National Food Processors Association

Introduction

Food allergies affect only a small percentage of consumers. However, some of these sensitive consumers can develop serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if exposed to certain allergenic proteins. Currently, there is no cure for food allergy. The only successful method to manage food allergy is avoidance of foods containing the allergen.

Food processors must be diligent in informing consumers about the presence of allergenic ingredients in their products. Appropriate measures also must be taken to minimize the risk to allergic consumers of coming in contact with food allergens that are inadvertently present in a product and consequently not declared on the label.

Allergenic proteins in and derived from the following foods are the major food allergens in the United States: crustacea (e.g., crab, crayfish, lobster, and shrimp), egg, fish, milk, peanuts, soy, tree nuts (e.g., almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts/filberts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts), and wheat. Ingredients made from these foods that do not contain protein are not allergenic.

It is estimated that the allergens from the list account for approximately 90% of all food allergies in the United States. As more scientific evidence becomes available, the list may change.

Code of Practice

To address the issue of food allergens, the National Food Processors Association (NFPA), the scientific trade association for the food processing industry, has developed a Code of Practice. The purpose of the Code is to delineate the general practices that can ensure effective strategies of food allergen management. This Code, which was developed and approved with input from food companies, states that NFPA Members subscribe to the following practices:

1. NFPA Members label, in terms commonly understood by consumers, the major food allergens in their ingredient declarations, including those that are part of natural and artificial flavors, or other food ingredients.
2. NFPA Members use Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and other allergen control strategies to manage and minimize the potential cross-contact of the major food allergens. These strategies include, but are not limited to, training, separation, sanitation, and scheduling.
3. In those instances where GMPs and other allergen control strategies are being followed but are not reliable in sufficiently minimizing the risk of allergen cross-contact, then ingredient declaration or supplementary information, such as allergen labeling or inclusion of additional food allergen information, would be appropriate.
4. NFPA Members will take an active role in educating employees, business partners, food service customers, and consumers about food allergens.
5. NFPA and its Member companies continue to develop processing, analytical, and operational strategies to further reduce the risk to allergic consumers of ingesting food allergens.

The following Q&A was adapted from material developed and approved for use by the IFIC Food Allergy Forum.

Q. What is a food allergy?

A. Food allergy is a reaction of the body’s immune system to something in a food or an ingredient in a food—usually a protein. It can be a serious condition and should be diagnosed by a board-certified allergist.

Q. How many people have food allergy?

A. According to the National Institutes of Health, approximately 5 million Americans, (5 – 8 % of children, and 1 – 2 % of adults) have a true food allergy. Many people with any type of food sensitivity have food intolerances. Fewer people have true food allergy involving the immune system.

Q. What foods trigger allergic reactions?

A. There are eight major food allergens, including milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (such as walnuts and almonds), soy, wheat, fish, and shellfish. These eight foods are the most common food allergens and cause more than 90 % of all food allergic reactions. Among children, allergy to milk, eggs and peanuts are most common.

Q. What are the symptoms of food allergy?

A. Symptoms of food allergy differ greatly among individuals. They can also differ in the same person during different exposures.

Allergic reactions to food can vary in severity, time of onset, and may be affected by when the food was eaten.

Common symptoms of food allergy include skin irritation such as rashes, hives, and eczema, and gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. Asthma, runny nose, and shortness of breath can also result from food allergy.

Some individuals may experience a more severe reaction called anaphylaxis, a rare but potentially fatal condition in which several different parts of the body experience allergic reactions. These may include itching, hives, swelling of the throat, difficulty breathing, lower blood pressure, and unconsciousness.

For more information about food allergens, visit our web page at http://www.nfpa-food.org/.