Thousands of people are affected by this allergy, and it can be life threatening. I have to carry an epipen with me due to severe reactions even being near rapeseed in the atmosphere whether it’s in fields, or being used for cooking in restaurants… so it’s not just consuming this oil through food.

It should be a recognised allergy, like so many others, but it isn’t. It makes going out to restaurants, grocery shopping, and so much more virtually impossible to do. When you go out for food, and ask to about rapeseed, they can’t often tell you due to it not being in the allergy menu, or so many just say “vegetable oil”, which could be number of different oils! But you can’t take the risk.

Rapeseed Oil is in circa 98% of processed food here in the UK. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) says in their Rapid Risk Assessment of Rapeseed Oil that as long as the Erucic acid content doesn't exceed 2% in our food and less in baby formula and baby food, the risk is inconsequential. What the FSA doesn't appear to have considered is that if Rapeseed Oil is in practically every processed food item, take-away meals, and restaurant meals (and not just food but toiletries, cosmetics, supplements, medication, etc) that the build-up levels of Erucic acid being ingested by humans must be much higher than the so-called "safe"level! 

Because of this when there are suddenly changes in the use of oils due to supply shortages (eg in crisps) they are not required to update their ingredients lists, making those who suffer with this allergy literally gamble with their life when it comes to consuming food. 

Please sign the petition on the link below to identify Rapeseed Oil as a major allergen so that the thousands of us who now suffer allergic reactions to this substance can avoid it and safely consume food.