Allergen Fact Sheets offer comprehensive, easy-to-read information for people living with allergies or asthma. Some of the more frequently occurring food allergens include milk, eggs, peanuts, soy, tree nuts, fish and crustacean shellfish.
Food labels must include information on all of the major allergens present in prepackaged foods. In addition, the FDA monitors other food, ingredients and additives (such as gluten, dyes and sulfites) which could trigger allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.
Food Allergens Fact Sheet
Food allergies can have severe repercussions for health. People with severe reactions must receive medical diagnosis and avoid all foods that contain allergens to avoid an adverse reaction.
Foods known to cause allergic reactions include milk, egg, wheat, soy, fish (Crustacean shellfish), tree nuts and peanuts. According to the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA), manufacturers must clearly label any ingredient which constitutes one of the major allergens present in their product by including its source name either in parentheses after its common or usual name or in a “contains” statement immediately following or next to its list of ingredients.
The FDA oversees food production facilities to ensure major allergens are clearly labeled on product labels, and that best-practice procedures exist to prevent undeclared cross-contact during production, processing or packaging of foods. If problems arise during this process, FDA works with firms to recall products and provide public health warnings as soon as possible.
FNS has developed two fact sheets to assist adult day care and child nutrition program operators in their efforts to prevent food allergy reactions. Each fact sheet covers all nine major allergens and offers information on menu modifications, common symptoms and best practices for handling food allergies.
Indoor Allergens Fact Sheet
Indoor allergy sufferers can remove allergens with as little as sweeping and vacuuming surfaces; however, additional steps must be taken to ensure the premises is free from fungi, mold, pest nests, insect waste, and other pollutants. This fact sheet offers landlords tips as well as details how a tenant may make a complaint against their property owner when these issues remain unaddressed; making this document an invaluable resource for allergists; health care providers; public health professionals; specialists in building design, construction, maintenance; as well as allergy patients alike.
Comments are closed