Audit of Norwegian food allergen labelling

The Norwegian Food Safety Authority, Mattilsynet, has announced it will conduct a national audit project on allergen labelling. The aim of the audit will be to investigate the labelling of allergenic foods in the country, to make sure that consumers can trust the food they eat and avoid allergic reactions.

Initial focus will be on proper labelling of allergenic ingredients in specific food categories, including ready-made meals and semi-finished products. Other categories nominated for audit include breakfast cereals, baking mixes, cakes, biscuits, fried bread, sweets, snacks, and desserts. There will also be a risk assessment conducted with regard to the use of precautionary labelling such as "may contain traces of".

The allergen management programs within food manufacturing companies will be assessed, including current procedures for dealing with possible sources of allergen contamination, cleaning and sanitation procedures, and procedures to pre-evaluate suppliers with respect to allergen risks in raw materials.

The audit will be carried out at all stages of production and will also include imported food products.

Mattilsynet have stated the project will be concluded in September 2011 with results reported during January 2012.