Time to ACT-UP: Update on precautionary allergen labelling (PAL).

Background

Precautionary Allergen ("may contain") Labelling (PAL) is used by industry to communicate potential risk to food-allergic individuals posed by unintended allergen presence (UAP). In 2014, the World Allergy Organization (WAO) highlighted that PAL use was increasing, but often applied inconsistently and without regulation - which reduces its usefulness to consumers with food allergy and those purchasing food for them. WAO proposed the need for a regulated, international framework to underpin application of PAL. In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations convened an expert consultation to address the issue of PAL, the outputs of which are now being considered by the Codex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL).

Objectives

To summarise the latest data to inform the application of PAL in a more systematic way, for implementation into global food standards.

Methods

A non-systematic review of issues surrounding precautionary labelling and food allergens in pre-packaged products.

Results

Approximately, 100 countries around the world have legislation on the declaration of allergenic ingredients. Just a few have legislation on UAP. Given the risks that UAP entails, non-regulated PAL creates inconvenience in real life due to its unequal, difficult interpretation by patients. The attempts made so far to rationalize PAL present lights and shadows.

Conclusions

At a time when CCFL is considering the results of the FAO/WHO Expert Consultation 2020-2023, we summarise the prospects to develop an effective and homogeneous legislation at a global level, and the areas of uncertainty that might hinder international agreement on a regulated framework for PAL of food allergens.

Informations de copyright

© 2024 The Authors.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

Paul J Turner: Grants from UK Medical Research Council, UK Food Standards Agency, JM Charitable Foundation, NIHR/Imperial Biomedical Research Centre and End Allergies Together, outside the submitted work; personal fees from UK Food Standards Agency, DBV Technologies, Aimmune Therapeutics, Allergenis and ILSI Europe outside the submitted work. Antonio Bognanni: No conflicts to disclose. Stefania Arasi: Advisory board member, consultant, and/or speaker for Novartis, DBV, Ferrero, and Ulrich outside the submitted work. Ignacio J Ansotegui: Advisory board member, consultant, and/or speaker for Bayer, Bial, Cipla, Eurodrug, Faes Farma, Gebro, Glenmark, Menarini, MSD, Roxall and Sanofi outside the submitted work. Sabine Schnadt: Speaker honoraria and advisory panel consultancy outside the submitted work for Aimmune and DBV. Sébastien La Vieille: Employment: Health Canada (Government of Canada) - no conflict of interest. Jonathan O’B Hourihane: Research funding from Johnson& Johnson, DBV Technologies; Travel support Stallergenes; Speaker fees Nutricia; Consultancy Camallergy, Stallergenes; Board membership Clemens von Pirquet Foundation and Irish Food Allergy Network. Torsten Zuberbier: Institutional funding for research and/or honoria for lectures and/or consulting from Amgen, AstraZeneca, AbbVie, ALK, Almirall, Astellas, Bayer Health Care, Bencard, Berlin Chemie, FAES, HAL, Henkel, Kryolan, Leti, L'Oreal, Meda, Menarini, Merck, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, Stallergenes, Takeda, Teva and UCB, Uriach; in addition, he is a member of ARIA, DGAKI, ECARF, GA2LEN and WAO. Philippe Eigenmann: Speaker and advisory board honoraria: DBV technologies, Novartis, ThermoFisher Scientific, Nestlé Health Sciences, Synlab, GSK,; Stocks and Stock options: DBV technologies. Motohiro Ebisawa: No conflicts to disclose. Mario Morais-Almeida: No conflicts to disclose. Julie Barnett: Funded research from Food Standards Agency, UK. Member of Food Standards Agency Advisory Committee for Social Science. Bryan Martin: No conflicts to disclose. Linda Monaci: Speaker honoraria and funded research project by Ferrero outside the submitted work. Graham Roberts: No conflicts to disclose. Gary Wong: Advisory panel consultancy outside the submitted work for Haleon, Nestle, Novartis, OM Pharma, Ferrero. Ruchi Gupta: Research support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (R21 ID # AI135705, R01 ID # AI130348, U01 ID # AI138907), Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), Melchiorre Family Foundation, Sunshine Charitable Foundation, Novartis, and Genentech. Medical consultant/advisor for Genentech, Novartis, Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), OWYN, Kaléo, Aquestive Therapeutics, and Byrn Pharma. Ownership interest in Yobee Care, Inc. Sophia Tsabouri: No conflicts to disclose. Clare Mills: No conflicts to disclose. Simon Brooke-Taylor: Consults to and receives payment from the Allergen Bureau of Australia & New Zealand. Consults on food regulation and compliance with Australian and New Zealand food standards to the food industry. Joan Bartra: Speaker honoraria outside the submitted work for Thermo Fisher Scientific, Novartis, Menarini. Michael Levin: Speaker honoraria and advisory panel consultancy outside the submitted work for Viatris, Novartis, Organon, Sanofi, Pfizer. Marion Groetch: No commercial interests to disclose. Royalties from UpToDate and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and consulting fees from Food Allergy Research Education; serves on the Medical Advisory Board of IFPIES, as a Senior Advisor to FARE, as a Health Sciences Advisor for APFED. Luciana Tanno: Speaker honoraria of Sanofi, DBV Technologies, Research grant from ANS (Agence Numerique de Santé), AllerGos. Elham Hossny: No conflicts to disclose. Barbara Ballmer Weber: Speaker honoraria and advisory panel consultancy outside the submitted work for Thermo Fisher Scientific, Novartis, ALK, Allergopharma, Menarini, Sanofi, MSD, Aiummune. Vincenzo Fierro: Speaker honoraria for Stallergenes, Sanofi, GSK. Benjamin C Remington: No conflicts to disclose. Jennifer Gerdts: Food Allergy Canada receives unrestricted funding support for educational programming from Pfizer, DBV, Sanofi, American Peanut Council and consultant fees from Novartis. M Hazel Gowland: Speaker honoraria: Food industry, technical and regulatory conferences, academic lecture fees Advisory panel consultancy: UK Food Standards Agency, Safefood, industry food technical and public health organisations. Funded research: FSA, UKRI, Safefood funded studies, UK Fatal Anaphylaxis Registry. Derek Chu: No conflicts to disclose. Marjan Van Ravenhorst: Employee, Allergenen Consultancy BV. Jennifer Koplin: No conflicts to disclose. Alessandro Fiocchi: Speaker honoraria and advisory panel consultancy outside the submitted work for Nutricia, Abbott, Danone, Stallergenes, DBV, Novartis. Funded research (Institution) from Sanofi, Novartis, Ferrero, DBV, GSK, Astrazeneca, Hipp GmBDH, Humana SpA.