UK-based Trace One has warned that the country's food industry has to be prepared to address a significant increase in food allergies.
Trace One has followed a range of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests and research to come to the conclusion that adverse reactions to food across the UK are rising at an alarming rate.
In the last ten years, England has seen a rise of nearly 75% in the number of hospital admissions caused due to food-related reactions in comparison to the 8% increase in population during the same period.
Scotland has also reported an increase of more than 20% in cases related to food allergy between 2004 and 2013, when compared with a population increase of less than 5%.
Trace One global business development EVP Shaun Bossons said: "However it's clear from our research that we are facing a huge rise in both minor and major food allergies that can't be explained away by factors such as population growth.
"Our research found that hospital admissions in England due to food reactions rose from 2,758 in 2004 to 4,744 in 2015."
Transparency has become essential for both the industry and consumers to know about the potential allergens that products contain to ensure a swift recall of such products.
Last year, Trace One made FOI requests to healthcare centres across Scotland, England and Wales.
It also researched data centrally released by the National Health Service (NHS).
Bossons added: "Blame for this increase in allergies could fall on a number of things, with processed foods often found under the spotlight.
"Not only has consumption risen over the years, but the foods themselves have become ever more complex; meaning there is greater potential for unlabelled allergens to be introduced, either by accident or as a result of food fraud."
According to the company report, if the instances related to food allergy keeps increasing at the same rate, there will be nearly four times as many admissions in 2040 than there were last year.
