Increasingly, it seems more and more consumers are affected by allergens. To protect consumers, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) strongly encourages meat processors to utilize label declarations for products containing any of the eight major food allergens (milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans). While all ingredients must be listed in a product’s ingredient statement, FSIS also urges the food industry to identify any allergens in a separate “contains statement,” consistent with the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA).
Pursuant to FALCPA, there are two labeling options applicable for major food allergens. Any allergens that are present must either be disclosed in the ingredient statement or in a “contains statement” (or both). The other, and arguably more straightforward, option is the “contains statement.” This is a short declarative statement disclosing what the allergens a product contains (e.g., Contains: wheat, milk, egg and soy).