New Zealanders living with food allergies are paying 35 per cent more for free-from and vegan food products, according to new data.

A doctor and head of one of the country's largest Asian food manufacturers, Dr Amy Sevao, says the industry needs to do more to support the thousands of Kiwis with food allergies - with the impact of inflation set to place further pressure on those with restricted nutritional choices.

She says the prevalence of severe food allergies in New Zealand has increased significantly in recent years, with research showing the rate of hospital admissions for severe food allergies in some ethnicities has tripled over the past decade.

Food allergies can present in children from a young age and can become a lifelong condition.

The most common allergens are seafood, peanuts, eggs and dairy.

'Some people may develop mild to moderate symptoms such as hives, swelling around the face and stomach upsets. However, others can have much more severe symptoms (anaphylaxis), which leads to swelling of the tongue, difficulty breathing, collapse, and this needs immediate treatment to avoid death.

'We know that the number of Kiwis having a life-threatening reaction to foods is increasing in New Zealand.

'The reasons behind this could be attributable to genetics, dietary food patterns or environmental factors however it is particularly concerning to see the sharp rise in the number of Pasifika patients admitted to hospital with food-induced anaphylaxis in recent years.

'The implications for this long-term trend are especially concerning for those on a tight budget who will have limited choices of foods they can potentially eat.

'In particular, the ability to purchase allergen free foods is at risk for many families as New Zealand grapples with the cost-of-living crisis.”

Government data shows food prices rose by 0.9 per cent last month and are up eight per cent on the same time last year - which makes it even harder to afford free-from foods.

Amy says her analysis of the price of supermarket food products which are free-from common allergens or vegan (egg and dairy free), shows the retail cost per 100g is significantly higher when allergens are removed.

'What we looked at was a sample of food products available in supermarkets which had either a gluten free, dairy or egg free or vegan alternative product marketed by the same manufacturer under the same brand.

'The data showed consumers pay an average of 35 per cent more for a free-from food product, however this could be up to 122 per cent higher in some cases.

'Only two of the free-from products we compared were the same price or less as their standard equivalent,” she says.

Amy says the packaging sizes of free-from products were also around 40 per cent smaller than their counterparts, which suggests this group of consumers may need to be vigilant when calculating the value for money of their purchases.

She says her company, Old Country Food, is developing a new line of free-from foods designed to appeal to Kiwis from a range of cultural backgrounds and those on a limited budget.

Amy says the first product within the range, a nut-free chicken satay steamed bun, is believed to be a world-first and already has attracted attention from overseas buyers looking to stock the product.

She says the product was originally designed in a restaurant setting and then adapted for mass production in a model which could be applied by other manufacturers developing allergen free food products at a lower cost.

'What we know about New Zealand is that it is culturally diverse nation, and the mix of ethnicities brings with it with a wide range of nutritional needs and challenges.

'Around two per cent around 100,000 Kiwis, have an allergy to peanuts - and while we know that there is an additional cost for some manufacturers in producing free-from foods we felt it was important to demonstrate that there was a way to bring these products to market at the same cost as other products in the range,” she says.

To support those with egg and dairy intolerances, Amy says the company has also launched a new vegan dumpling range.

'As an industry we need to do more to ensure that people with food allergies can have a greater number of nutritional options in their daily life - and particularly ones that resonate with their ethnic background.”