The Allergen Bureau and the international agenda
Since the work of the VITAL Scientific Expert Panel (VSEP) commenced in January 2011, international interest in the work of the Allergen Bureau and the VITAL risk assessment process has strengthened considerably. Members of the Allergen Bureau Management Committee (ABMC), the VITAL Coordinator and members of the expert panel have been called to speak on the subject at a number of national and international meetings^.
Of most significance from an international point of view is the invitation to both Kirsten Grinter (ABMC Chair) and Fiona Fleming (ABMC) to participate at the Venice meeting of EAACI (European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology) – FAAM (Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Meeting) in February 2011. This provided an opportunity to acknowledge the work of the VITAL Scientific Expert Panel (VSEP) and outline the process of review which has been undertaken by the Allergen Bureau.
Following on from this, Kirsten Grinter was asked to provide an update at the board meeting of FARRP (Food Allergy Research and Resource Program), where Kirsten and other VSEP participants, including Steve Taylor, Joe Baumert and Geert Houben, presented the work of the VSEP and the Australian approach to precautionary labelling to a meeting of the FARRP stakeholders. These included representatives from many of the most influential food companies based in the U.S and Europe.
Further opportunities to speak at a range of international meetings have also been received, with participation at the Global Food Safety Conference, Rome – September 2011 (Robin Sherlock), and the China International Food Safety & Quality Conference & Expo in Beijing in November 2011 (Robin Sherlock) being just two.
It is clear to see, that the work done by the Allergen Bureau and the Australian and New Zealand food industry is being watched closely. The positive responses to this work indicate that the release of the VSEP report and VITAL 2.0 later this year will be viewed with great interest, not just by our domestic audience but globally as well. Watch this space for more information!!
^ Funding for these meetings has not been provided by the Allergen Bureau, delegates being self-funded or were funded by their employers. The Allergen Bureau Management Committee would like to take this opportunity to thank these people and their companies, who have supported the travel and time requirements that have resulted from this level of international interest.