It\u2019s no longer acceptable to mention an allergen once on food packaging or labelling<\/a>. \u2018Contains milk and gluten\u2019 just won\u2019t cut the mustard for a pre-packaged cheese sandwich. Instead you would have to list them separately, i.e. Wheat flour (gluten), <\/strong>cheese (milk)<\/strong>, within the ingredients list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you take a look at the news page on the Food Standards Agency\u2019s website, you\u2019ll find several instances of product recalls. Aside from a couple relating to physical hazards, or incorrect \u2018Use by\u2019 dates, the rest refer to undeclared allergens or incorrect allergen labelling. In fact, during the past two months there have been 22 reports of this type.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a number of things that we need to be alert to regarding allergens and allergen labelling<\/a>. These are just a few. You can find out everything you need to know on our Managing Food Allergens course<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unless you use separate areas and production lines; if your factory makes products containing an allergen, you will need to declare it, even if the allergen doesn\u2019t feature in the ingredients for that particular product. This is because even the tiniest trace can trigger a serious reaction in certain people. So, for example, if you\u2019re producing a plain chocolate bar, but you also produce a line containing hazelnuts, you will need to mention this on the packaging for the plain chocolate bar. Something along the lines of \u201cmanufactured in an environment that also produces products containing nuts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n You need to be aware of changes to your regular product \u2013 for example if you run a limited-edition version containing an extra ingredient. For example, if you added \u2018Eton Mess\u2019 to a chocolate bar, you would need to declare the egg. Staying on the subject of chocolate \u2013 Thornton\u2019s had to recall their personalised dark chocolate Easter eggs because the icing contained milk, which was not mentioned on the packaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you change an ingredient supplier, you need to check with them if there are any allergens in their product. Even if you\u2019re confident that your current product doesn\u2019t contain allergens, you need to double-check every time anything changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Storage of ingredients can also be a factor if ingredients have been stored or transported together. This is why visual inspection for tears or holes in packaging is so important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Product recalls can be a costly business. And if it\u2019s the packaging that\u2019s to blame, rather than the product, that\u2019s very frustrating. That\u2019s why it\u2019s always worth taking the time to ensure that the labelling is correct. Dispose of any packaging that doesn\u2019t contain the correct information, and always ensure that the packaging contains the correct product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There have been instances of allergen and non-allergen foods being packed together \u2013 which obviously poses a risk. Only recently Tesco had to recall a Chicken Chow Mein product because it had been packed together with a Chicken Curry<\/a> product. This meant that it contained e.g. milk, mustard and sesame \u2013 which weren\u2019t mentioned on the label.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The main 14 allergens are (in alphabetical order): celery, gluten, crustaceans, egg, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, nuts, peanuts, sesame, soya and sulphur dioxide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An allergic reaction occurs when the body doesn\u2019t recognise certain proteins in a type of food and so fights them off with toxins. Unfortunately, these toxins are also harmful to the body and cause a variety of symptoms which range from skin irritations to gastro-intestinal problems and, in severe cases, problems breathing and a dangerous drop in blood pressure which can even lead to death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.vwa.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/fsa-300x300.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nDeclare all relevant allergens<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Be wary of any product changes<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Check supplier ingredients are allergen-free<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Avoid product recalls<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How serious can it get?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n