Labelling of potential allergens in food

Area of Science:

• Food science
• Consumer safety
• Regulatory affairs

Background:

• Consumers with food allergies/intolerances require accurate product information for safe consumption.
• Current food labelling regulations are insufficient, leading to adverse reactions.
• Inadequate labelling contributed to 51 out of 77 registered adverse reactions in Sweden, including fatalities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the inadequacy of current food labelling requirements for allergic consumers.
• To propose improvements in food allergen declaration, particularly for composite ingredients.
• To emphasize the critical role of appropriate labelling in secondary prevention of food allergy adverse events.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of adverse reaction data in Sweden related to food labelling.
• Review of international food labelling recommendations (Codex Alimentarius).
• Examination of the '25% rule' for composite ingredients and its implications for allergen declaration.

Main Results:

• A significant majority (51/77) of adverse reactions were linked to insufficient food labelling.
• International standards (Codex Alimentarius) permit non-specification of ingredients in composite ingredients below 25% (25% rule).
• Common allergens like milk, eggs, and nuts may not be declared when present in composite ingredients below this threshold.

Conclusions:

• Current food labelling practices are inadequate for protecting consumers with food allergies.
• Amendments, including lower specification limits and mandatory declaration of potent allergens, are necessary.
• Appropriate product labelling is fundamental for consumer safety, secondary prevention, and raising awareness in food production.