Warning Tiktok food dealers not listing allergens
Charlotte Edwards

BBC News Business Reporter

Getty Images

The BBC found that Tiktok users are selling food without listing allergen information.

The list on Tiktok Shop shows that people who sell snacks and candy without highlighting that they contain one of the 14 major allergens that legally require UK businesses.

When the BBC brought these lists to Tiktok's attention, it deleted them and said: "Tiktok stores are committed to providing a safe and trustworthy shopping experience."

Simon Williams, CEO of Allergic Reactions in the UK, warns allergies: “Don’t buy if there is no ingredient and allergen information.

A Tiktok spokesman said: “We have policies and procedures with sellers to ensure the safety of food and beverages sold on the platform and we will remove products that violate these policies.”

However, food can be sold at Tiktok stores at present without providing any ingredients or allergic information.

The BBC found a seller, Mega Buy UK, that sells desserts related to the popular Netflix Show Squid game and lists ingredients and allergens as "not applicable".

Getty image has squid game-related candy ads next to its product details "not applicable" For allergen information and product ingredientsGetty Images

Candy ads seen in Tiktok store, no listing of allergens or ingredients

Another UK seller named Nashville Burger listed a burger manufacturing kit containing milk - one of the 14 allergen food companies in the UK must announce on the label. It also contains wheat - allergens that should be listed under gluten-containing grains.

However, on Tiktok Shop, the allergen information is called "spice" and the ingredient description simply says "flour".

The BBC also found a seller called British snack advertising lollipop and no ingredient or allergen information.

Tiktok removed the BBC highlighted ads, but all three companies are still selling other products at Tiktok stores without providing full allergen information.

The BBC has contacted all of these sellers but cannot independently verify that the seller is listed in the UK.

But, allergic charity says more work should be done to ensure consumers’ safety regardless of the company’s foundation.

The Tiktok A Nashville Burger Kit contains ingredients for bread and spice chicken, next to its product description, even if inaccurate, the product is simply called flour and allergen information, i.e.Tiktok

The product's allergen is listed as "spice" in the Tiktok store, while the Hamburger Kit Company's separate website says the kit contains milk and wheat

Tiktok is a place where food trends spread - the Challenge Kimchi Challenge, which involves eating hot pickles wrapped in fruit rolls to Dubai chocolate, which triggers the flavor of shopping madness.

Although Tiktok has become a platform for buying and selling a bite action when users ingest videos.

Kate Lancaster, whose two children suffer from milk allergies, regularly advises Tiktok for dairy moms.

She believes Tiktok has a responsibility to ensure that all products sold on its shopping platform meet safety and label standards.

"This is totally unacceptable and it is indeed worrying. Failure to provide ingredient information can be very dangerous, which seems to completely ignore the safety of people with food allergies," she said.

Kate Lancaster's Kate LancasterKate Lancaster

Tanya Ednan-Laperouse was co-founded in her daughter’s name with the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, who died of an allergic reaction to the pret amger sandwich.

She said: "'Tiktok is responsible for ensuring that all UK food sellers comply with the legislative requirements for selling food on their applications.

“Anything should not be removed from the application immediately and investigated, but ideally, if their checks and balances are strict, it should not happen.”

After the death of her daughter, new safety rules were introduced, called the "Natasha Law" that required full ingredients and allergies on all foods made on the house and pre-packaged for direct sale.

“put people at risk”

Kate believes Tiktok allows sellers to "turn" basic food label requirements because the app allows people not to list any ingredients at all and think about it. The platform should punish those who do not provide the correct information.

“Since Natasha’s law has come into effect, I think generally, allergic labels have improved, but it’s scary that huge platforms like Tiktok don’t have enough measures to make sure the labels are in place,” she said.

“Thinking of the idea of ​​parents who have food allergies or allergies, they think they think it is a safe item when they may not be scary in fact.”

Mr Williams from the UK said the ultimate responsibility lies with the seller, but did think Tiktok could do more.

"Currently, it's used as a platform for selling items that may not be safe. They (Tiktok) do need to do more," he said. "There are a lot of people making a lot of money, the huge side is busy, but they put people in danger."

Dr James Cooper, deputy director of food policy at the Food Standards Agency (FSA), which is responsible for food safety in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, said: “Where people buy food, they need to be safe and say what they say.

“Food businesses in the UK must be registered with their local authorities and comply with food laws. All food businesses have legal liability to sell safe food and provide information on allergens.”

If food is sold online through "distance sales", allergen information must be provided at two different stages during the ordering process, the FSA website said.

This usually means providing allergic information in the online description and then providing allergic information in the package so that the buyer has two opportunities to check whether it can trigger its allergies.