Are food allergic consumers ready for informative precautionary allergen labelling?

Zurzolo, G.; Peters, Rachel L.; Courten, Maximilian de; Mathai, Michael L.; Allen, Katrina J.

doi:10.1186/s13223-017-0214-9

Cited by 7 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…The PAL statement “may contain traces of…” was the most commonly utilized statement, which agrees with other studies [ 15 , 38 ] but 32 other types of PAL were also identified in the present study. It should be noted that PAL generates anxiety and confusion among food-allergic individuals and/or parents/caregivers [ 39 ] as its excessive use could contribute to increasing the socioeconomic disease burden [ 12 ]. Furthermore, both healthcare professionals and food-allergic individuals are facing a dilemma regarding what to do with PAL products [ 11 , 12 , 13 ] as most food products with PAL have undetectable levels of allergens and are not risky for most food-allergic individuals [ 9 , 10 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Legislation in these countries allows the use of PAL as long as its use is substantiated by a documented risk assessment demonstrating adherence to good manufacturing practices [ 9 , 19 , 20 ]. Alternatively, a scientific approach called voluntary incidental trace allergen labelling (VITAL) was developed by the Australian manufacturing industry in 2007 [ 39 ]. This approach is based on the reference doses (thresholds) for specific allergens [ 12 , 40 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Characteristics of Allergen Labelling and Precautionary Allergen Labelling in Packaged Food Products Available in Latin America

et al. 2020

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The characteristics of food allergen labelling are relevant for avoiding accidental exposure to the allergens of interest but no Latin American country has evaluated these characteristics. Our aim was to evaluate the characteristics of food allergen labelling and precautionary allergen labelling (PAL) in six Latin American countries. All data were collected directly from the supermarkets surveyed. A total of 10,254 packaged food products were analyzed, of which 63.3% (n = 6494) and 33.2% (n = 3405) featured allergen labelling and/or PAL, respectively. Most products complied with local regulations (≥87.4% for both locally produced and imported). Thirty-three types of PAL statements were detected; the most frequent was “may contain traces of…” (35.1%). Countries without regulations on the characteristics of allergen labelling had two-fold more products that contained allergens in their ingredients lists but no food allergen labelling. The use of PAL in countries that regulate it (38.2%) was as high as that in countries without PAL regulations (19.2%–44.7%). The findings suggest that the lack of regulations for the characteristics of allergen labeling increases the risk of accidental exposure to allergens of interest. Our findings also suggest that beyond regulations, a scientific approach is required for minimizing and standardizing the use of PAL.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characteristics of Allergen Labelling and Precautionary Allergen Labelling in Packaged Food Products Available in Latin America

et al. 2020

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“…Previous work in this area has shown that consumers take into account many factors when evaluating a food hazard including allergens, beyond technical risk assessments . Integrated approaches to food allergen and allergy management (iFAAM) is an EU‐funded project, and one aim of which is to improve the management of food allergens by the food industry for the benefit of consumers, especially those with FA, thereby minimising the public health burden of allergic reactions to foods.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…food allergy, precautionary allergen labelling, quantitative risk assessment Previous work in this area has shown that consumers take into account many factors when evaluating a food hazard including allergens, beyond technical risk assessments. [19][20][21][22] Integrated approaches to food allergen and allergy management (iFAAM) is an EU-funded project, and one aim of which is to improve the management of food allergens by the food industry for the benefit of consumers, especially those with FA, 28 thereby minimising the public health burden of allergic reactions to foods. The iFAAM labelling survey was developed for adults and parents of children of all ages with FA and distributed across five European countries.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding how consumers with food allergies make decisions based on precautionary labelling

Galvin

Roberts

Regent³

et al. 2019

Clin Experimental Allergy

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Background Understanding consumer perceptions is crucial if effective food safety policy and risk communication are to be developed and implemented. We sought to understand how those living with food allergy assess risk with precautionary allergen labelling (PAL) and their preference in how risks are communicated within a quantitative risk assessment (QRA) framework. Methods The Integrated Approaches to Food Allergen and Allergy Risk Management (iFAAM) labelling online survey was developed for adults and parents of children with food allergy and distributed across Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain and UK via patient support groups. Results There were 1560 complete responses. ‘This product is not suitable for’ was selected as first choice for PAL by 46% overall and ‘May contain’ was selected as the first choice by 44%. Seventy‐three percent reported that it would improve their trust in a product if a QRA process had been used to make a decision about whether to include ‘may contain’. Overall, 66% reported that a ‘statement + symbol’ on the label indicating a QRA, would help them to understand the risk assessment process that had been used by the food manufacturer. Conclusions Consumers want to know what process has actually taken place for the placing of a PAL and/or risk assessment statement on a particular food product. Our findings provide a basis for the development of more informative communication around food allergen risk and safety and support evidence‐based policy‐making in the context of the legislative requirements of the European Union's Food Information for Consumers Regulation.

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“…Research has shown that interpretive labels (using graphics, symbols, or colors) are better understood than the traditional forms of labels. It is important to investigate how consumers would use interpretive labels (symbol, mobile phone application and a toll-free number) with or without medical advice prior to the implementation into the food industry (Zurzolo et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Labelling of food products

Štefanić¹

2018

Zb. Veleuč. Rij. (Online)

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Declaring nutritional characteristics, expiration dates and instructions for safe preparation of food, substances causing potential allergies or intolerances contained in products may be of vital importance to buyers and consumers. Additional information, such as geographical indication or origin of the food and compliance with certain standards could play a decisive role in purchasing decisions. A comprehensive search of regulatory framework of food production, processing, distribution and labelling is conducted at the Croatian and EU level. Appropriate emphasis is given to the food-related legislation, marketing and intellectual property related legislation. Special attention is given to the declaration of: nutritional characteristics, substances or products causing allergies or intolerances; geographical indication and origin of the food; quality seals; medicinal claims, organic food claims, and redundant, confusing and misleading signs. Legal obligations regarding mandatory food labelling are limited in terms of information. Voluntary food labelling can offer a large array of additional information, but it is still regulated in a very precise manner. Marketing communication, regarding their own brands, is an important component of the business for several reasons; it is an effective signpost for repeated purchases; an entry barrier into the sector or possible sources of additional revenue. Manufacturers and traders can voluntarily apply labelling standards that are more stringent than minimally prescribed ones. In this way, they communicate their concern for customers’ well-being and possibly achieve a competitive advantage over producers who do not demonstrate such a degree of social responsibility in their business.

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Are food allergic consumers ready for informative precautionary allergen labelling?

Cited by 7 publications

References 5 publications

Characteristics of Allergen Labelling and Precautionary Allergen Labelling in Packaged Food Products Available in Latin America

Characteristics of Allergen Labelling and Precautionary Allergen Labelling in Packaged Food Products Available in Latin America

Understanding how consumers with food allergies make decisions based on precautionary labelling

Labelling of food products

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