The proposed regulations direct companies to label foods that contain eight major food allergens - milk, egg, fish, crustacean shellfish, peanuts, soybeans, tree nuts, and wheat. However, the FDA has not specified at what levels in food these ingredients pose a risk.
“The immune system is incredibly complex” so these levels are unclear, said Michael Moorman, director of food safety quality for Kellogg's Company.
Food companies are also uncertain about whether potential allergens used to create other ingredients need or should be included on the labels.
“If companies do precautionary labeling for no reason, people won't have anything to eat,” said Steve L. Taylor, Ph.D., food allergen expert with IFT and professor of food science at University of Nebraska.
There is no question that consumers are intensely interested in food allergens. Kellogg's reported that in the past decade consumers contacting the company to inquire about food allergens have risen from 6,000 in 2001 to more than 13,000 in 2004.
Moorman noted that companies need to be aware that the number of people concerned about allergies is larger than they may assume. While some studies have shown that fewer than 10 percent of Americans might have a food allergy, 29 percent of consumers check food labels for allergens. What's more, 44 percent of families with a member sensitive to allergens have changed their buying habits as a result, and 60 percent are willing to pay more for allergen-free foods.
Some practices that consumers often favor to reduce the risk of introducing allergenic materials to foods often aren't practical, said Moorman. For instance, consumers would like companies to produce allergenic on different production lines.
“This won't happen,” he said, “because companies rarely produce enough volume on one line and can't afford to let it sit idle.”
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