When prevention is the cure PROCESSING
Best practices for allergen testing
While virtually unknown before the 1950s, food allergies have emerged as one of the most serious and prevalent public health issues in the developed world. It is now essential that food processors can identify and control allergens where there is potential for cross-contact as part of their risk management program.
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ccording to the Allergen Bureau, food allergens are typically naturally occurring proteins in foods or derivatives of them that cause abnormal immune responses. The prevalence of food allergies around the world is believed to be increasing, with more than 8% of children and 2% of adults in countries like Australia and New Zealand having an allergy to one or more foods. The most common allergens for young children are milk and egg, but fortunately many children outgrow these allergies by the time they have reached 5–7 years of age. On the other hand, allergies such as those to seafood, peanut and tree nut may develop later and are lifelong conditions. Allergic reactions to foods vary greatly from mild gastrointestinal discomfort to skin rashes and potentially life-threatening asthma and anaphylaxis. Commonly, many adverse reactions to food are collectively referred to as food allergies. However, true food allergies represent only a fraction of the diverse range of individualistic adverse reactions to ingredients that also include food intolerances. Examples of common food intolerances include coeliac disease (reaction to gluten) or deficiencies in the digestive system (eg, lactose intolerance). Currently, there is no cure for food allergies. The only successful method to manage a food allergy is avoidance of foods containing the allergen. 42
March/April 2016
Potentially, all foods have the capacity to cause an allergic reaction in a person who has become sensitised to proteins in it. However, in Australia and New Zealand there are nine foods or food groups that cause about 90% of all allergic reactions: • Peanuts • Tree nuts such as almonds, walnuts and cashews • Soy • Milk including cheese, butter and milk powder • Eggs • Cereals including rye, oats and barley • Crustaceans such as crabs and prawns • Fish • Sesame These foods have been documented within the Food Standards Code. Warning statements must appear if the food or an ingredient derived from the above contains the allergen. It can be incredibly difficult to shop or dine out with a person who has a food allergy. More so, with the plethora of confusing cautionary statements such as ‘may contain’, ‘may be present’, ‘made on equipment that is also used to make’ etc. The challenge for the food industry is to identify and control allergens where there is potential for cross-contact as part of a risk management program. This is especially the case where there is an unintentional transfer of allergens from ingredients or the
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