This episode of Food Safety Five discusses scientific recommendations around ultra-processed food (UPF) definitions and policy, a study demonstrating the antimicrobial efficacy of common sanitizers in potato wash water, and a review outlining the food safety risks of edible flowers. Also discussed are regulatory and standards developments in the U.S., EU, and at the international level.
At its December 2025 Board Meeting, the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) recommended that the agency support Codex proposals on precautionary allergen labeling (PAL) and seek UK alignment with Codex PAL recommendations.
To support Codex committee deliberations, an ad hoc joint FAO/WHO committee convened to recommend a gluten reference dose (RfD) in a risk-based precautionary allergen labeling (PAL) framework to ensure food safety for people with both celiac and immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated wheat allergies.
In November 2025, FDA will host a three-day, virtual public meeting on food allergen thresholds and their potential applications. Input received during the public meeting will help FDA determine next steps, establish priorities, and develop food allergen threshold approaches.
Harmonization of precautionary allergen labeling (PAL) requires the acceptance of reference doses for priority allergens. A new study found that PAL based on specific FAO/WHO-recommended thresholds would only elicit mild to moderate reactions in a small proportion of the allergic population.
To improve upon the commonly used precautionary, hazards-based approach to allergen labeling, FAO and WHO have developed a scientific approach to food allergen labeling based on actual risk, such as the likelihood and severity of an allergic reaction occurring.
Harmonized food allergen regulation at the EU level, and systematic monitoring led by a European reference lab, are necessary to protect consumers, argue researchers.
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.
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) is launching an educational campaign to address widespread misconceptions about “vegan” versus “free-from” labels and raise awareness about precautionary allergen labeling.
