Supermarket giant Tesco is partnering with The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation this Allergy Awareness Week to provide donations from product sales that will be put towards allergy research.

The retailer has confirmed that 10p from every own brand Free From product sold during Allergy Awareness Week will be donated to the Foundation to fight food allergies.

As well as this donation, customers will have the opportunity to donate by rounding their shop up at self service tills.

Tesco has partnered with The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation for five years in a row. Recently, New Food spoke to the Founder of the Foundation, Tanya, Ednan-Laperouse during a Food To Go Podcast episode wher she explained why the organisation was founded back in 2019. Listen to the full episode below:

Natasha tragically passed away after suffering a fatal allergic reaction to eating sesame seeds that were baked into the dough of a baguette. Since then, Natasha’s family has worked to support those living with food hypersensitivity by campaigning for Natasha’s Law, a law that has now been enforced by government to ensure that food that has been freshly prepared then packaged and displayed before being sold must have a label listing all of its ingredients and display any of the 14 major allergens it contains.

This year, between Monday 22 and Sunday 28 April, Tesco’s donations from Free From product purchases will help Natasha’s Foundation to continue its research into reducing the risks of food allergies and further developments into the management of allergies.  

In addition to the funds being raised, the campaign aims to increase awareness about the importance of understanding food allergies and clearly highlighting ingredients in food which can cause allergic reactions.

“We’re thrilled that Tesco is supporting us for the fifth year running. Allergen awareness is so important, and money raised in previous years has helped to fund clinical research exploring the management of food allergies,” said Ednan-Laperouse.

 Sharing Tesco’s stance on the partnership, Oonagh Turnbull, Head of Health Campaigns at Tesco, said: “We know customers are concerned about the potential dangers of food allergies, so we are proud to be working with the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation to raise awareness and fund potentially life-changing research. 

“There are now 175 products in our Free From range, from meals and desserts to snacks, all created with great taste but without any of the allergens. We welcome any shoppers to try these products or kindly round up their shopping at the self-service tills to help raise money for a fantastic cause.”