Food Allergen Fact Sheets are an indispensable asset for your business, ensuring your staff know where they should turn when answering inquiries regarding allergies. They also enable you to meet all obligations under food safety law.
Food allergens include milk, egg, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish, which together account for 90% of allergic reactions and must be listed by law as allergens on food products.
Symptoms
Allergies occur when your immune system misidentifies typically harmless substances as potential dangers and produces antibodies to monitor them, known as allergens. When exposed again, your body releases chemicals which result in allergy symptoms.
Allergens can come in various forms. Airborne allergens include pollen, animal dander and mold. Food allergens include peanuts, tree nuts, milk, wheat, soyabeans or shellfish; medicinal ones like penicillin or some antibiotics as well as latex; insect bites or certain foods can lead to an anaphylactic shock resulting in constricted airway, low blood pressure or shock; the risk for such reactions increases with severe allergies.
Food allergies occur when the immune system mistakes certain food proteins for threat and quickly responds with an attack, releasing chemicals like histamine to produce symptoms ranging from mild (rashes, swelling and itching) to severe anaphylaxis that may even prove fatal.
Food intolerance does not typically involve the immune system and usually does not pose life-threatening danger. Symptoms typically appear within hours after eating the food or up to 48 hours later for lactose dairy products and their additives.
Diagnosis
Food allergy diagnosis is typically performed by healthcare professionals. Individuals can be tested for IgE-mediated allergy (immediate allergies) via skin prick or blood tests measuring levels of IgE antibodies against specific allergen(s). Sometimes an oral food challenge will be recommended by an allergist; this involves slowly giving small doses of the suspected trigger food under medical supervision until a reaction occurs, providing small amounts at increasing dosage until an adverse reaction occurs – considered the most accurate way to confirm or rule out food allergy; it should only be conducted by experienced allergists operating out of hospitals or allergy clinics equipped with emergency medication on hand should such challenges take place.
Australian law stipulates that food labels for packaged food sold in Australia must identify any major allergens used to create it – including milk, egg, wheat, soy, peanut, tree nut and fish products as well as crustacean shellfish products. Furthermore, common or usual names must also be provided when they exist.
Staff should have easy and clear access to allergen charts when dealing with customers unfamiliar with the menu, such as first time diners. A food allergy chart is an effective way of doing this and should be displayed throughout your business – ideally somewhere easily accessible to both staff and customers alike. Regular reviews should also take place to keep allergy information accurate, such as updating charts when recipes change or new ingredients are used.
Management
Allergens can be the source of many illnesses, such as asthma. By controlling allergens in the home, homeowners can help prevent flare ups by controlling exposure to common indoor allergens. This fact sheet includes tips and strategies to manage exposure.
Food business operators are legally mandated to inform customers about foods containing 14 allergens. These fact sheets have been created as guides for understanding one’s obligations as a food provider and managing and preparing allergenic ingredients safely.
Food businesses must also disclose whether the food they provide is prepacked or non-prepacked, and our technical guidance outlines the applicable labelling rules for both categories of foods. Furthermore, this information can also be found in Arabic and Simplified Chinese versions.
Prevention
Allergens are substances that can trigger reactions in sensitive individuals, ranging from minor digestive disturbances to anaphylactic shock and even death. People with food allergies must avoid all foods containing their allergen, even small amounts, in order to avoid an adverse reaction.
The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 mandates manufacturers to clearly label major allergens (milk, egg, wheat, soy, peanut, tree nut, fish and crustacean shellfish) on food labels. In addition, the FDA monitors food supplies to assess any additional allergens or ingredients that pose significant health risks and require specific labeling such as gluten, certain additives such as yellow 5 carmine and sulfites as well as foods or components that cause nonallergic hypersensitivity reactions in sensitive individuals.
Food allergy legislation mandates that restaurants provide customers with easily accessible allergy information. A food allergy chart template is one of the best ways to meet this legal obligation, if kept within reach of staff – simply pinning it to a wall or placing it on a shelf is insufficient; your customers need access to it immediately when seeking advice regarding allergens in specific dishes. Make sure all staff know where these charts can be found regularly, and consider adding an indicator in your menu which states customers may ask staff for allergen charts before placing an order.
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