THE WIDESPREAD use by food manufacturers of label warnings such as “may contain nuts” or “manufactured on a line that also uses nuts” has been criticised by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).
The authority said it was concerned at the rise in the number of foods carrying such labels, and said they were of little benefit to people with an allergy as they could not be sure if the product was nut-free.
The authority’s chief executive, Prof Alan Reilly, said such warnings could unnecessarily restrict the food choices available to allergen sufferers. “It can also provide a quick fix for those food business operators unwilling or unable to adhere to good manufacturing practices and HACCP controls.”
HACCP – Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point – is a set of rules used in the food industry to identify potential food safety hazards.
Prof Reilly said the authority was urging manufacturers to be prudent in their allergen advice and to prioritise the needs of allergen sufferers.
He was speaking as the authority launched an e-mail and SMS text service which directly informs allergy sufferers of the presence of allergens in inappropriately labelled foods. People with allergies or parents of children with allergies can subscribe to receive these alerts via the authority’s website
Food allergen alerts will be issued by the authority when it receives information that a food product poses a risk to certain consumers’ health due to missing or incorrect allergen labelling.
The food safety authority also announced plans to gather more information on the incidence and type of allergies in Ireland, and has asked people to fill in a short online survey on its website.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland is www.fsai.ie
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