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Across its operating companies, Sysco GB has already worked to raise awareness about the importance of food allergies whilst also providing customers with solutions. Country Choice developed its own labelling solution to help businesses serving food to ensure that allergens are clearly labelled on food to go products. Brakes offers a similar solution through its Virtual Chef system.  

Following the tragic death of their 15-year-old daughter Natasha to anaphylaxis - a severe allergic reaction, Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse OBEs established The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation in 2019 to fund vital medical research and to raise awareness with an ambitious and world-changing vision to make allergy history.

Tanya Ednan-Laperouse OBE, co-founder of The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, said: “We are really pleased to receive ongoing support from Sysco GB whose business in the food sector spreads far and wide. The mission of Natasha’s Foundation is to make food allergy history through discovery science and awareness so that food allergy can be dialled back down and people can lead better and inclusive lives around food.

“As food allergy grows bigger each year it is more important than ever to tackle the issue head on and without delay. The support from Sysco GB will help Natasha's Foundation to deliver on its mission and improve the lives of millions of children, teenagers and adults."

With up to three million people in the UK living with food allergies, there is a need to ensure that clear and consistent allergy information is provided everywhere, whether that is a convenience store, school, pub or restaurant.

Paul Nieduszynski, chief commercial officer for Sysco GB, added: “Awareness of the importance of allergen labelling has grown massively in the past few years, thanks in no small part to the work of The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation.

“However, we know there are still a lot of gaps in both knowledge and application and we want our partnership with The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation to be the catalyst for a renewed campaign to put allergy labelling at the very top of the food agenda and support The Foundation’s aim of ending food allergies.”

All Sysco GB operating companies, including Country Choice, kff, Medina Foodservice, Brakes and Fresh Direct will be supporting the campaign through their businesses with plans to raise awareness through a number of key activities such as events, webinars and video.