Title: New approach to Implementing HACCP in the Catering Industry
1Food Standards Agency Scotland
2Food Allergen Labelling
3What is food allergy and food intolerance?
- Food Allergy
- A reproducible adverse reaction to a food or food
ingredient that involves the immune system - e.g.
peanuts, tree nuts fish and shellfish, eggs and
milk - Food Intolerance
- A reproducible adverse reaction to a food or food
ingredient that does not involve the immune
system - e.g. lactose intolerance - Gluten Intolerance
4Possible Symptoms
Symptoms can appear within minutes, or up to
several hours after the person has eaten the food
they are allergic to. They can include
- rashes (usually very itchy)
- tingling sensation in the mouth
- swelling of the lips, tongue, face and throat
- difficulty breathing
- diarrhoea
- vomiting
- abdominal cramps
- and, on rare occasions, anaphylaxis
5How common is food allergy?
- Prevalence of different food allergies not well
established - 20 - 30 of UK population think they have an
adverse reaction to food - Tests show 1-2 of adults and 5-8 of children
have food allergies - Recent FSA consumer research shows that 12 of
consumers look at food labels for allergen
information (Consumer Attitudes Survey 2004)
6 Types of Allergen Labelling
- Statutory Requirements
- Deliberate ingredients in pre-packed foods
- Voluntary Initiatives/Best Practice Guidance
- Accidental contaminants in pre-packed foods -
May Contain labels - Non pre-packed foods and foods pre-packed for
direct sale
7New EU Legislation Directive 2003/89/EC
Amends 2000/13/EC (OJ publication November 2003)
- Established a list of specified ingredients for
which ingredients listing exemption should not
apply because of link with allergy/intolerance - Requires that products derived from these
allergens be labelled with reference to that
allergen - Makes provision for the list to be revised
8Directive 2003/89/EC
Specified allergens list
- Cereals containing gluten
- Crustaceans
- Eggs
- Milk
- Fish
- Peanuts
- Soybeans
- Nuts
- Sesame seeds
- Celery
- Mustard
- Sulphite (/gt10mg/kg or 1)
And products derived from them
9Directive 2003/89/EC
Indication of allergenic ingredients on
pre-packed Foods
- Scope Total
- Covers all deliberately added allergenic
ingredients and their derivatives - Includes carry-over additives, additives used as
processing aids and solvents and media for
additives/flavourings - Applies to alcoholic drinks
- Removes 25 rule
10Directive 2003/89/EC
- Timing of Implementation
- Came into force 26 November 2004
- Compliance by 25 November 2005
- Products marked and labelled before this time can
continue to be sold - Implementing Domestic Legislation
- Food Labelling Amendment (Scotland) (No. 2)
Regulations 2004 -
11Drawing up a Provisional List of Exempt Derived
Ingredients
- Recognition that not all ingredients derived from
allergenic foods may be allergenic - Submissions from industry to the Commission
- EFSA consideration of the dossiers and published
opinions - Commission Directive 2005/26/EC - list of
provisional exemptions - EFSA responsible for reviewing this list
http//www.efsa.eu.int/science/nda/nda_opinions/ca
tindex_en.html
12What about other derived products not on the
provisional list?
- Industry can make submissions for an exemption
from labelling for other derived ingredients at
any time - Submissions should be supported by scientific
information - Dossiers will be examined by EFSA
- Final list of exemptions to be published by
November 2007
13Implementation of Directive 2005/26/EC
- Provisions of the Directive apply from 25
November 2005 - Draft Food Labelling Amendment (No. 2) (Scotland)
Regulations 2005 issued for consultation - SSI laid before Parliament
- SSI to come into force
14Correcting Directive 2005/63/EC
- Amended Directive 2005/26/EC
- 3 December deadline for adoption
- Implemented in Scotland by The Food Labelling
(No. 3) (Scotland) Regulations 2005
15Types of Allergen Labelling
- Statutory Requirements
- Deliberate ingredients in pre-packed foods
- Voluntary Initiatives/Best Practice Guidance
- Accidental contaminants in pre-packed foods -
May Contain labels - Non pre-packed foods and foods pre-packed for
direct sale
16May Contain Labelling
- History
- Anaphylaxis Campaign Report
- Focus Group Research
- Stakeholder Meetings
- Consumer Concerns
- Finding the warning label
- Do different wordings reflect different levels
- Restriction in choice
17May Contain Labelling
- Development of best practice guidance for
industry on when to use such labels - Amalgamation of existing industry guidance
- Drafting group - involves all stakeholders
- Consultation period ended 6 December 2005
- To be published in summer 2006
18Approach being taken in the guidance on May
Contain advisory labelling
- Hazard control approach, identifying
- particular hazards and where they occur
- how, at these points, the hazards identified can
be controlled (reduced or eliminated) - Leading to
- an assessment of the risk posed
- a determination of the appropriate level of
advisory labelling
19Possible wording for advisory labelling
- Possible options include
- may contain (traces of) X - to be used, for
example, where the product may be contaminated in
the factory - ingredient Y may contain (traces of) X - to be
used, for example, where an ingredient may be
contaminated further back along the supply chain
20Non Pre-packed Foods and Foods Pre-packed for
Direct Sale
- Provision of information on allergens
- Food Labelling Regulations 1996 - Definitions
- Initial Views
- Stakeholder Meetings
- The way forward
21Current advice to caterers
- Food allergy and intolerance are important safety
issues - Caterers need to be able to answer consumers who
ask for information on which ingredients are
present in the foods being served - But if caterers are not sure if an ingredient is
present, they should say so and NEVER guess
22www.food.gov.uk/safereating/allergyintol/caterers
23Caterers - next steps
- Increasing awareness and use of this advice
- Training for caterers to include food allergy and
intolerance issues - Enforcement officers to include control of foods
causing allergy and intolerance in discussions
with food businesses - Discussions with Hospitality Organisations
24Contact Details
- Susan Pryde
- Address Food Standards Agency Scotland
- 6th Floor
- St Magnus House
- 25 Guild Street
- Aberdeen
- AB11 6NJ
- Telephone 01224 285152
- Email susan.pryde_at_foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk
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