Reasonable precaution: evolution of voluntary allergen labelling in terms of risk assessment
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Abstract
In the past few decades, the prevalence of food allergies reached such a height that it brought about public health measures worldwide. As currently these diseases can often only be treated with a strict lifelong elimination diet, patients must be aware of the presence of allergens in food products. In most countries, food components triggering allergic reactions must be displayed on food packages as long as they are deliberately added to the product as ingredients, and are listed in relevant regulations. However, these regulations do not handle potential allergen presence coming from accidental cross-contamination. As a consequence, application of the so-called voluntary precautionary allergen labelling (PAL) (e.g. „may contain traces of X”, „made in a factory also processing X”, etc.) became common practice. As the use of these labels is hardly ever based on risk assessment, partly because of the lack of regulatory allergen thresholds, it is very hard to decide whether the product actually represents a risk. It causes loss of trust and increased risk-taking behaviour in affected consumers. The latest research in the field aims to introduce risk assessment in the practice of voluntary allergen labelling by determining allergen thresholds. This, in combination with good allergen management practices, would improve the reliability of allergen labelling and with that the safety and quality of life of patients living with food allergies.
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