The Socioeconomic Cost of Food Hypersensitivity on the Island of Ireland
- Project start date: 18 February 2019
- Project status: Completed
- Project type: Food safety
- Discipline: Food allergy
- Author/s: Dr Ciara Walsh, Dublin Institute of Technology
- Collaborator/s: Dr Katrina Domijan, Maynooth University; Dr Nadim Akasheh, St James's Hospital Dublin; Dr Jennifer Kieran, Health Economist.
Research objective
The objective of this project was to investigate the financial costs of having a food hypersensitivity, and the impact on quality of life for individuals and their families in both Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Safefood commissioned researchers at the Technological University Dublin who collaborated with colleagues at Queen’s University Belfast. They looked at:
- The direct and indirect costs (including health)
- The intangible or non-monetary costs
- The prevalence of food hypersensitivity in both jurisdictions.
Online surveys were carried out from November 2019 until October 2020 and over 3,000 completed surveys were returned by adults or parents of children who had a medically diagnosed food allergy, a medically diagnosed coeliac disease or food intolerance, including a suspected or undiagnosed food allergy.
Outputs
Research report
- Title: The economic cost of food hypersensitivity
- Publication date: 8 July 2022
- Summary: Having a food hypersensitivity – food allergy, food intolerance or coeliac disease – costs, both financially and in terms of health and wellbeing.
- Findings:
- In Ireland, the cost of having a food allergy was up to €1,325 every year for an adult, while in Northern Ireland the cost of having coeliac disease was up to £1,608 for a coeliac child.
- For coeliac disease, these costs were €444 and €903 in Ireland, £737 and £1,608 in Northern Ireland.
- The main driver of direct costs were healthcare-related expenses, while food costs, lost earnings and missed days were also significant expenses.
- Having a food hypersensitivity also impacted on quality of life, regardless of the type of food hypersensitivity.
- Significantly higher levels of pain and discomfort were reported, while some adults and adolescents reported significant anxiety and depression.
- An idea of the prevalence of the difference food hypersensitivities was determined from the survey data, but also from the scientific literature and through the collection of anonymised food hypersensitivity data from public and private organisations in Ireland and Northern Ireland (early years services, schools and care homes).
The data generated in this study will contribute to the general body of knowledge on food hypersensitivity on the island of Ireland.
- Recommendations:
- Offer financial assistance for healthcare costs to those with medically diagnosed food allergies in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
- Provide a wider range of affordable gluten-free foods and financial supports (vouchers, prescriptions) for parents of children with medically diagnosed coeliac disease (MDCD) up to 18 years in Ireland.
- Ensure wider availability of gluten-free products on prescription and consider tax rebates or vouchers for consumers with MDCD in Northern Ireland.
- Develop measures to promote food industry awareness of food hypersensitivity, focusing on allergen prevention, cross-contamination, and proper labelling.
- Investigate ways to prevent misuse of precautionary allergen labelling ("may contain" labels) and consider partnership approaches with the food industry and stakeholders.
- Improve access to medical teams, dietetic support, and counselling for individuals with food hypersensitivity.
- Research the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of providing adrenaline auto-injectors in controlled environments, like schools and care facilities in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
- Develop national guidelines for managing food hypersensitivity in educational settings in Ireland, including allergy policies, emergency plans, staff training, and the use of adrenaline auto-injectors.
You can download the report below.
