Food Labelling Review - Submission
May Contain (allergens) statements
Food Standards Australia New Zealand has recognised that there is a growing propensity for
food manufacturers to label foods with blanket statements such as ' may contain nuts', etc.
Allergy sufferers have described the challenge of interpreting numerous different ways that
manufacturers use to communicate the possible presence of trace amounts of allergens in their
products. The situation is unacceptable
There must be a better way to communicate the potential presence of trace amounts of allergens
in food products. Allergy sufferers must be provided with greater certainty to make meaningful
decisions regarding the acceptability of a product for their consumption.
We appeal to the Food Labelling Review to review the current situation, consider alternative
approaches and decide if the if the optimum approach should become food regulation.
It is important to appreciate the achievement of the Allergen Bureau in establishing VITAL
(Voluntary Incidental Trace Allergen Labelling). However, we wish to highlight that VITAL is not
mandatory and there are shortcomings in the approach.
Ron Cossen
Food Assist Pty Ltd