May contain traces of…

Food is a vital part of our existence. It feeds and sustains us; giving us life. Food, however, can also be dangerous. People with food allergies, for example, need to balance their needs for nutrition and food cravings with the reactions they have to certain ingredients and substances. For some, food allergies are life threatening, but allergy awareness is mixed - with parents, family members, schools and the wider community’s reactions ranging from understanding the severity of the issue to dismissing its existence. Food labels are one method of helping those with food allergies to know what foods are ‘safe’. Our exhibit scrutinises the words and pictures that people with food allergies, and those that might care for them, encounter on a daily basis – from the risks of life threatening anaphylaxis to the stigmas associated with being unable to consume certain types of food. By examining allergy warnings on pre-packaged foods, and drawing upon existing research with people with food allergies, our research analyses this human experience, and seeks to understand it and create social awareness through our different disciplinary lenses - sociology (Cook), policy (Vince), and social work (Stanford).