Experts have urgently sounded a alarm over
TikTok
Browse food offerings – with concerns that customers might be ‘endangered’ since products are being sold lacking crucial details.
Sellers on the social media platform are peddling candies and treats without disclosing that they might include one of the 14 major allergens which British companies must legally announce.
Experts warn that individuals with allergies might be exposing themselves to significant risk by purchasing these items.
MailOnline discovered numerous instances where the allergens for various products were either mislabeled or outright omitted by sellers on TikTok shops.
Certain items were marked with ‘not applicable’ for allergen details—even though they were noted to contain ingredients like flour, milk, eggs, and nuts.
The chief executive of Anaphylaxis UK, Simon Williams, cautioned: “If the ingredient and allergen details are missing, do not purchase it. You could be risking your life.”
He informed the BBC: “Currently, it’s serving as a stage for promoting items that might not be safe. TikTok does need to take further action.”
‘Many individuals are earning substantial incomes from this, which makes for an excellent part-time venture, yet it endangers others.’
One company, Alma Trade Ltd, used the platform to advertise Tigreat French chocolate crepes. They claimed that allergen information was ‘not applicable’ in their listing – despite the continental pancakes including wheat flour, whole milk and eggs.
In the United Kingdom, all products that include any of the 14 specified allergens must list them.
These include celery, cereal products with gluten like wheat, rye, barley, and oats, shellfish such as shrimp, crab, and lobster, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, bivalves like mussels and oysters, mustard, peanuts, sesame seeds, soybeans, sulfur dioxide and sulfites when present above ten parts per million, and tree nuts including almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, Brazilian nuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios, and macadamia nuts.
The Food Standards Agency recommends that when food is purchased online or via telephone, allergen details should be provided at two points during the ordering procedure. Typically, this involves including such information both in the product’s online listing and on the package itself.
RM Wholesale is using TikTok shop to flog Fray Bentos pies, again saying that allergen information for the product is ‘not applicable’. The pie makers, on their own website, warn that their products contain both wheat and barley.
A listing by DaCakeGasm, meanwhile, lists their Nutella stuffed red velvet Oreo cookie and hazelnut stuffed M&Ms Cadbury cookie as just having eggs as an allergen. Eggs, flour and milk are listed in the ingredients – while both Nutella and hazelnuts contain nuts.
A massive 3-kilogram jar of Nutella from Bibis Direct claims there are “no allergens” present and describes itself as a “safe option with no stated allergens.” However, this item includes hazelnuts, milk, and soy among its ingredients.
A fourth company, JasatsLtd, promoted Lancashire butter pies claiming they included milk and nuts. Additionally, the list of ingredients comprises wheat flour and soy flour.
BakedaysAhead stated that their ‘creamy delicious cheesecake’ had ‘only cream cheese’ as an allergen. Typically, cream cheese includes milk, but flour is also part of the ingredient list.
Following the BBC’s investigation into advertisements on the platform, TikTok removed the ads flagged by the broadcaster. However, the firms mentioned continued to market their goods on the site without offering complete allergen details.
A representative informed the broadcasting company, “Our organization has established guidelines and procedures for vendors to guarantee the safety of edibles and drinks available on our platform, and we will take action to eliminate items that violate these regulations.”
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