We have monitored the latest developments on food allergens and here we present a short summary. Let’s start with the most recent News:
May 2021
- Gina Ross, who received her Ph.D. in March this year with a well-deserved “cum laude” from Wageningen University, is featured in this article by Flora Southey with her printed device that can be linked to a smartphone to detect and quantify food allergens.
https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2021/05/24/Allergen-testing-with-a-smartphone-The-self-test-makes-chemical-analysis-accessible-to-everyone - UK Government, as part of its knowledge transfer initiative, is offering a webinar (presumably free) on food allergen risk assessment on June 16, 2021. The webinar is organised by LGC and features well-known speakers like Michael Walker and Ben Remington.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/allergen-risk-assessment-webinar-with-expert-qa-panel - Earlier this month, FAO published a summary document of the outcome of the expert consultations that reviewed the global priority allergen list. It was a great honor for us to be part of this consultation during which the experts agreed on a new big eight list. Our post with the summary and the link to the FAO document can be found here:
https://www.focos-food.com/joint-fao-who-food-allergen-consultations-the-new-big-eight/ - Also in this months, FDA updates its stakeholder guidance on food allergies:
https://www.fda.gov/food/food-labeling-nutrition/food-allergies
April 2021
- In the USA, sesame was added to the list of allergens to be labelled under the FASTER Act of 2021. It is, for the regulators in the USA the 9th major food allergen effective January 1, 2023. In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services must report on certain information related to food allergy research and data collection activities.
- The congressional legal act can be found here:
https://www.congress.gov/117/plaws/publ11/PLAW-117publ11.pdf - To aid food manufacturers with regards to the labelling of sesame, US-FDA provided guidance which can be found here:
https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/draft-guidance-industry-voluntary-disclosure-sesame-allergen
- The congressional legal act can be found here:
- The Allergen Bureau updated its food industry guidance on allergen management and labelling:
https://allergenbureau.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/FIGAML_April_2021_F1.pdf - FAO published its technical toolkit on food allergens for Asia and the pacific and contains useful information on the labelling requirements for food allergens and practices in this region:
http://www.fao.org/3/cb2868en/cb2868en.pdf
MARCH 2021
- In India, there is an amendment to the labelling of gluten-free products:
Amendments in regulation 2.14 Gluten Free Food clause (3) is as follows
(3) A food which, by its nature, is suitable for use as part of a gluten free diet shall not be named as “special dietary”, “special dietetic’ or any other equivalent term, however, such food may bear a statement on the label that “This food is by its nature gluten free’ Provided that it complies with the essential composition provisions for gluten free food as set out in sub-regulation 2.14 (4) and such a statement does not mislead the consumer.In sub-regulation (4), the proviso – (Provided that it complies with the essential composition provisions for Gluten Free food and such a statement does not mislead the consumer) shall be omitted.
2.15 Food specially processed to reduce gluten content to a level 20 -100mg/kg is omitted.
The information is available here:
FEBRUARY 2021
- Australia/NewZealand has introduced new allergen labelling requirements: The changes to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code) will help ensure mandatory food allergen declarations are clear and consistent so that consumers have the information they need to make safe food choices.
The new requirements take effect following gazette in the Code. The Code requires certain foods or substances to be declared on labels when they are present in food. These foods or substances can cause severe allergic reactions including anaphylaxis in some people. The changes will help consumers to read and interpret allergen information more quickly and easily. Businesses have a 3 year transition period to comply with the new requirements. During the transition period, food businesses can comply with either the existing allergen declaration requirements in the Code, or the new requirements. Any food packaged and labelled before the end of the transition period under existing allergen declaration requirements may be sold for up to 2 years after the end of the transition period
The requirements include:- the declaration of allergen information in a specific format and location on food labels
- the use of simple, plain English terms for allergen declarations.
The documents can be found here:
https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/code/proposals/Pages/P1044PlainEnglishAllergenLabelling.aspx
- Scotland – Improved allergen labelling becomes law to protect consumers in Scotland: New legislation, which will require food businesses in Scotland to include the product name and full ingredients, including allergen information on pre-packed for direct sale (PPDS) foods has been laid in Parliament today (11 February 2021). The new legislation will improve information about allergens and other ingredients in food packed in advance, mainly at the same place from which it’s sold, before being offered to consumers. Examples of PPDS foods include sandwiches placed into packaging by the food business and sold from the same premises, wrapped deli counter goods such as cheese and meats, and boxed salads placed on a refrigerated shelf prior to sale.
https://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/news-and-alerts/improved-allergen-labelling-becomes-law-to-protect-consumers-in-scotland
- Chile prepares a bill to make gluten-free labelling more transparent. Foods that do not have gluten must inform on their packaging or labels using the phrase “gluten-free” and the gluten-free logo on the front. These products must comply with the provisions of the Food Sanitary Regulation (RSA) that are controlled by the Institute of Public Health (ISP). Establishments selling dry packaged gluten-free foods should display them in dedicated shelves to avoid cross contamination.
Link to document in Spanish language:
https://www.diarioconstitucional.cl/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Boletin12906-11-celiacos-.pdf
- Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Publishes Consultation Draft Regulations Governing the Labeling of Small Pre-Packaged Food. Based on the provisions of Article 23 of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation, the Ministry of Health and Welfare proposes to announce the labeling requirement for prepackaged food where the largest surface area is less than 10 cm2, and being sold in the market, may exempt part of the labeling that required by the Article 22 of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation.
The Word document is available here:
https://docs.wto.org/imrd/directdoc.asp?DDFDocuments/t/G/TBTN21/TPKM450.DOCX
JANUARY 2021
- The Allergen Bureau launches the Unexpected Allergens in Food guidance document. This guide provides the food industry with a list of foods, ingredients and raw materials that may unexpectedly contain allergens. It also provides food business operators (FBOs) with questions that they can ask their suppliers to support their allergen risk review process.
Download the guidance here:
https://allergenbureau.net/resources/allergen-bureau-resources/
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