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26 January 2015


How To Read Ingredients Labels & Understand New Food Labelling Laws

Last week Bodhi Luxe published my article titled "How To Read Ingredients Labels & Understand New Food Labelling Laws" In this post, I am giving a brief overview of the new EU Regulations regarding labelling of food allergens for pre-packaged foods, eating out and food served loose (non-prepackaged).

The Bodhi Luxe website has been removed so I have posted my original article below.

When it comes to our food most people are likely to take an interest in what they consume and will read labels. I assume most of us are now familiar with nutritional information, but the way in which allergens are identified has recently changed.

Companies have been preparing for new EU regulations (‘Food Information for Consumers Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011′), which have been adopted into UK law and officially came into effect on 13th December 2014. The regulation affects pre-packaged foods, eating out and food served loose (non-prepackaged).

There are fourteen major allergens which need to be highlighted: Cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, nuts, celery, mustard, sesame, sulphur dioxide, lupin and molluscs.

Allergens need to be identified according to these names and emphasised on the label; this could be in bold, italics or underlined. For example, you should see allergens listed as tofu (soya), tahini (sesame seed) and whey powder (milk). 

A ‘contains X’ allergy statement will no longer be allowed. A ‘may contain’ warning (for cross contamination risks or production methods) is voluntary information which should be taken seriously, yet the new regulations do not control how this information is provided by businesses.

When it comes to making consumers aware about gluten, it’s the cereal that needs to be identified e.g. wheat, rye, barley. There are existing regulations for labelling products ‘gluten free’ (a threshold exists and these products must not contain more than 20ppm gluten). If Coeliacs have any questions about food labels, further information is available from Coeliac UK

Another major change affects businesses selling unpackaged foods, such as those sold on market stalls, restaurants or deli counters. These sellers will no longer be allowed to say they do not know if the product contains allergens. However, the new regulations are not asking chefs to specifically cater for allergies or remove allergens from their kitchens, it is simply to provide information which can assist allergic customers to identify safe dishes.

Allergen information could be written down on a chalk board or chart, or provided orally by a member of staff. When allergen information is not provided upfront, clear signposting to where this information could be obtained must be provided. If you struggle to obtain the information you require, then report the establishment to your local authority (Trading Standards).

The year ahead is going to be an interesting one for food labelling. Old and new styles will co-exist for the time-being until older stocks are depleted. Not everyone has been ‘getting’ the labels and mistakes are being picked up by consumers.

23 November 2012

Hi everyone,

I was delighted when Sarah asked me if I would like to do a guest post for her blog. As a person who has spent years trying to find products suitable for my allergies and eczema I love to share them with others to help them out .I have been plagued all my life with sensitive body skin with keratosis pilaris (commonly known as chicken skin) that reacts to almost all soaps and cleansers. I have only found that simple clear shower gel and dove soap really cleanse me without burning my arms and legs. I recently discovered Betrousse website that offers full size product beauty boxes that are amazingly well priced so I ordered the organic box for £17.00. In this box I received a Reve De Provence organic olive oil and lavender bar soap which on opening the main box smelled divine!!!
It doesn't look much but trust me!!



I didn't hold out much hope for it as my experiences with soap bars have been really disappointing over the years, but it was new so I gave it a go. My first impression on wetting and lathering it up was surprise at how much creamy foam was produced. in my personal experience if a soap is suitable for sensitive skin it invariably smells of nothing nice and does not foam up at all. I applied it in the usual manner and after my bath noticed immediately that my skin was not dry or itchy with little to no redness. I completed my routine and over the next few weeks have noticed a smoothness and softness to my skin that has never before existed  Miracle??? Well it is for me.

After being so pleased with it I was dreading the thought of how difficult to obtain and expensive this could be for me so took to the "net " to research. I was beyond delighted to find you can get it from Amazon via subscribe and save so now will never be with out it again!!! You can buy it from Amazon for £4.49 a bar and cancel the subscription easily with no minimum purchase required. The bar itself (unlike dove) seems to be solid and not going down at all so I feel it will last ages too!

Rose - Milymoles

20 September 2011

Today's post has been written by My Perfume Diaries. Do check out Su's blog she has a wonderful writing style and it is always an enjoyable read. Thanks once again Su for taking time out to write this lovely post :)


When my son, Baby Elephant was about 2 years old, he broke out into hives after just tasting a dessert made of almonds. I freaked out, called the hospital emergency and rushed him there. Thankfully, after all the tests, it was a relief to hear that he does not have any allergies that should concern us. But I can never forget what went through my mind at that time. The idea of him having an allergy was so scary and something that would change our lives forever, even for a little fighter like my son.

I can only imagine how people who have allergies lead their everyday lives. I am always in awe of the lovely Sarah who deals with her allergies in the most beautiful way, while letting the world know about what can be done to make the most of life. I am sure many people will draw inspiration from her.

My guest post today will be all about nasty-free makeup. Though I blog about perfumes, I am a makeup junkie. I have come across various brands that use the best of ingredients, avoiding allergens and unnecessary chemicals, are still as good or even better than the drugstore/department store brands and don't cost a fortune. I want to share some of my favourite Indie, Mineral Makeup companies that I have had the pleasure to try and love.


Everyday Minerals
A great mineral makeup brand, which has a great range of foundation shades with different finishes and coverage. The fabulous eyeshadow come in gorgeous colours, packed with pigment and come in three finishes. There are samplers available for purchase to find the perfect foundation match to your skin tone. They are good value for generous samples and come in pots. They have synthetic brushes (vegan, no animal hair) which are great. The mini kabuki is a mush have!

The makeup is vegan, not tested on animals and free from petroleum products, preservatives, fragrance, talc, bismuth and all the binders that can irritate the skin. According to the website, the skin care is organic, which I am yet to try.

Lucy Minerals
They have amazing foundations with great coverage. It is really long lasting, natural looking and light as air! The eyeshadows are well pigmented and have the most beautiful, fine shimmer. They have trail sizes and sampler packs to try and find a match too. Customer service is great. Shipping is super quick and cheap. They have some great deals every week which are worth checking out. The products have no parabens, micronized minerals, or petroleum products, free from bismuth, talc, fragrance, preservatives and not tested on animals. They are infused with some really great extracts that are good for the skin.

Sassy Minerals 
A natural mineral makeup company. I was gifted the blushes and eyeshadows by a friend and I love them! The blushes especially give the much needed glow to my skin. The ingredients are listed after each product. By what I see, they have no preservatives or fillers, not sure about the vegan status though.

Fyrinnae
Not technically mineral makeup, but vegan and use great ingredients. The eyeshadows are gorgeous! The shade range is ming blowing and just pure magic! They have a very famous primer for eyeshadow called Pixie Epoxy* (check for the ingredients), which is a great product that holds all the shimmer and makes the eyeshadow last longer. The only downside is that the website is frequently down, has been happening since last two years!

Pure Luxe
Is one of my favourite mineral eyeshadow makers! The eyeshadows are beautiful beyond description! They range from wearable to whimsical: Speciality colours like glow in the dark, duo/triochrome, unique Aura collection. The EyezCreme is a beautiful creamy eyeshadow that can be used alone or topped with powder shadow to make it last longer. The samples come in pots and are just $1 each! The ingredients are minerals with no fillers, no bismuth, no talc, no preservatives.

Ritual Eyes
Michelle is a magician! Her passion for makeup is evident in her amazing mineral makeup. She used quality pigments and materials. The eyeshadows are so pigmented and go on and stay on very beautifully. The foundation feels like silk on the skin! I have a great personal experience with the foundation and getting ready to buy a full size.

These are some of the brands I have tried and loved. Some companies like Aromaleigh and The She Space are long gone, but my love for them is still here! This list is in no way a comprehensive one because there are numerous companies out there which specialise in mineral, chemical free makeup. The world of Indie cosmetics and mineral makeup is fascinating! If you have a question about any specific ingredient and worried how you'd react to it, always ask the companies before you order. Usually they are very helpful. 

I hope anyone with allergies like Sarah (Sugarpuffish) will find my post useful to feel more beautiful!

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