Allergen Labelling required for all Loose Foods from December Onwards

Allergen Labelling will soon be an EU Requirement for all food businesses on all loose foodstuffs, which contain common allergens says Food Safety Authority of Ireland.

Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar, has already signed an agreement to bring the new EU regulation into effect on December 13th. This new law requires all commercial outlets to label common allergens on all loose foodstuffs – fourteen in total, which include eggs, nuts and milk among others. These 14 allergen ingredients need to be declared in all types of foods. With regards to other food types, which some people are intolerant to, allergen labelling will not be required, unless on a voluntary basis. Commercial outlets affected by this new law will include pubs, restaurants and takeaways, as well as food service counters and food delivery services, the latter, which also includes internet purchases. The FSAI suggests that these food establishments need to be fully aware of the changes that will come about as a result of the new legislation on allergen labelling. They have also published two guilds; Food Allergen Information for non-prepacked Foods in Ireland and Allergen Declarations for non-prepacked Foods. The Department of Health has detailed in the national legislation the precise legal requirements and in general the information will need to be provided in written format. In a statement, Mr. Varadkar underlined how the new regulation for allergen labelling should lessen the risk of life threatening food allergen reactions. “Consumers want this information to be available, and many commercial outlets already do so, but consumers with allergies cannot afford to take chances. This new measure will put an end to that uncertainty. I look forward to consumers of non-prepacked foods receiving the same information as is currently available to consumers of pre-packed foods, as it will allow them to make informed choices.” he said. The list of 14 Common Allergens are:

• Cereals containing gluten
• Crustaceans
• Eggs
• Fish
• Peanuts
• Soybeans
• Milk
• Nuts
• Celery
• Mustard
• Sesame seeds
• Sulphur dioxide and sulphites
• Lupin
• Molluscs

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