A recent sampling assignment conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Pennsylvania and Michigan found milk in 6.2 percent of dark chocolate and chocolate-containing products labeled as “dairy-free,” although all positive samples were also labeled with an allergen advisory statement.
A recent study explored how the use of uniform, threshold-based precautionary allergen labeling could increase food safety for allergic consumers, as well as enhance the number of foods available to them on the market.
Providing food manufacturers with a standardized methodology for determining whether precautionary allergen labeling is appropriate for their products, the Allergen Bureau has introduced the latest version of its risk assessment tool, Voluntary Incidental Trace Allergen Labeling (VITAL®) 4.0.
Beginning in September, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) will implement a new sampling program to verify allergen label claims on ready-to-eat (RTE) foods.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has sent a warning letter to Bimbo Bakeries USA Inc. for listing “contains” statements for major food allergens on the labels of products that do not actually contain the listed allergens. The warning letter follows an FDA statement denouncing a trend of food manufacturers attempting to circumvent allergen cross-contamination requirements by exploiting loopholes around “may contain” label statements.
According to the latest recall data published by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), from 2019–2023, undeclared allergens were the leading cause of food recalls in Australia. FSANZ has identified the root causes for these recalls.
A recent study examined the extent of gluten migration from different biodegradable food contact materials into a variety of liquid and solid foods to provide a more comprehensive basis for assessing the risk of exposure for wheat allergy and celiac disease patients.
In the second of this two-part episode of Food Safety Matters, we interviewed professionals from the industry, regulatory, and nonprofit sectors, live from the show floor of the Food Safety Summit, which took place on May 6–9 in Rosemont, Illinois. We discussed women in food safety, allergen control, the future of auditing, and more.
The Peanut and Tree Nut Processors Association (PTNPA) Operations and Technical Food Safety Forum will be held June 25–26, 2024; preceded by the PTNPA D.C. Fly-In on May 20–22, 2024.
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