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Title: Food allergen labelling: the US perspective
Date: 03/10/2006
Autor: By Berna Magnuson, Burdock Group
In the USA, on 1 January 2006, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) was amended by the Food Allergen Labelling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA),1 which Congress passed in order to make it easier for consumers to identify and avoid foods that contain potential allergens
The Food Allergen Labelling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) has identified as major food allergens eight foods or food groups, namely, milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans, which account for roughly 90% of all food allergies. One of the key points of the new Act is that it addresses the issue of potential contamination with allergens of allergy-free foods due to the cross contact with equipment used to process foods containing allergens. It also covers allergens resulting from flavourings, colourings, incidental additives, and packaging produced from allergen-containing materials. The only exclusions are highly refined oils and alcoholic beverages. It also requires a declaration for the labelling of specific types of nuts (e.g. almonds, pecans, or walnuts); some species of fish (e.g. bass, flounder, or cod); or crustacean shellfish (e.g. crab, lobster, or shrimp).
In each case, the label must include the common or usual ñame for an allergen. For example, where milk is listed as other ingredients such as casein or whey, the word 'milk' must also appear either in brackets or in a statement immediately following the ingredient list, such as 'ALLERGEN INFORMATION: Contains Milk'.
Concerns already raised
Food ingredients may contain little to no protein, but are required to be labelled as an allergen if they are derived from an allergenic food.
To be exempt from the labelling requirement, any person can file a notification to the FDA providing scientific evidence demonstrating that the ingredient is free from allergenic proteins. The FDA will review the notification, and provide either an exemption or an objection to the exemption (see http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fa lnoti.html)
Examples of 'problem ingredients' that may be produced from, or use an ingredient derived from, an allergenic food include: soy lecithin, wheat starch, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, dairy starter cultures, lactoferrin, lysozyme, fish gelatin, caramel, butter, butter oil, diacetyl, tocopherol/Vitamin E, sorbitol, lactitol, maltitol, amino acids, enzymes, vinegars, flavours, and natural essences derived from allergenic foods, such as tree nuts. An exemption notification to indícate lack of protein in these foods is needed, as has been done for anhydrous lactitol derived from milk.
The labelling will present a challenge to consumers who have previously eaten food products without any adverse reaction, and now will see many more allergen listings on the package.
Because FALCPA does not contain an exemption for major allergens that may be present in small quantities thought to be inconsequential, consumers will have no way of knowing whether the food formulation has changed; whether the manufacturer received new Information from a supplier indicating that an allergen may be present in an ingredient; or whether the manufacturer is using the same ingredients used previously but now is adding the same of the major allergen to comply with the new regulations.
This article was reproduced with permission from Food & Beverage
International (copyright Haydon Jackson Publishing Ltd)
www.foodandbeverageinternational.com
Date: 03/10/2006
Autor: By Berna Magnuson, Burdock Group
In the USA, on 1 January 2006, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) was amended by the Food Allergen Labelling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA),1 which Congress passed in order to make it easier for consumers to identify and avoid foods that contain potential allergens The Food Allergen Labelling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) has identified as major food allergens eight foods or food groups, namely, milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans, which account for roughly 90% of all food allergies. One of the key points of the new Act is that it addresses the issue of potential contamination with allergens of allergy-free foods due to the cross contact with equipment used to process foods containing allergens. It also covers allergens resulting from flavourings, colourings, incidental additives, and packaging produced from allergen-containing materials. The only exclusions are highly refined oils and alcoholic beverages. It also requires a declaration for the labelling of specific types of nuts (e.g. almonds, pecans, or walnuts); some species of fish (e.g. bass, flounder, or cod); or crustacean shellfish (e.g. crab, lobster, or shrimp).
In each case, the label must include the common or usual ñame for an allergen. For example, where milk is listed as other ingredients such as casein or whey, the word 'milk' must also appear either in brackets or in a statement immediately following the ingredient list, such as 'ALLERGEN INFORMATION: Contains Milk'.
Concerns already raised
Food ingredients may contain little to no protein, but are required to be labelled as an allergen if they are derived from an allergenic food.
To be exempt from the labelling requirement, any person can file a notification to the FDA providing scientific evidence demonstrating that the ingredient is free from allergenic proteins. The FDA will review the notification, and provide either an exemption or an objection to the exemption (see http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fa lnoti.html)
Examples of 'problem ingredients' that may be produced from, or use an ingredient derived from, an allergenic food include: soy lecithin, wheat starch, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, dairy starter cultures, lactoferrin, lysozyme, fish gelatin, caramel, butter, butter oil, diacetyl, tocopherol/Vitamin E, sorbitol, lactitol, maltitol, amino acids, enzymes, vinegars, flavours, and natural essences derived from allergenic foods, such as tree nuts. An exemption notification to indícate lack of protein in these foods is needed, as has been done for anhydrous lactitol derived from milk.
The labelling will present a challenge to consumers who have previously eaten food products without any adverse reaction, and now will see many more allergen listings on the package.
Because FALCPA does not contain an exemption for major allergens that may be present in small quantities thought to be inconsequential, consumers will have no way of knowing whether the food formulation has changed; whether the manufacturer received new Information from a supplier indicating that an allergen may be present in an ingredient; or whether the manufacturer is using the same ingredients used previously but now is adding the same of the major allergen to comply with the new regulations.
This article was reproduced with permission from Food & Beverage
International (copyright Haydon Jackson Publishing Ltd)
www.foodandbeverageinternational.com
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