The challenge to find safe ready-to-eat foods is even greater for people displaying multiple food allergies, a phenomenon of particular importance in children. Although the vast majority of consumers will not show any adverse reactions of medical concern, contact with tainted food products could translate to anaphylaxis and potentially death for sensitized individuals. IntroductionĮxposure to undeclared ingredients in processed foods constitutes an important source of concern for allergic individuals.
FOOD PROCESSING SERIES
Furthermore, a series of food ingredients and the allergenic fractions identified from them, as well as the current methodology used for detection of these allergenic foods, is provided. The present paper aims to review food production considerations that impact allergen risk management, and it is directed mainly to food manufacturers and policy makers. Enforcement agencies have traditionally focused their effort on surveillance of prepackaged goods, but there is a growing need to apply a bottom-up approach to allergen risk management in food manufacturing starting from primary food processing operations in order to minimize the possibility of allergen contamination in finished products. Countries adhering to international standards are required to observe this minimum of eight substances, but additional priority allergens are included in the list in some countries.
As a result, the Codex General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods has specified a series of allergenic ingredients/substances requiring mandatory declaration when present in processed prepackaged food products. Although most consumers show no adverse symptoms to food allergens, health consequences for sensitized individuals can be very serious.