There are two big game-changers for improving food allergen safety: more effective food labeling, as well as risk assessments to understand the severity and frequency of allergic reactions. Identifying, prioritizing, and standardizing the list of major food allergens across global borders will help protect people everywhere living with allergies.
The Allergen Bureau has launched its new “Assessing Agricultural Cross-Contact 2022” guide, which aims to assist agrifood businesses in mitigating allergen cross-contamination.
Hygiena’s new Allergen App integrates allergen testing results into a cloud-based environmental monitoring tool for insight into process control, contamination sources, trend analyses, and audit preparation.
Hygiena has announced its new AlerTox line for almond, hazelnut, and soy. AlerTox is an ultra-sensitive allergen detection system that supports thorough Hazards Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) protocols.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand has released data on recalls in 2021 and recall trends over the last decade, revealing a drop in recalls overall. Allergen recalls accounted for half of all recalls in 2021.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently published a draft guidance that will clarify how FDA evaluates the public health risk of food allergens that are not one of the major nine food allergens identified by law in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
Class 1 recalls are defined as situations where there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a food product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death to humans. Residues of most of the so-called "Big 8" (and soon-to-be "Big 9," with the recent addition of sesame seeds) allergenic foods are considered as a basis for Class 1 recalls. While food allergen recalls are unwelcome, potentially valuable lessons can be learned from these unfortunate events. Good manufacturing practices (GMPs) have evolved from corrective actions taken to prevent allergen recalls.
The National Peanut Board has partnered with the Food Allergy Research and Resource Program (FARRP) to create a free roadmap for processors to help develop and implement allergen control plans, with a focus on peanut ingredients.
The University of Cincinnati recently conducted a study to evaluate how much peanut protein those with allergies can tolerate, which could lead to more informative labels.
