Allergen Labelling Exemptions Working Group

Following a call for interested Allergen Bureau members, a working group has been formed to consider how allergen labelling exemptions can be progressed in Australia and New Zealand.

There are a number of highly refined food ingredients, additives and processing aids which are derived or prepared from food materials that are themselves or contain allergens from which the allergen component has been effectively removed or denatured. The European Food Safety Agency has advised that a number of these ingredients are unlikely to result in allergic reactions if consumed by sensitive consumers resulting in European allergen labelling regulations incorporating exemptions.

The working group is looking at a way forward to address the lack of international harmonisation as this continues to be a frustration for the food industry. The FSANZ Review of the Regulatory Management of Food Allergens recommended the establishment of a Scientific Committee to advise FSANZ on food allergy related issues, with one of the key areas being labelling exemptions. The working group is currently scoping the extent of the work and intends to consult with the wider food industry to understand industry priorities and also to determine industry information to contribute to these activities. The group has highlighted the need to develop an application and work with FSANZ to determine the information requirements. It is important to understand that most projects that trigger a FSANZ application can have quite extended timelines.

The next step for the group is the questionnaire to determine industry priorities – please watch out for this shortly.

Working group members are: Kirsten Grinter, Nestle; Julie Newlands, Unilever; Caroline Gray, Danisco; Tiffany Byers, Parmalat; Angela White, George Weston Foods; Nick Hay, Zymus