A HOSPITAL consultant has teamed up with council officials to raise awareness about tough new regulations on disclosing food that can cause allergic reactions.

Dr Tushar Banerjee is a consultant paediatrician at Darlington Memorial Hospital who has a particular interest in food allergies.

Around 15 people die from the most serious form of food allergies in the UK every year and hospital admissions for food allergies have increased by 500 per cent since 1990.

After carrying out a survey of takeaway restaurants in the town he was so alarmed at the lack of awareness of the new regulations that he approached Darlington Borough Council’s environmental health department to ask if he could work with them to bring chefs and owners up to date.

A European Union directive, which has been endorses by the UK Parliament, has placed responsibilities on businesses involved in food preparation to disclose foods known to cause allergic reactions.

Restaurants are now obliged to post notices asking customers if they have food allergies and ensuring that ingredients which cause allergic reactions , such as milk, eggs, fish and - most dangerous - peanuts, are highlighted on menus.

To date Dr Banerjee has addressed two awareness-raising meetings in the town, accompanied by council officers. The first was for the biggest caterers in Darlington, from schools and hospitals to factories.

The second presentation was to members of Darlington’s Bangladeshi community, who are involved in the restaurant and take-away trade.

“It was clear from my questionnaire there was hardly any awareness of the new regulations,” said Dr Banerjee.

“Deaths caused by severe food allergies are preventable deaths. Prevention is the most important thing we can do to reduce unnecessary suffering from moderate to severe allergic reaction,” he added.

Recently Dr Banerjee developed a multi-disciplinary food allergy clinic at the Memorial Hospital which means that new referrals are seen by a dietician, a gastroenterologist, a dermatologist, a respiratory clinician and a specialist allergy nurse.

The new regulations are now in force in the hospital’s Hollies Restaurant, where prominent signs now ask visitors if they have any food allergies and foods which are known to cause allergic reactions are clearly identified.

Dr Banerjee is also putting together a business case in a bid to persuade trust officials to appoint a second allergy nurse.