Reassessment of list of EU legal allergens

The current allergen legislation (Annex II in Regulation No. (EC) 1169/2011) is based on an advice from EFSA from 2004. A (re)assessment of all published data relating to food allergy in Europe has taken place. In the update, EFSA's Scientific Opinion addresses the prevalence (occurrence) of the various allergies, the complaints, diagnosis, threshold values, effect of product processing such as heating and analysis of allergens. 

It is unclear exactly how often food allergies occur in Europe, because there is little clear data. EFSA's Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) panel estimates that approximately 1 to 3 percent of the population has a food allergy. 

The study also found that about 75 percent of allergic reactions in children are caused by eggs, peanuts, cow's milk, fish and tree nuts. About 50 percent of allergic reactions in adults are caused by fruit (including kiwi, banana, apples, pears, plums), vegetables (including celery, carrots) and various nuts and peanuts.

The influence of operations such as heating, frying, fermentation or high pressure is difficult to predict. Some methods cause a reduction in allergenicity, others an increase. The effect also depends on the composition of the product (such as fat content, proteins, pH). Furthermore, hardly any tests have been conducted to determine clinical responses in patients.

Analyzes highlight the advantages and disadvantages of various methods. Mass spectrometry (MS) is seen as a reliable method. However, this method is not (yet) suitable for larger series of samples and is not widely used.

According to the NDA panel, attention to establishing threshold values ​​for allergens has increased. The attention comes mainly from regulatory authorities, consumer organizations and the industry. EFSA has selected different methods of risk assessment, such as: VITAL, which can help implement cautionary labeling of allergens on labels. The panel emphasizes that risk assessments are risk management decisions and therefore do not fall within the tasks of EFSA.

The advice replaces the previous document from 2004. It is still unclear what the consequences of the advice are for amendments to the legislation. 

Source: 
Scientific opinion on the evaluation of allergenic foods and food ingredients for labeling purposes

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