Food Allergies and Intolerances and Their Importance to the Food Industry

53 Pages·2017·1.61 MB·English

Opportunities and Barriers to Global
Harmonization of Food Allergen Risk Management
Steve L. Taylor, Ph.D.
Food Allergy Research & Resource Program
University of Nebraska

2017 FAMS Meeting
Sydney NSW, Australia
May 22, 2017
Finding a Path
to Safety in
Food Allergy
Highlights of the
Consensus Report
Global Harmonization
The Impossible Dream

Advantageous to global trade

If done properly, consumers should get very safe food

Codex Alimentarius Commission has set the minimum

guidance for global harmonization with respect to
issues such as food safety and labeling
Yet, many countries enact regulations that vary from

Codex guidance
Countries can be more flexible and nimble

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Global Harmonization on Food Allergens
The Barriers

- Priority allergen lists
- The zero threshold approach/mentality
- Ingredient labeling regulations
- Precautionary labeling
- Analytical approaches
- Regulatory enforcement
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Global Harmonization on Food Allergens
The Opportunity

- Science-based priority allergen lists
- Statistically sound threshold approach with
establishment of Reference Doses
- Food consumption surveys by country
- Validated analytical methods
- Quantitative risk assessment (QRA)
- QRA-based regulatory decision-making
Sound science as the guiding principle

© 2017
The Opportunity
Science-based priority allergen lists

Statistically sound threshold approach with

establishment of Reference Doses
Food consumption surveys by country

Validated analytical methods

Quantitative risk assessment (QRA)

QRA-based regulatory decision-making


© 2017
History of Priority Allergen Lists
1992: Nordic countries develop a paper on ‘Consideration of
Potential Allergens in Food’
1993: That paper is submitted to and discussed by Codex
Committee of Food Labeling (CCFL) which recommends
an expert consultation
1995: The Food & Agricultural Organization of the United
Nations (FAO) assemble an expert panel and convene
a Technical Consultation on Food Allergens (Nov. 1995)

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History of Priority Allergen Lists
Charge to FAO Expert Panel
Recommend criteria for establishment of a list of

priority foods that should always be labeled due to
food allergies or intolerances
Consider prevalence and severity; potency not

considered
Develop a list of priority foods

So the list included foods causing IgE-mediated food

allergies, celiac disease, and food
intolerances/sensitivities

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1995 FAO Recommended List
The list of ingredients that should always be declared:


Cereals containing gluten, i.e. wheat, rye, barley, oats,
spelt or their hybridized strains and products of these.
Crustaceans, and products of these
Eggs and egg products
Fish and fish products
Peanuts, soybeans and products of these
Milk and milk products (lactose included)
Sulfite in concentrations of 10mg/kg or more
Tree nuts and products of these

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The Big 8
Most Common Causes of Food Allergy
(IgE-Mediated)

Cows’ milk Peanut
 
Egg Soybean
 
Crustacea Tree nuts
 
Fish Cereal sources of
 
gluten
© 2017