Colorado State University Extension
SafeFood Rapid Response Network


SAFEFOOD NEWS - Fall 2001 - Vol 6, no. 1

FDA Priority to Boost Awareness of Food Allergies

The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Food Safety and Applied nutrition has made increasing the consumer and food industry awareness of food allergens a high priority. FDA efforts will include conducting food allergen education programs for consumers and industry as well as developing a strategy for clear, easy-to-understand labeling of food allergens.

Why has this become a priority? Results from a recent study conducted by the Wisconsin and Minnesota Departments of Agriculture found that one quarter of cookie, candy and ice cream manufactures surveyed in those states failed to list common allergens such as nuts and eggs on their ingredient labels. The results of this survey may shed some light on the trend of increasing recalls for foods containing allergens. The number of FDA recalls for foods containing allergens has increased from 30 in 1990 to 121 in 2000.

An estimated six to seven million Americans suffer from food allergies, and each year food allergy reactions are responsible for sending 30,000 people to emergency rooms. Approximately 150 Americans die each year from severe allergic reactions to food.

Currently under FDA standards, food labels must list all ingredients, except spices, flavors, certain colors, and incidental additives. If a food contains an allergen, but it is not listed on the food label, the FDA will recall the product.

Why would a company not list an allergen on the ingredient list of a food label? The Minnesota and Wisconsin report found that many incidences were the results of cross-contamination. For example, cookie sheets used to make peanut-containing cookies went unwashed and were later used to make non-peanut containing cookies, which resulted in enough peanut residue to cause an allergic reaction.

The food industry has shown its concern around this issue of unlabeled allergens being found in some foods by taking voluntary steps in issuing allergen labeling guidelines. In May 2001, the National Food Processors Association released voluntary allergen labeling guidelines by the Food Allergy Issues Alliance, a group of trade and consumer organizations. The guidelines are aimed to encourage all food manufactures to strengthen the consistency and clarity of food labels for people who have food allergies. Food processors are encouraged to voluntarily label the eight major food allergens (eggs, fish, milk, peanuts, soy, tree nuts, wheat, and crustaceans), to use commonly understood terms for each allergen, and to disclose the presence of these allergens even if they are part of a flavor or incidental additive, which are currently exempted. Additional information on food and allergic reactions can be found on the following web-sites:

FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition:
www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/wh-alrgy.html
www.cfsan.fda.glv/~dms/alrgfact.htm
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases:
www.niaid.nih.gov
The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network:
www.foodallergy.org

Sources: 1. Nutrition Week. FDA's allergen inspectors on the move. Vol XXXI No. 25, July 2, 2001. 2. Food Allergies: When Food Becomes the Enemy. FDA Consumer Magazine, July-August 2001.

Updated Monday, August 29, 2011