Newmarket resident Sumit Chhabra created an online platform to help allergy suffers shop safely, all inspired by his son.
Flappd Canada is an online platform featuring allergy-friendly products and catering to health-conscious consumers.
"Our son developed a food allergy when he was just six months old and we found out due to an allergic reaction, unfortunately," Chhabra said. "As he has grown, we have found out that he actually has multiple food allergies and that presents somebody with a lot of challenges."
Inspired by this first-hand experience and building on his background as a pharmacist and researcher, he began looking into allergies and how much they affect Canadians.
"Essentially, it's the immune system's overreaction to a food protein," Chhabra said. "The strict avoidance of the particular food which the person is allergic to is the only solution."
In Canada, there are 11 food allergens that have been determined to be responsible for most of the allergic reactions. They are: eggs, milk, mustard, peanuts, crustaceans and molluscs, fish, sesame seeds, soy, sulphites, tree nuts and wheat.
Canadian regulations require that these allergens be clearly labelled on pre-packaged foods, also known as consumer packaged goods.
As a researcher, he said he wanted to find out if allergies are impacting others as much as they are his son.
More than three million Canadians self-report having a food allergy and one in two Canadian households are impacted by food allergies, according to Food Allergy Canada, a not for profit.
Chhabra said he took this information and wanted to figure out how to help all these people impacted by food allergies.
He created Flappd Canada to help makers of consumer packaged goods and the consumers themselves when it comes to allergy-friendly products.
On the brand side, which was recently launched, they can showcase social proof and share product-related information, such as FAQs, store availability, and product reviews and ratings. They can also send out consumer alerts through the platform.
The consumer side is due to be launched in the fall but once it's live, consumers will be able to search for products, such as dairy-free cookies and all the options available will come up. Customers can also add filters like no peanuts or no eggs. Then they can choose a product and see detailed ingredient information, reviews, and where they can buy it nearby and how much it costs.
Consumers can also bookmark specific products and will get notified if a recall is announced for those products so they don't have to spend time searching.
"This platform has been designed based on a deep understanding of consumer needs and feedback from Canadians affected by food allergies and various dietary preferences. The platform simplifies decision-making for health-conscious consumers who demand transparency from (consumer packaged goods) brands and rewards the brands with increased loyalty and purchasing power through better outreach," Chhabra said.
Currently, he said, consumers have to rely on United States apps, but once Flappd Canada launches its web platform that will change.
Customers who are interested can sign up online and join the waitlist for Flappd to gain access once it has officially launched.
