"The code is an important step forward by the food industry in addressing the issue of food allergens," said Dr. Rhona Applebaum, NFPA executive vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs. "The code -- which has taken more than a year to finalize -- was developed with input from not only from NFPA member companies but also from the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as well as the Food Allergy and Anapylaxis Network, the leading consumer group addres-sing this issue."
She added that food processors must be diligent in minimizing the risk of allergic consumers coming in contact with food allergens "inadvertently present in a product and consequently not declared on the label."