The pressure has been increasing on TikTok about the safety of products sold on the platform, especially when it comes to allergen warning labels. Kate Lancaster, who as The Dairy Free Mum advocates for other parents managing milk allergies, has two children with milk allergies. She worries that through the widely used social media app sellers can avoid essential food labeling standards. This issue highlights a broader concern about the safety of food sold online and the responsibilities of social media platforms in regulating their marketplaces.
Lancaster’s concerns come not only from her profession but from her experiences as an allergy mom. She argues that TikTok is letting sellers skip out on important and necessary information like allergens, which can be deadly to consumers. Due to the lack of regulation, sellers can avoid even the most rudimentary ingredient disclosure altogether. This generates alarming and dangerous scenarios for those who suffer from food allergies.
This problem strikes close to home for Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, co-founder of The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation. After her daughter Natasha died from a fatal allergic reaction due to mislabeling, Ednan-Laperouse created a foundation in her memory. Sadly, Natasha died following an anaphylactic reaction to a sandwich bought from Pret a Manger. In reaction to this tragic event, additional safety regulations called “Natasha’s Law” were implemented. These laws mandate clear ingredient and allergen labeling for all food made on the premises and pre-packed for retail sale. Their goal is to improve safety for American consumers.
Dr. James Cooper, the deputy director of food policy at the FSA, reminds us that food safety plays a vital role in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. He personally demands that every food item sold be safe to eat and clearly labeled. He’s right—consumers deserve accurate and trustworthy information about the food they buy.
Simon Williams, the chief executive of Anaphylaxis UK, said many online marketplaces, including TikTok, are still failing when it comes to enforcing allergen labelling and disclosures. This is in spite of the improvements that have been adopted since “Natasha’s Law” took effect. He advises allergy sufferers to avoid purchasing products without clear ingredient and allergen information, stating, “If the ingredient and allergen information isn’t there, don’t buy it. You’re putting your life in grave danger.”
Williams went on to explain just how dangerous the lack of proper allergen labeling can be. He’s alarmed by a recent example—the sale of a Nashville-style burger kit on TikTok Shop. The kit misidentified known allergens as “spice”, removing key information such as milk and wheat. He reflects on the broader implications: “The thought of someone with a food allergy, or an allergy parent, buying items that they assume are safe when in fact they may not be is really scary.”
“TikTok’s Lancaster agrees the platform needs to do more to prevent sellers from misleading consumers. “It’s completely unacceptable and really worrying,” she remarks. “Failing to provide ingredient information is potentially very dangerous and feels like a complete disregard for the safety of those living with food allergies.”
Echoing Lancaster’s worries, Ednan-Laperouse wants TikTok to take action against its responsibilities as a platform for selling food. “TikTok is responsible for ensuring that all their UK food sellers meet legislative requirements to sell food products on their app,” she states. “Any that don’t should be immediately removed from the app and investigated, but ideally this should not happen if their checks and balances are rigorous and in place.”
A spokesperson for TikTok responded to these concerns by stating, “We have policies and processes in place with our sellers to ensure the safety of food and beverages sold on our platform and we will remove products that breach these policies.” Many are still incredulous about the inability of these measures to actually work miracles on the ground.
The food safety dialogue and landscape is ever changing. Therefore, social media platforms have a special responsibility to regulate their own marketplaces. Parents such as Kate Lancaster, and advocates like Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, are speaking up. These petitions remind stakeholders how important strong allergen labeling standards are to protecting consumer health and safety.