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Allergy Issues Alliance labeling guidelines for food allergens |
T. D. TRAUTMAN, General Mills, Inc., 201 General Mills Blvd., Minneapolis, MN 55426 The Food Allergy Issues Alliance is a group of food trade associations and other interested organizations that convene to discuss issues related to food allergy. One key issue has been how to communicate to consumers the presence of allergens in food products. The Alliance met during 2000 and 2001 to discuss this need and to draft the Food Allergen Labeling Guidelines, published in May 2001. This document has four parts: it identifies the Major Food Allergens; advocates the use of terms commonly understood by consumers for the Major Food Allergens; calls for manufacturers to disclose the presence of Major Food Allergens when they are an intentional part of the food, regardless of source; and establishes guidelines for conditions when the use of supplemental allergen statements is appropriate. These Guidelines provide important voluntary labeling standards for the food industry: clear, consistent communication is important for the safety of consumers while indiscriminant use of allergen labeling is to be discouraged.
Session 10, Emerging issues in food allergy
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