Food companies and regulators have become increasingly vigilant for environmental pathogens in manufacturing facilities, with problems triggering swab-a-thons and even recalls.
Given the potentially fatal consequences of an undeclared allergen, relying on food labels to ensure the safety of allergic consumers may not seem sufficiently protective.
The challenge with all of these fresh-cut, RTE products is that they were not getting any processing step required to eliminate the hazards that may exist on the raw materials.
The new gluten-free labeling rule doesn’t include testing requirements to validate that products are gluten free. Are certification standards the answer?