Video out! A novel food allergen management approach

Over 220 million people globally live with food allergies, making clear and accurate food labelling essential. Traditionally, food allergen management has relied on a hazard-based approach, where even the mere possibility of an allergen’s presence triggers precautionary statements like “may contain nuts” or “produced in a facility that also processes soy.”

While well-intended, this system often results in excessive warnings that can confuse consumers and limit food choices, sometimes unnecessarily.

To address this, as part of ESF’s food safety scientific advice programme, FAO and the WHO have developed a risk-based approach to food allergen risk management. Instead of labelling based solely on the potential presence of allergens, this method uses scientific data to assess the actual risk of an allergic reaction occurring after eating a food.

This science-driven approach supports clearer, more informative labels for consumers, reduces unnecessary precautionary warnings, and helps lower trade barriers linked to inconsistent allergen policies.

 To learn more, check out our new video: https://youtu.be/sSSI549bgkQ?si=73jtSWFmvYa1kLOL

Food allergen risk-based management tools: https://www.fao.org/food-safety/scientific-advice/food-allergens/en/