Experts with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have developed a process for the consideration of future exemptions of highly refined foods and ingredients derived from or containing a priority allergen food.

A recent study analyzing food allergen recalls in the UK from 2016–2021 has revealed allergens to be the most prevalent cause, and milk to be the most commonly implicated allergen.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recently highlighted various fellowship projects across Europe, providing insight into the recent and ongoing work of EFSA in the realm of food safety risk assessment for various chemical and microbiological hazards. 

With a draft guidance, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has updated Questions and Answers Regarding Food Allergens, Including the Food Allergen Labeling Requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (Edition 5); Guidance for Industry.

Food Allergy Canada recently released its Allergen Management Guidelines for Food Manufacturers, which includes online training and a user guide. The guidelines aim to support Canadian food and beverage manufacturers in managing allergens in their facility to enhance food safety.

A recent review of available scientific literature outlined the food safety aspects of edible insects and suggests that, when cooked or processed in certain ways, edible insects can be a safe food product.

Errors involving product contamination, misbranding, and undeclared allergens remain the three leading causes of food recalls. Since employees are the cornerstone for preventing allergen and gluten adulteration, providing proper training to staff can prevent errors that could lead to a recall.

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.