Industry must wait for allergen action levels
The Task Force's findings are due in late 2012 and only then will advice on the maximum allowable levels of allergens be available.
Experts from across the globe make up the ILSI Task Force, which includes scientists and industry figures from Nestlé, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Unilever. It has been examining research from food and drink tests, and is modelled on the Australian Allergen Bureau's Vital scheme, which explores current threshold data, consumer behaviour, and uncertainty factors.
The Task Force has formed global partnerships with the European Commission, the EU's EuroPrevall allergen research programme, the Food Allergy Research and Resource Program, the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and the European Anaphylaxis Task Force.
"It is accepted that zero risk is not possible, therefore there needs to be an agreed tolerable level of risk," said FSA. "Any agreed action level needs to be practical for the food industry and provide choice and certainty for allergic individuals.
"Consumers with food allergies need clear information about the risks of allergens being accidentally present in food, but changes to existing practices need to be based on robust scientific evidence."
The FSA expects "significant advances" from the Task Force, which will enable more consistent allergen advice when processors make future labelling decisions.
Meanwhile, food assurance specialist NSF-CMi has developed a new standard for the control of allergens in food production called the Allergen Due Diligence Assessment. NSF-CMi said it was a more practical alternative to current methods of testing. It claimed the standard, to which manufacturers can be independently assessed, represented the first end-to-end review of the manufacturing process, which focused on real risks.
The UK saw 35 product recalls in 2010 due to incorrect allergen declarations, which cost an estimated £1.75M, says NSF-CMi.
