The revised
2007 Allergen Management and Labelling Guide has been released by the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AGFC).
The guide provides an overview of the regulatory requirements in Australia and New Zealand for the mandatory declaration of food allergens, guidance on good manufacturing practice, recommended labelling formats and the use of the Voluntary Incidental Trace Allergen Labelling (VITAL) risk assessment process.
PCA was directly involved in its production with PCA Technical Manager
Kevin Norman part of the team that over two years reviewed and prepared the information for it.
The guide recommends replacing all the various forms of precautionary statements used on food labels with the single term "may be present".
However, it emphasises that it is essential that this statement be used in conjunction with the VITAL process and only when it is indicated that labelling is required.
At the official launch, Federal Senator Brett Mason highlighted the relevance of the guide to all sectors of the food industry, from primary production and manufacturing to transport and retail, in ensuring consumers are provided meaningful information to make an informed choice about foods that contain allergens.
The 2007 Allergen Guide and other reference documents are available as electronic documents may be freely downloaded from the
AFGC website and the
Allergen Bureau website
