nuts in Nutella. A three-kilogram tub of Nutella was shockingly advertised as having “no allergens” and being a “safe choice.”
UK Law Ignored: What the Rules Say
The failure to provide this information goes against established UK food safety laws, including regulations requiring declaration of the 14 main allergens. The tragic death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who suffered a fatal reaction to a pre-packed sandwich without adequate labelling, led to “Natasha’s Law,” which mandates full ingredient and allergen labelling on food made on-premises and pre-packed for direct sale. While this law primarily targeted point-of-sale items, the principle of clear allergen communication extends strongly to online sales under distance selling rules enforced by bodies like the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
The FSA emphasizes that all UK food businesses, including online sellers, must register with their local authority, comply with food law, and are legally responsible for selling safe food and providing accurate allergen information.
Experts and Families Raise Alarm
Allergy charities and advocates have voiced severe concerns over the findings, describing the situation as “completely unacceptable and really worrying.” Simon Williams, chief executive of Anaphylaxis UK, issued a stark warning to allergy sufferers: “If the ingredient and allergen information isn’t there, don’t buy it. You’re putting your life in grave danger.”
Kate Lancaster, known as The Dairy Free Mum on TikTok, whose children have milk allergies, believes the platform shows a “complete disregard for the safety of those living with food allergies.” Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, co-founder of The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, stated unequivocally that TikTok “should be responsible for ensuring that all their UK food sellers meet legislative requirements.” She argues that non-compliant sellers should be immediately removed, ideally prevented through rigorous checks from the outset.
While allergy labelling has generally improved following Natasha’s Law, concerns remain that large platforms like TikTok may inadvertently allow sellers to “swerve” these basic, critical safety requirements by making it possible to list products without providing any ingredient or allergy details.
TikTok’s Response: Is It Enough?
When specific non-compliant listings were brought to TikTok’s attention, the platform stated its commitment to providing a “safe and trustworthy shopping experience” and claimed to have “policies and processes in place” to ensure food safety, promising to remove products that breach rules. TikTok did delete the specific listings that were flagged.
However, investigations found that the sellers whose listings were removed often remained active on the platform, continuing to sell other food products without providing the necessary comprehensive allergen information. This suggests that while TikTok may react to specific reports, systemic issues allowing listings without adequate safety information persist.
Protecting Consumers: Who Is Responsible?
While the primary legal responsibility for providing correct allergen information lies with the individual food business seller, experts argue that platforms like TikTok, which facilitate these sales, have a significant role to play in ensuring compliance and consumer safety. Allowing sellers to bypass mandatory labelling requirements puts vulnerable individuals at serious risk.
Until TikTok implements more robust checks and enforcement mechanisms to guarantee that all food listings include complete and accurate allergen information as required by UK law, the critical warning from allergy experts remains vital: Always check for allergen information. If it’s missing, do not risk your health or life by purchasing the product.
References
- https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9djwv3q6w9o
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9djwv3q6w9o
- https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14775409/Urgent-warning-TikTok-Shop-food-listings-Fears-shoppers-risk-items-sold-without-vital-information.html
