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Packaged Foods and Food Labeling

Practice Consideration

Packaged Foods and Food Labeling

Reading food labels is essential for preventing accidental allergen exposure. 

 

U.S.A.

In the U.S., the top 9 allergens-cow’s milk, peanut, tree nuts, hen’s egg, soy, fin fish, shellfish, wheat and sesame-must be clearly labeled using plain language in the “common or usual name” of the food. The label must specify the type of  tree nut, fin fish, or shellfish. These allergens can be listed in various ways, including: 

  • Within ingredient names, e.g. buttermilk
  • In parentheses, e.g. whey (milk)
  • Or immediately after the ingredient list, e.g. Contains: milk

This is mandated by the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) of 2004, with updates in 2022 to include sesame. Since manufacturers can change ingredients at any time, reading labels each time you purchase a product is crucial. Note, some items, like pre-packaged grocery store sandwiches, are not covered under FALCPA labeling laws. See Dietary Management of Food Allergy, Durban et al 2021 for U.S, European, Canadian, and Australian/New Zealand specifics related to food allergy labeling.

 

Precautionary Allergen Labeling (PAL)
Precautionary Allergy labeling (PAL) is voluntary ad without standardization. Despite this, consumers often rely on PAL when making purchasing decisions. Examples of PAL labeling include: 

  • May contain (peanut)
  • May contain traces of (peanut)
  • Made in a facility with (peanut) products
  • Made on shared lines with (peanut)
  • Good manufacturing processes are used to segregate ingredients in a facility that also processes (peanut)

The FDA advises that PAL “should not be used as a substitute for adhering to current Good Manufacturing Practices” and “must be truthful and not misleading”.  However, the absence of clear regulations can make it difficult for clinicians to provide consistent advice. Therefore, recommendations should consider individual patient history and quality of life.

 

Australia
In Australia, FZANZ stipulates that the following ingredients must be declared on food labels using these names:

  • wheat  
  • fish  
  • crustacean  
  • mollusc  
  • egg  
  • milk  
  • lupin  
  • peanut  
  • soy, soya, soybean  
  • sesame  
  • almond  
  • Brazil nut 
  • cashew  
  • hazelnut  
  • macadamia  
  • pecan  
  • pistachio  
  • pine nut  
  • walnut  
  • barley*  
  • oats*  
  • rye*
  • sulphites** 

*  Barley, oats and rye must be declared if they contain gluten.  
** Sulphites must be declared when added in amounts equal to or more than 10 milligrams per kilogram of food. 
 

A bolded allergen summary statement starting with 'Contains' must appear near the ingredient list to identify allergens, e.g., "Contains milk." For cereals containing gluten (e.g., wheat, barley, oats, rye, or hybrids like triticale), the summary must include the word, "gluten." For unpackaged or non-labeled foods, allergen information must be displayed with the food or requested from the supplier, such as inquiring about allergens at a takeaway shop.

Foods containing bee pollen, propolis or royal jelly must be labeled with either a warning or advisory statement. To find out more, see warning and advisory statements. 

To find out more, see product exemptions from allergen labelling. 

 

Education on Labeling
Patients and caregivers can be educated to contact manufacturers to inquire about allergen risks in their products. It's important to have the product packaging and store information available when making inquiries, as response times and clarity of information can vary.

 

In Australia, brands are increasingly developing allergen-free product lines. Exampes include:

  • Freedom Foods (allergen-free cereals and snacks)
  • Orgran (gluten-free and allergen-free baking products

 

Literature and Links to Support Practitioner Knowledge
 

U.S.A.

  1. Food Allergies, U.S. Food &  Drug Administration.  Accessed 9 September 2024.  Available at:  https://www.fda.gov/food/food-labeling-nutrition/food-allergies
  2. Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA), U.S. Food &  Drug Administration.  Accessed 9 September 2024.  Available at:  https://www.fda.gov/food/food-allergensgluten-free-guidance-documents-regulatory-information/food-allergen-labeling-and-consumer-protection-act-2004-falcpa
  3. Durban R, Groetch M, Meyer R, Coleman Collins S, Elverson W, Friebert A, Kabourek J, Marchand SM, McWilliam V, Netting M, Skypala I, Van Brennan T, Vassilopoulou E, Vlieg-Boerstra B, Venter C. Dietary Management of Food Allergy. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am. 2021 May;41(2):233-270. doi: 10.1016/j.iac.2021.01.009. PMID: 33863482.
  4. Gupta, Ruchi et al., Understanding Precautionary Allergen Labeling (PAL) Preferences Among Food Allergy Stakeholders , The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, Volume 9, Issue 1, 254–264.
  5. Food Allergy Ingredient Labeling.  Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.  Accessed 9 September 2024.  Available at  https://aafa.org/advocacy/key-issues/food-allergies-advocacy/food-allergen-labeling/
  6.  This Blog Post May Contain:  Food for Thought about Precautionary Allergen Labeling.  Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE).  Accessed 9 September 2024.  Available at:  https://www.foodallergy.org/fare-blog/blog-post-may-contain-food-thought-about-precautionary-allergen-labeling

 

Australia and New Zealand

  1. Food Allergen Labelling for Consumers, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). Accessed 24 September 2024. Available at: FSANZ Allergen Labelling for Consumers
  2. Food Standards Code, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). Accessed 24 September 2024. Available at: FSANZ Food Standards Code
  3. National Allergy Strategy - Food Allergy Aware
  4. Australasian Society for Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA)
  5. Allergen Labelling Requirements, Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia
  6. Allergy New Zealand
Updated September 24, 2024
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