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After 12 years of negotiations, a new allergen policy is in force in the Netherlands. This policy determines the reference values for cross-contamination in packaged foods and what text must appear on the packaging to warn of risks.
Until now, there were no legal guidelines for these warnings, so there was a lot of ambiguity. Thus, a product with a warning could just as easily not contain an allergen as one without a warning.
The new policy stipulates that only the text "May contain xxx" or "Not suitable for xxx" may be used. This text will only appear on the label if the threshold value of the allergen in a product is potentially exceeded.
The threshold values have been set based on the FAO-WHO rule that a maximum of 5% of food-allergic consumers may have a (mild) reaction when eating a product with protein values below the threshold.
With this new policy, the Netherlands is ahead of the agreements yet to be made in Europe and the rest of the world.
The new allergen policy in the Netherlands provides more clarity for consumers with food allergies. The thresholds are based on scientific findings and ensure that 95% of food allergic consumers can safely eat a product if there is no warning on the label.
YOUR PLUS: AGROLAB has accurate testing methods that can support you in testing foods for allergens.
Author: Rianne Uijterwaal for AGROLAB Dr. A Verwey
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