The Allergen Bureau Allergen Labelling Exemptions Working Group – Update December 2011

The Allergen Labelling Exemptions working group is progressing the possibility of allergen labelling exemptions for highly refined ingredients in Australia and New Zealand. There are a number of highly refined food ingredients, additives and processing aids which are derived or prepared from allergens and where the allergen component has been effectively removed or denatured.

In Europe and the USA, regulatory agencies have reviewed specific refined ingredients and advised they are unlikely to result in allergic reactions if consumed by sensitive consumers and exemptions are incorporated into allergen labelling regulations. A key activity for the Allergen labelling Exemptions Working Group is consultation with the wider food industry to determine industry priorities and also to request industry contributions to these activities.

The Industry Labelling Exemptions Prioritisation questionnaire was sent out to industry in October through the following routes: Allergen Bureau contact list; AFGC contact list; NZFGC contact lists; and FBIA contact lists.

This was industry’s opportunity to have their say on those allergen exemptions that cause issues for businesses, especially when working with global partners, and to provide input into labelling exemptions prioritisation.

In summary, we received a total of 212 completed questionnaires contributing to the industry prioritisation of allergen exemptions – thank you to all responders. There were three very clear top priorities:

• Wheat & other cereals containing gluten (glucose syrups and maltodextrins)
• Soy (fully refined oil or fat)
• Soy (E306, natural D-alpha tocopherol, natural D-alpha tocopherol acetate, natural D-alpha tocopherol succinate)

These three priorities will be the Stage 1 of the project to help build on Allergen Labelling Exemptions in ANZ. We have had a successful meeting with FSANZ and are working towards taking this forward.