Food allergies leave bad taste in pocket

People suffering from food allergies and intolerances are paying almost triple for staple grocery items compared with big-name brand mainstream products.

The gulf in prices frustrates support groups, who say that for many people allergy-free food is not a life-style choice but one of life or death given their sensitivities to harmful ingredients.

But food manufacturers and retailers defend the discrepancies, saying it reflects extra costs incurred when making allergy-free foods.

A food allergy is when a person's immune system reacts to a particular food. In severe cases, allergic reactions can be life-threatening (anaphylaxis).

A food intolerance is a chemical reaction and more commonly associated with trouble digesting food.

Signs and symptoms of an intolerance can sometimes look like those of a mild to moderate allergic reaction but are not fatal.

The number of Australians diagnosed with a food allergy or intolerance has been rising, with about 2 per cent of the population having an allergy, including one in 10 babies.

In response, there has been an increase in allergy-free foods in supermarkets, but a comparison conducted by _The Weekend West _ shows consumers are paying significantly more for these products in most cases.

Gluten-free bread can cost double compared with a standard loaf of sliced bread.

But if you want to bake at home, gluten-free self-raising flour can be almost three times as much on a per gram basis.

And in an era of $1 a litre milk or loaves of bread for supermarket generics, the gap becomes even more noticeable at the checkout.

Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia president Maria Said said while it was recognised allergy-free foods cost more to make, the higher prices hit many.

While she had no evidence of price gouging, Ms Said said it was important producers and retailers did not profiteer at the expense of people who were already marginalised.