News
Food allergies affect 1 in 4 consumers, according to FARE
3 Jul 2020New research from FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) found that 85 million Americans, or 1 in 4 people, avoid purchasing products with the top 9 allergens due to either personal allergies or allergies suffers that live in the same household.
The price tag associated with avoiding products that can have health consequences and subsequently relying on specialty, allergen-free items rings up at $19 billion annually. The top 9 allergens in the United States are milk, wheat, sesame, tree nuts, soy, fish, shellfish, peanuts, and sesame.

"For all 85 million Americans this can be expensive, but especially for lower-income families with food allergies, allergen avoidance can be prohibitive and crippling," said Lisa Gable, chief executive officer of FARE. Research from the allergy firm noted that those with food allergies pay 5% more per month than the average consumer.
While this additional expense can be a burden for some households, it also represents an opportunity for major manufacturers looking to capture more consumers by offering cost-friendly allergy-free solutions. According to FARE’s research, 53% of Americans find the current allergy labeling problematic and interfere with their daily lives; 71% spend three to five minutes reading each label for items they purchase.
Already, many companies have begun to sell allergy-free foods, albeit inadvertently in some cases. The free-from movement that was spurred by consumer interest in dairy-free and gluten-free products has continued to drive innovation for Big Food. Its rapid growth has also served to bring these allergy-foods into the mainstream. The free-from food market is anticipated to grow 4.84% through 2023, according to Mordor Intelligence.
Still, there remains the risk of cross-contamination in processing facilities, something that can pose an issue even for products labeled as allergy-free. To help families that are struggling to find foods that are safe to eat, FARE is proposing a universal label that indicates the presence, even unintentionally, of an allergen.
FARE reported that 32 million Americans are currently living with a potentially life-threatening food allergy. This is up from its 2013 estimate of 15 million people in the U.S. living with a food allergy which indicates that the prevalence of allergies is on the rise. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed this data with a report that noted the prevalence of food allergies in children jumped 50% between 1997 and 2011. FARE reported that the number of food allergy consumers has grown a total of 4% over the past 20 years. Manufacturers that cater to these consumers are sure to win not only sales but brand loyalty.
Related news

World Food Safety Day shines a spotlight on science
19 Jun 2025
On 7 June, the World Health Organization (WHO) held its annual World Food Safety Day, highlighting the role scientific research and innovation play in supporting consumers’ health.
Read more
Compostable packaging claims rubbished by regulator
9 Jun 2025
Compostable coffee capsule ads from brands including Dualit and Lavazza Coffee have been banned after the UK’s advertising watchdog deemed them to be "misleading".
Read more
H&B 'transformation' hoped to demystify health and wellness market
3 Jun 2025
Holland & Barrett is undergoing a transformation, with new product launches and a revamp of its supplement ranges, in a bid to demystify what it describes as “an increasingly complex” health and wellness market.
Read more
Africa and Middle East most vulnerable markets to food fraud
28 May 2025
Consumers in Africa and the Middle East face a higher risk of consuming adulterated foods – especially with tariffs causing chaos in the global food supply chain, experts warn.
Read more
EU approves fermented rapeseed cake as a novel food ingredient
23 May 2025
Fermented rapeseed cake has been approved for use in food products in the EU, expanding the high-protein byproduct’s application beyond animal feed and biogas.
Read more
Dog food startup teams up with Harvard to accelerate AI-driven pet nutrition
19 May 2025
A premium dog food startup is teaming up with Harvard to enhance its artificial intelligence (AI) platform and accelerate pet nutrition product development.
Read more
Nestlé improves nutrition reporting as pressure grows on other food and beverage companies
16 May 2025
Nestlé has urged other major food manufacturing businesses to improve their reporting on the nutritional value of their products.
Read more
Dutch regulator steps up anti-greenwashing enforcement in food industry
1 May 2025
The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets has warned food companies to tighten sustainability claims.
Read more
Could the US manufacturing space benefit from simplified food laws?
25 Apr 2025
Following a US ban on artificial food dyes, research examines the US food manufacturing and regulatory landscape.
Read more
Business confidence in the UK food and drink manufacturing sector falls
22 Apr 2025
Business confidence is on a downward trajectory, according to a report from the UK’s Food and Drink Federation (FDF), which is suggesting 40 actions to help it pick up.
Read more