As of 13 December 2014, the rules concerning allergen labelling are set to change.
Under the new system, information about allergenic ingredients will be located in a single place (i.e. the ingredients list). The use of allergy boxes providing statements such as “Contains nuts” will no longer be allowed, however, “may contain” warnings will remain unchanged.
On the new type of label, allergy advice statements will direct people to the ingredients list to obtain the necessary information. It will be up to businesses to decide how they highlight the presence of an allergen in an ingredients list, but this may include the use of bold text, underlining or contrasting colours.
Don Meredith, Director of food safety at Santia Consulting Ltd commented:
“The so-called ‘may contain’ warnings are used on a voluntary basis and are therefore outside the scope of forthcoming changes; nevertheless, food businesses should do all that they can to reduce needless warnings and protect consumer safety – this can be a tricky balance to achieve. Such warnings should only be used if thorough risk assessments show a significant risk of cross-contamination which cannot be adequately managed.
“Staff training, effective cleaning, the use of dedicated equipment and the physical segregation of high-risk ingredients are some of the methods that manufacturers can adopt to bring more confidence into the system.”
Rates of allergies have risen so sharply in the last twenty years that the UK is now one of the top three countries in the world for allergy incidence.
Since 1990, UK hospital admissions due to food allergies have rocketed by 500% and research indicates that the cost of allergy treatment in NHS primary care is £900m per year.
Don Meredith of Santia continued:
“Whatever the cause of this spiralling in allergy rates, it is clear that the food industry is a key player in reducing costs on the healthcare system. Clearer labelling on food packaging is crucial so that consumers can make informed decisions whenever they make a purchase.”
Santia Food Safety Services offers a comprehensive range of high quality, yet competitively priced training courses specifically designed for food handlers and manufacturers.
