Food Allergies and Intolerance Pat O Mahony Chief Specialist, Food Technology
Cereals containing gluten Crustaceans Eggs Fish Peanuts Soybeans Milk Nuts Celery Mustard Sesame seeds Sulphur dioxide Lupin Moluscs
Food Allergen Monitoring in Ireland EHO s collect food samples PALs analyse food samples Labelling Mandatory or Allergen free
Issues Thresholds Ingredient v Contaminant Testing for the prevalent food allergens?
FSAI Food Allergen Surveys Web-based survey Jan June 2010 Food labelling survey - 2011 Manufacturers survey - 2011 Caterers survey - 2012
85% medically diagnosed Web survey - Food Allergens & Labelling Survey - 2011
Other? Kiwi 27, nuts 8, Onion - 4, Melon 3 - all poultry, all legumes (peas, green beans), melon - Augmentin Had Anaphylactic Shock.2007 aged 68. Flagyl reaction, but not Ana Shock. Reaction to Royal Jelly twice. Have years of IBS and vomiting after foods. Diagnosed as genetically pro allergic 2007. - I am unsure as it isnt on the Ingredients. I am allergic to Balsam of Peru which is used in most things with fragrence and in nearly everything else but for some reason it doesnt seem to be specified on the ingredients list. PLEASE PLEASE make it compulsory that a manufacturer HAS to warn people that BALSAM OF PERU is in the food as its in so much food/products that its nearly impossible to avoid without this help - i don't know i was told it was a cross allergy
Food Labelling Survey Egg, Peanut, Soya 214 products analysed (84% retail) 11% samples without a declaration contained at least one allergen Food Allergens & Labelling Survey - 2011
Precautionary Labels Egg, Peanut, Soya Food Allergens & Labelling Survey - 2011
Food Manufacturers 12 unannounced site visits to different types of manufacturing establishments including bakeries, chocolate manufacturers, convenience foods and snack producers, as well as meat and fish establishments. FSAI - Food Manufacturers Audit - 2011
Food Manufacturers Labelling inconsistent and often incorrect or confusing Precautionary labels frequently not justified Variable controls Training not universally or consistently applied FSAI - Food Manufacturers Audit - 2011
Catering Establishments 12 catering businesses based on the type of catering services provided food allergen information provided on the menus, websites, advertisements etc provide a relatively broad picture nationwide Establishments 3 Canteens 2 Hotels 3 Fast food outlets 3 Restaurants /Cafes 1 Bar / Restaurant
Methodology On-site visits Unannounced Accompanied by Environmental Health Officer Met with Manager / Chef Opening meeting Explained rationale for audit Audit assessed FSMS / procedures are food allergens addressed? Allergen controls in place (operational controls) Information provided to customers
EFSA Advice Sought by FSAI The prevalence of each allergy in the European Union Recommendations for threshold concentrations of each allergen in food that would provide an acceptable level of protection for at-risk consumers An overview of risk assessment strategies for allergens by Member States, with recommendations for a harmonised approach The suitability, or otherwise, of qualitative and quantitative DNA-based tests (PCR) for the detection and quantification of food allergens in comparison with immunological (e.g. ELISA) or other methods
Current Legal Requirements FBOs - required to place only safe food on the market and to ensure that consumer information is accurate and not misleading (Regulation 178/2002) At present, EU or Irish food law do not provide for any specific controls that should be in place to control the storage, handling or use of allergenic foods in a food business where food is sold un-prepacked Nevertheless, Article 5 of Regulation 852/2004 on the Hygiene of Foodstuffs requires food business operators to implement and maintain a permanent procedure, or procedures, based on the HACCP principles, which would include the handling or storage of food allergens.
Future Legal Requirements New food labelling legislation introduced by the European Union on the 13th December 2011 (FIC) Under the new rules, allergen labelling has been extended to foods sold loose such as food in restaurants, take-aways, canteens and deli counters etc Rules on how this information must be made available to the consumers will be decided by each individual Member State and will apply from 13th December, 2014 Voluntary information on the possible presence of allergens will be subject to certain requirements