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Food allergens - information for consumers
Food allergens - information for consumers Food allergies can be life threatening. The only way to manage a food allergy is by avoiding the food allergen. If you suspect you or someone you care for has a food allergy, you should contact a doctor so you can be referred to a clinical immunology / allergy specialist or doctor with experience in food allergy for diagnosis and ongoing management. The Allergen Collaboration has agreed to a number of key messages for consumers in regard to food allergy. These are listed below. Key messages
- You should be referred to a clinical immunology / allergy specialist or doctor with experience in food allergy for accurate diagnosis and ongoing management
- Always check food labels for food…
Published February 2024
Information for government organisations
Information for government organisations Government agencies play an important role in assisting in the management of food allergy. Whether by developing policy in response to an identified need; developing and enforcing regulations; or working with stakeholders in forums like the Allergen Collaboration. The Allergen Collaboration has agreed to a number of key messages regarding governments' role in managing food allergens. These are listed below. Key messages
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is working with a range of stakeholders including food industry, consumer organisations and relevant government agencies to ensure people with food allergy have the information they need to make informed choices
- The Food…
Published February 2024
Product exemptions from allergen labelling
Product exemptions from allergen labelling (February 2022) The Food Standards Code has exemptions from mandatory allergen labelling requirements for some foods and ingredients derived from allergenic sources. The following foods and ingredients have been assessed by FSANZ as safe for food allergies, because they are processed in a way that makes them suitable for consumers who are allergic to wheat, soy or dairy:
- glucose syrups made from wheat starch (exempt from declaring wheat)*
- fully refined soybean oil (exempt from declaring soy)
- the soy derivatives tocopherols and phytosterols (exempt from declaring soy)
- distilled alcohol from wheat or whey (exempt from declaring wheat or milk).
Published December 2023
Food from cloned animals
Food from cloned animals (March 2016) Animal cloning is a type of reproductive technology. It creates an animal that is an exact genetic copy of another animal. The commercial use of cloned animals in agriculture has so far mainly been confined to the meat and dairy industries. The most common cloning method involves removing the genetic material from an unfertilised egg and replacing it with the complete genetic material from the animal to be cloned (the donor animal). The egg is then implanted into a surrogate mother who gives birth to an animal that is a clone of the donor animal. The cloned animal is then bred with other animals to pass on its desirable characteristics. Cloning is different to genetic modification. Genetic modification involves adding, taking away, or modifying genes. Cloning does not…
Published December 2023
Expert reaction - nanoparticles in baby formula
Expert reaction - nanoparticles in baby formula (July 2017) The following expert reaction to media reports on tests commissioned by Friends of the Earth which found the presence of nanoparticles in several Australian infant formula products has been reproduced with the permission of the Australian science Media Centre: Adjunct Professor Andrew Bartholomaeus is a consultant toxicologist with Adjunct Professor appointments at the University of Canberra and the University of Queensland. He has previously been the Chief Toxicologist for the Therapeutic Goods Administration and the General Manager of the Risk Assessment Branch of FSANZ. 'The Friends of the Earth slide deck presents the rather unexciting and facile observation that a food containing high levels of…
Published December 2023
How the Code deals with vitamins and minerals that are added to foods
How the Code deals with vitamins and minerals that are added to foods (August 2018) How the Code deals with vitamin and mineral that are added to foods
- When a vitamin or mineral is added to food, the Code outlines requirements relating to the identity of the substance. For example only particular chemical forms of a mineral are able to be used.
- When a chemical form is used it has to be compliant with a relevant 'specification' as listed in the Code.
- Schedule 3 of the Code lists published sources for specifications relating to the identity and purity for the permitted forms of minerals. There are several sources listed. These specifications are internationally accepted
- Schedule 29 of the Code lists…
Published December 2023
Food technologies and novel foods
Food technologies and novel foods In this section
Reports on the use of nanotechnology in food additives and packaging
Reports on the use of nanotechnology in food additives and packaging (June 2016) In 2015 an expert toxicologist prepared two reports for FSANZ on the potential use of nanotechnologies in existing food additives and food packaging. The reports were then peer reviewed by an expert pharmacologist and toxicologist to evaluate whether the conclusions for each of the reports were supported by the weight of evidence in scientific literature. The peer review agreed with the overall conclusions of the reports. Scope of the work The consultant was asked to review publically available scientific literature on whether there is reasonable evidence of health risks associated with oral ingestion of titanium dioxide, silicon dioxide and silver in food.…
Published December 2023
Response to Pinget et al 2019 study on nanoparticles in food
Response to Pinget et al 2019 study on nanoparticles in food In May 2019 a study was released linking titanium dioxide particles with inflammatory bowel diseases and bowel cancer. FSANZ has reviewed the study and determined it does not change our previous assessment of titanum dioxide. The study's limitations mean that no conclusion can be drawn from it about titanium dioxide and inflammatory bowel diseases and bowel cancer. The reasons for our conclusion are set out below. TiO2 has been tested in long-term carcinogenicity studies in rats and mice, in which TiO2 was fed in the diet at concentrations sufficient to cause white faeces. These studies found no evidence of inflammatory changes or induction of tumours. The International Agency for Research on…
Published January 2024
Review of titanium dioxide as a food additive
Review of titanium dioxide as a food additive FSANZ has completed a review of the safety of titanium dioxide (TiO2) as a food additive. Our review found there is currently no evidence to suggest dietary exposure to food-grade titanium dioxide is a concern for human health. Titanium dioxide is a natural pigment that has been used for decades as a colouring agent to make foods whiter or brighter. In Australia and New Zealand it is allowed to be added to a wide range of foods. Its long history of use in food has not given rise to reports of adverse effects. Multiple reviews of titanium dioxide by FSANZ and regulators overseas have concluded that there are no safety concerns from its use in food. In 2021 the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published a new report which…
Published December 2023