Allergen Fact Sheets provide essential allergy information. From symptoms and diagnosis, to management strategies and management plans – Allergen Fact Sheets cover it all!
The “Big Eight” food allergens — often referred to as “The Big 8” — include milk, egg, soy, wheat, peanut, tree nut, fish and crustacean shellfish – accounting for an estimated 90% of food allergies in the US.
The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA)
The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA) mandates that packaged food containing major allergens be clearly labeled. This law covers eight foods which cause allergic reactions most frequently in the U.S.: milk, egg, peanut, tree nut, soy, fish and crustacean shellfish; its application also extends to certain ingredients derived from soy such as lecithin which is often overlooked; furthermore it’s important to remember that not everyone who reacts negatively may cross-react with other proteins which could potentially cross react differently between foods – these allergies tend to target specific proteins which may cross-react differently with different proteins without cross-reactivity with other proteins in food items that cause them.
Law requires that food labels contain “Contains” statements for major allergens in equal font size and typeface as other ingredients, followed by their name if that information does not already appear within their common or usual name (for instance “Contains milk”, while for peanut allergies the statement would likely read: “Contains peanuts”.
The FDA has also published fact sheets for food businesses to assist them in identifying foods containing allergens, which can be downloaded here. It should be remembered that even if an allergenic food was once produced safely in the past, its formulation may have changed due to new ingredients or manufacturing processes used; so always carefully read labels.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The FDA regulates food, drugs and medical devices. They also oversee blood donation for transfusion purposes and assisted reproduction procedures; cosmetics; dietary supplements and radiation-emitting products as well as their standards setting processes are subject to their scrutiny. Their history can be seen through this agency’s transformation over time in accordance with changing social, economic and political environments in America.
In 1906, the Pure Food and Drug Act, commonly known as the Wiley Act, was passed. At first part of the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Chemistry led by Harvey Wiley. With industry being unregulated at that time and manufacturers using harmful additives or adulterated ingredients to make cheap foods and drugs; The Wiley Act sought to protect consumers by setting stringent purity requirements and labeling requirements for these products.
As the nation’s regulator of food, drugs, and medical devices, the FDA oversees an estimated annual expenditure of roughly $2.7 trillion. Their Consumer Safety Officers inspect production and warehousing facilities to monitor for sanitary conditions as well as investigate complaints, illnesses or product recalls.
The FDA sets stringent standards for drug approval and clinical trials, ensuring products are safe and effective. Their network of laboratories analyze physical samples; when serious health risks are detected they immediately recall products; plus they inspect facilities which test or conduct clinical trials with animals and humans subjects.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)
FSIS, as part of the Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS), serves to protect public health by monitoring commercial meat, poultry and egg supplies to ensure they are safe, wholesome and correctly labeled and packaged for consumers in the U.S. It derives its authority from three laws enacted by Congress – Federal Meat Inspection Act; Poultry Products Inspection Act and Egg Products Inspection Act respectively.
FSIS inspection program personnel spent 2015 conducting audits at 6,389 federal slaughter, processing, and import establishments; verifying they met public health requirements by slaughtering or processing 145 million head of livestock and 9 billion pounds of poultry carcasses; conducting 7 million food safety and defense procedures and almost 7 million food defense assessments.
At slaughter establishments, inspectors conduct both premortem inspections to prevent diseased animals from being slaughtered and postmortem exams postmortem to detect any latent diseases that were not evident antemortem. At processing plants and egg plants respectively, inspectors also ensure compliance with sanitation and net weight regulations, net weight requirements as well as pasteurization requirements are fulfilled.
As well as conducting mandatory inspections, FSIS also oversees state inspection programs. Furthermore, it monitors meat and poultry products sold interstate or foreign commerce as well as imports from countries without equivalent inspection systems to those used by USDA. When violations of law occur, FSIS takes appropriate enforcement actions such as detention of products and recall of voluntary products.
The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS)
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), part of the US Department of Agriculture, administers domestic nutrition assistance programs across the country. These programs serve as safety nets for people living on limited incomes who need help purchasing nutritious foods; this agency works in collaboration with state agencies to determine most details for these programs.
FNS programs are grounded on the belief that no one should go hungry in America. These initiatives represent one way the government shows its dedication to ending hunger in this country as well as supporting American farmers and encouraging healthy eating habits among its people.
Many nutrition assistance programs are administered at state, local, tribal or community levels; in other instances, private entities like churches or food banks run them themselves. The Federal Nutrition Support program encompasses various federal nutrition assistance programs designed specifically to benefit both children and adults.
Food allergies are a serious public health risk. Untreated, they can even become life-threatening. But there are ways to lower the risk of allergies – such as avoiding foods containing allergens and practicing good hygiene habits as well as creating an emergency action plan – our Allergen Training can equip you with all of this knowledge so you can confidently inform customers about the allergens present in your products as well as manage them safely.
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