How Can We Deliver Safe Food for Everyone? Convenience Store Products Through the Lens of Food Allergies
We make food choices almost every day. Rice ball or sandwich? Most of the time, we just grab something based on mood or preference.
But for people with food allergies, it’s not that simple. They have to check the ingredients and make sure nothing harmful to their body is included. Choosing food means asking themselves, “Is this safe for me to eat?”—a constant dialogue with their own body.
For this feature, we invited individuals living with food allergies to share their thoughts and daily experiences when choosing food at 7-Eleven.
Here Are the People We Met at This Crossroad
An
A first-year university student with allergies to eggs, peanuts, fish roe, kiwi, soy, sesame, and mustard. As a child, she was also allergic to wheat, dairy, and buckwheat, but after undergoing Oral Immunotherapy*¹, she is now able to eat those foods. She manages soy by adjusting intake amounts, and when it comes to sesame and mustard, she simply removes any visible pieces before eating.
N
A first-year university student with allergies to dairy products, eggs, and walnuts. He also had a wheat allergy in the past, but after undergoing Oral Immunotherapy*¹, he is now able to eat wheat. He can consume eggs if cooked. Because he reacts even to traces of dairy in droplets, he wears gloves when holding cups and continues oral immunotherapy. As for walnuts, they are currently undergoing an Oral Food Challenge*² to build tolerance.
*¹ Oral Immunotherapy (OIT): A treatment in which, after identifying the threshold that triggers allergic symptoms through an Oral Food Challenge*², the patient continues consuming the allergenic food under medical supervision with the goal of developing tolerance (Source: Japanese Society of Pediatric Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Allergy Guidelines 2021).
*² Oral Food Challenge (OFC): A test in which a food known or suspected to cause an allergy is ingested once or in divided doses to observe whether symptoms appear (Source: Japanese Society of Pediatric Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Allergy Guidelines 2021).
Akagi
Executive Director and Secretary-General of the certified NPO ATOPICCO Network for Children of the Earth
She has long been engaged in activities that support patients with atopic and allergic diseases, as well as their families.
Kurita
QC Department, QC & Logistics Management Division, Seven-Eleven Japan.
She handles inquiries from people with food allergies and shares Seven-Eleven’s safety and security initiatives through the website and other channels.
How Can You Choose Safely at Convenience Stores? The Reality of Allergen Labeling
Products on display at 7-Eleven stores come with allergen labeling. However, even within a single private brand, the way that information is presented can vary. Some labels are clear at a glance, while others require careful attention to notice. In this context, how do people with food allergies actually navigate convenience stores?
An
I buy all sorts of things—bento boxes, steamed buns, salads, and sweets! But with steamed buns, even if they look the same, the flavors can be different. Some contain ingredients I can’t eat, so whenever I order at the register, I always double-check to make sure the clerk has picked the right one for me.
N
I usually go for rice balls and Seven Café drinks. I’d love to have bread or hot snacks too, but because of my dairy and egg allergies, I can’t. Rice balls, though, often have simple fillings and clearly listed ingredients, so I can choose them with confidence. Plus, 7-Eleven is always coming out with new products, which makes every visit something to look forward to.
Fried foods also come with clearly stated allergen labeling. However, since cooking equipment may carry traces of allergens, a label alone doesn’t necessarily guarantee that the item is completely safe.
Kurita
Thank you both for sharing. I hadn’t realized the issue with steamed buns—that’s a valuable insight. I’ll definitely keep it in mind. By the way, N, have you ever run into any difficulties when buying Seven Café drinks? Even small things would be helpful to hear about today.
N
I haven’t had any problems when buying Seven Café drinks! Since there’s a dedicated machine just for coffee, I don’t have to worry about dairy from café lattes mixing in, so I can purchase with peace of mind.
Kurita
I’m glad to hear that—what a relief. When you both purchase products, you always check the labeling, right? Do you find it hard to read at times, or is there anything you wish could be improved?
During the roundtable, participants also discussed labeling while looking at actual products. One candid comment was, "If the labeling method were standardized, it would make me more likely to pick things up."
N
I really appreciate that I can check allergenic ingredients (such as specified raw materials) for products on 7-Eleven’s website and app—it’s a big help. That said, I do wish it were a bit easier to use.
If there were features to filter products by allergens, or notifications when new items come out that don’t contain my allergens, I think I’d be encouraged to use it even more.
An
That sounds super convenient! I’m all for it. Personally, I wish the labels were easier to spot at a glance. I always check the ingredients before buying food, but when the label is stuck on the bottom, it’s really hard to read.
At the very least, it would be great if the eight specified allergenic ingredients* could be made instantly recognizable.
* The eight specified raw materials with the highest severity and number of cases: shrimp, crab, walnuts, wheat, buckwheat, eggs, dairy, and peanuts.
Kurita
We thought we were being mindful about labeling methods, but hearing from both of you, I realize there’s still plenty of room for improvement.
Choosing Is Never Random: The Subtle Inconveniences Few Notice
An
Personally, I also think "getting too used to things" can be dangerous. A few years ago, I ordered pasta at a family restaurant and added powdered cheese. I assumed, "It’s just powdered cheese, so it’s fine," and didn’t check the ingredients. But when I actually looked at the bottle, it listed "egg white."
It didn’t turn into a serious incident, but ever since then, I’ve made sure to carefully check the ingredients, even for products I usually buy without thinking. At 7-Eleven, I pay particular attention to salads as well.
Kurita
When it comes to salads, do you mean the dressing?
An
Exactly! There have been times when I picked up what I thought was the same salad as usual, only to find out the dressing had changed. Looking at the label, I realized, “Oh, I can’t eat this one…” It’s happened more than once. When the dressing is sold separately, it really helps because it gives me more options to choose from.
Akagi
It really is disheartening when the range of foods you can eat becomes limited. In my case, oral immunotherapy has progressed, and I can now eat more things. But when I talk with parents raising children with food allergies, I often hear comments like:
"Kids always want meals with hamburg steak or sausages. But when allergens are listed all together, I can’t tell which ingredient contains egg or dairy, so I can’t buy it for them."
I always feel that if the labeling were a little more detailed, it would open up more choices for families.
N
For me, it’s salad chicken. 7-Eleven offers a wide variety, but the ingredients differ depending on the flavor, so I have to check each one carefully to make sure it doesn’t contain dairy or eggs. You can’t just assume, "It’s salad chicken, so it must be fine."
Sometimes it feels like too much work to check everything, and I end up not buying it at all. If there were clearer marks, like in some other countries, I think that problem could be avoided.
Kurita
When products are renewed, we need to make sure we announce it properly. We also need to provide more detailed ingredient labeling and improve visibility. These challenges have become clearer today, and I’d like to work together with the Product Department to tackle them one by one. Thank you all very much.
Bringing the Joy of Choice to Even More People
Akagi
Even so, I think 7-Eleven has been making its own thoughtful improvements. For example, Seven Premium products include a user-friendly allergen label in addition to the standard listing. It’s written in a bright blue color that stands out, making it much easier to choose.
With bento side dishes and prepared foods, the packaging is also designed so that even if you flip it over to check the ingredient list, it’s sealed to prevent any leakage—a very practical detail. I feel these are ways to help customers choose food with peace of mind. Convenience stores really are becoming easier to use little by little.
An
I also want to say thank you today! Because of my allergies, I rarely get to have the experience of choosing. When I see things like doria or gratin lined up, usually there’s only one kind I can eat. But with 7-Eleven’s dorias and gratins, there are several I can enjoy—and being able to think, “Which one should I pick today?” makes me genuinely happy.
Akagi and the Team from the QC & Logistics Management Division, Seven-Eleven Japan
N
From me, I’ll share a request—trusting that you’ll make it happen. I really want to be able to eat bread. But at every convenience store, bread always contains dairy or eggs, so there’s nothing I can eat. That’s why I’d love to see the development of allergy-friendly bread!
Kurita
Yes! We will continue working on improvements so that everyone can shop with safety and peace of mind. Thank you so much for your kind words.
For those with food allergies, the reality is that "Can I eat this?" becomes the first condition when choosing food. And yet, in this discussion, we also felt the joy of realizing, "I can eat this today," and the happiness of being able to choose based on taste. It highlighted not only the unique awareness that comes from living with allergies, but also the moments of joy and delight, along with the simple yet heartfelt wish to end every meal with just one thought: "That was delicious."
This text has been translated using an automatic translation tool.
