Undeclared Food Allergens
The Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) Food Standards Code, Standard 1.2.3 provides legislative requirements for food declarations including warning statements, advisory statements, and declarations.
The Food Standards Code, Standard 1.2.3 - 4 states the following regarding mandatory food declarations(1):
(1) For the labelling provisions, if any of the following foods or substances is present in a food for sale in a manner listed in subsection (2), a declaration that the food or substance is present is required:
(a) added sulphites in concentrations of 10 mg/kg or more;
(b) any of the following foods, or products of those foods:
(i) cereals containing *gluten, namely, wheat, rye, barley, oats and spelt and their hybridised strains other than:
(A) where these substances are present in beer and spirits; or
(B) glucose syrups that are made from wheat starch and that:
(a) have been subject to a refining process that has removed gluten protein content to the lowest level that is reasonably achievable; and
(b) have a gluten protein content that does not exceed 20 mg/kg; or
(C) alcohol distilled from wheat;
(ii) crustacea;
(iii) egg;
(iv) fish, except for isinglass derived from swim bladders and used as a clarifying agent in beer or wine;
(v) milk, other than alcohol distilled from whey;
(vi) peanuts;
(vii) soybeans other than:
(A) soybean oil that has been degummed, neutralised, bleached and deodorised; or
(B) soybean derivatives that are a tocopherol or a phytosterol;
(viii) sesame seeds;
(ix) tree nuts, other than coconut from the fruit of the palm Cocos nucifera;
(x) lupin.
(2) For subsection (1), the food or substance may be present as:
(a) an ingredient or as an ingredient of a *compound ingredient; or
(b) a substance *used as a food additive, or an ingredient or component of such a substance; or
(c) a substance or food *used as a processing aid, or an ingredient or component of such a substance or food.
Refer to the Food Standards Code, Standard 1.2.3 - 4 for more information.
FSANZ statistics reveal that between 1 Jan 2007- 31 Dec 2016 most food recalls were due to undeclared allergens.(2.)
The FoodRecallAus app provides immediate push notifications directly from FSANZ website via RSS feed so that app users are kept up-to-date with the latest food recall notifications. This is extremely important for those who suffer from food allergies and are concerned about packaged food products that may be recalled due to undeclared food allergen on the food label.
The Food Standards Code, Standard 1.2.3 - 4 states the following regarding mandatory food declarations(1):
(1) For the labelling provisions, if any of the following foods or substances is present in a food for sale in a manner listed in subsection (2), a declaration that the food or substance is present is required:
(a) added sulphites in concentrations of 10 mg/kg or more;
(b) any of the following foods, or products of those foods:
(i) cereals containing *gluten, namely, wheat, rye, barley, oats and spelt and their hybridised strains other than:
(A) where these substances are present in beer and spirits; or
(B) glucose syrups that are made from wheat starch and that:
(a) have been subject to a refining process that has removed gluten protein content to the lowest level that is reasonably achievable; and
(b) have a gluten protein content that does not exceed 20 mg/kg; or
(C) alcohol distilled from wheat;
(ii) crustacea;
(iii) egg;
(iv) fish, except for isinglass derived from swim bladders and used as a clarifying agent in beer or wine;
(v) milk, other than alcohol distilled from whey;
(vi) peanuts;
(vii) soybeans other than:
(A) soybean oil that has been degummed, neutralised, bleached and deodorised; or
(B) soybean derivatives that are a tocopherol or a phytosterol;
(viii) sesame seeds;
(ix) tree nuts, other than coconut from the fruit of the palm Cocos nucifera;
(x) lupin.
(2) For subsection (1), the food or substance may be present as:
(a) an ingredient or as an ingredient of a *compound ingredient; or
(b) a substance *used as a food additive, or an ingredient or component of such a substance; or
(c) a substance or food *used as a processing aid, or an ingredient or component of such a substance or food.
Refer to the Food Standards Code, Standard 1.2.3 - 4 for more information.
FSANZ statistics reveal that between 1 Jan 2007- 31 Dec 2016 most food recalls were due to undeclared allergens.(2.)
The FoodRecallAus app provides immediate push notifications directly from FSANZ website via RSS feed so that app users are kept up-to-date with the latest food recall notifications. This is extremely important for those who suffer from food allergies and are concerned about packaged food products that may be recalled due to undeclared food allergen on the food label.
References:
1. http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/code/Pages/default.aspx (03/03/16)
2. http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/industry/foodrecalls/recallstats/Pages/default.aspx (14/02/18)
1. http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/code/Pages/default.aspx (03/03/16)
2. http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/industry/foodrecalls/recallstats/Pages/default.aspx (14/02/18)
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