I have lived with a legume and pulses allergy, peas and beans, for my entire life. For the first 25 years, it was manageable; I could easily avoid these allergens. However, over the past 13 years, avoiding them has become nearly impossible due to their increasing use as a protein source in food products.

Most recently, McDonalds have added pea protein to every burger bun on their menu.

McDonalds has always been a safe place for me to eat. All people with allergies will understand how difficult it is to manage their allergy when travelling to new places, or how complicated it can be to find somewhere to eat with friends. McDonald’s was always somewhere I could rely on and to lose a safe place like this is very difficult. Where will I eat now when my train is delayed and I need food late in the evening? Or when I’m travelling for work and don’t know my way around?

One of the things which makes McDonalds a safe place for people with allergies is that they list every ingredient on their website, a rarity, even amongst chain fast food restaurants who use the same recipes for every meal.

Most restaurants have, at best, an allergy book, which only highlights the top 14 allergens.

Legumes are not currently included in the top 14 allergen list that food manufacturers are required to highlight on their product labels. This omission is causing significant problems for people like me who suffer from this allergy. 

Staff often do not understand that allergies out of the top 14 are still serious. It’s very difficult for staff to find the ingredients and difficult for people with allergies to explain to them the list of potential allergens which may appear in a given meal.

This is  particularly difficult for the increasing number of children with this allergy to navigate and for them to advocate for themselves. Similarly, for those who struggle with communication in other ways.

Adding legumes to the top 14 allergens would simplify this issue massively.

The rise of plant-based diets has led to an increase in the use of pea protein as a substitute for animal proteins (source: Food Allergy Research & Education). This trend makes it increasingly difficult for those with legume allergies to safely navigate food choices.

The inclusion of legumes on this list would compel manufacturers to clearly label their products when they contain these allergens and potentially discourage further widespread use of pea protein. This change will not only protect those with known allergies but also raise awareness among consumers about potential allergic reactions.

This allergy is increasingly common and many more people are reporting anaphylaxis from legumes.

In addition, adding legumes to the list of top allergens might discourage manufacturers and restaurants to curb the use of ingredients such as pea protein in their food. I have spoken to other people with this allergy who agree that our lives feel more and more limited and difficult. Every month I am discovering a new place I can no longer eat, new food I need be wary of.

In just the last few months I have had an allergic reaction to the following: a Starbucks oat milk shaken espresso (broad bean flower in the oat milk), ice cream (pea fibre) and a pastry in a cafe (pea protein).

We urge regulatory bodies responsible for food safety and labeling standards to consider adding legumes into the top 14 allergen list. We ask Anaphylaxis UK to reconsider this rapidly growing issue.

By doing so, we can ensure safer dietary choices for all individuals suffering from this type of allergy.

Please sign this petition if you believe everyone deserves access to clear information about potential allergens in their food.

Huffington Post article about pea protein

”Heck sausages uses pea protein in its meat and vegan products, and labels it in bold on every ingredients list, even though the company is not required to do so by law.”

“Andrew Keeble, the founder of Heck, said pea protein was cost effective but he knew it was causing issues for some customers and that the company was moving away from use of peas towards rice. “We believe that it should be an allergen, even though the government say it isn’t. We know that it could kill someone. We wanted to get on the front foot,” he tells HuffPost UK.”

Anaphylaxis UK fact sheet about legumes and pulses allergy