Food Allergy Canada unveils new guidelines for manufacturers
by CM Staff
Research from Food Allergy Canada indicates that food allergens such as peanuts, shellfish, wheat, eggs, and milk affect over 3 million Canadians, including 600,000 children.
Food Allergy Canada Logo and
Government of Canada Logo (CNW Group/Food Allergy Canada)
TORONTO — Food Allergy Canada has released Allergen Management Guidelines for Food Manufacturers.
The department says these guidelines will support the country’s 13,000 plus food and beverage manufacturers in managing allergens in their facility and enabling safe options for consumers with food allergies.
Research from Food Allergy Canada indicates that food allergens such as peanuts, shellfish, wheat, eggs, and milk affect over 3 million Canadians, including 600,000 children.
For this reason, the department is working to with Université Laval’s Food Risk Analysis to ensure that ingredient information on food packaging is as accurate and as a simple for consumers to navigate as possible.
“This approach will help provide safe food options for our community and labelling they can trust,” said Jennifer Gerdts, executive director, Food Allergy Canada, in a statement.
The new allergen management guidelines provides a framework for Canadian food and beverage manufacturers on how to develop an allergen control plan or assess their current plan within their facility. The guidelines also include recommendations on the use of precautionary allergen labelling to ensure it can be used as an effective risk communication tool.
