During the past six months, there has been a rash of recalls concerning allergens. Most were for products regulated by FDA, but a few were for meat and poultry products, which fall under jurisdiction of USDA. Both imports and domestic products were recalled; small and large companies were involved.
The only good thing about these recalls is that almost all included: “No illnesses have been reported to date in association with this product.” However, when reading some of these announcements, I wonder what these processors were thinking. Many of these recalls were initiated because of two or more undeclared allergens, products packaged in the wrong containers or products packed in containers where the company failed to update its packaging after products were reformulated. In one case, an imported product contained a small amount of egg, which the manufacturer thought it did not need to declare since it was at such a low level.
Allergen control is an essential element of processors’ food safety programs in North America, Europe and South America, but some countries in Asia have no food allergen regulations. During my consulting work in China, processors told me that since the Chinese do not have a standard for allergens, they were afraid to go beyond what is mandated, even if they were exporting product. I have heard similar comments in Vietnam and Indonesia. I have also been told no one has food allergies in these countries, even though there are published reports of lethal anaphylaxis.1 Consequently, proper labeling of ingredients used in imported products is essential, and importers need to apply the same or even higher levels of due diligence when it comes to a vendor quality program. They must obtain specifications and formulations, and understand which allergens are used in processing plants. In addition, they must know whether there are “hidden” allergens, such as a minor ingredient in a spice blend, seasoning or sauce.