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ALLERGY ALERT ARE YOU COVERED
ALLERGIES With World Allergy Week a couple of weeks ago, it feels like a good time to catch up on the importance of allergy labelling. If you had asked me 5 years ago what I thought about allergies my opinion would have been very different, but having a child who carries an Epipen due to severe allergic reactions, I have been alerted to the importance of correct labelling. Why not spend some time reviewing your allergen labelling using the helpful list below or contact [email protected] to do it for you. Another way to review your allergen levels is by using the Vital computer program http://allergenbureau.net/vital/ What are the common allergenic foods and where could they be hiding? This list gives some ideas of where to look but may not cover all hidden allergens. Peanuts- peanut oil, peanut butter, satay premixes Tree nuts- nut oils, nut butters Milk-milk powder, sodium caseinate, butter, cream, cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, lactose, yoghurt, some pie glazes, some egg substitutes, some flavours Egg-some pie glazes, egg powders Sesame- sesame oil, tahini, some hummus Fish- fish sauce, oyster sauce, anchovies, some flavourings Shellfish- oyster sauce, some flavourings Soy- tofu, lecithin, soybean oil, some HVP, some TVP, soy flour, miso, tamari, soy sauce, antioxidant 306 Gluten- wheat flour, barley, rye, malt, spelt, some glucose, some maltodextrin, malt vinegar, some TVP, some HVP, some starches, sauces and flavourings Lupin-more likely to be in imported food products Sulphites >10ppm-dried fruit, coconut, glucose, meat premixes/seasonings, sauces If you are claiming your product is GLUTEN FREE, your product must be tested at least annually by an accredited lab using Elisa testing, contact [email protected] if you want help to organize this. The gluten result must be listed in g or mg under protein on your nutrition information panel, [email protected] can also organize this. It is a good idea to test your product randomly in house and review ingredient specs regularly to ensure no gluten has managed to sneak into the factory. The Mobile Food Scientist has recently trialed some easy to use rapid flow test kits that you may be interested in. Labelling words to be wary of! Chemical Free- all matter is made up of chemical elements (for example water, carbohydrates, proteins, salt) therefore this term is misleading. Pure- this only applies to something that has nothing else added to it. Gluten Free- if your product contains any wheat or barley products it can not be called gluten free even if these products do not contain gluten (for example wheat grass, barley grass) What has the Mobile Food Scientist been up to?
Remember if you are looking for a Food Science Consultant send The Mobile Food Scientist an email [email protected] or call 021-642-005
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