A review of the recalls in the last year indicates that allergens are still a significant threat to food safety and one of the most common reason for recalls. A major contributor to these cases of undeclared recalls is not the industry’s lack of understanding of what constitutes a food allergen, but rather error in the processing or packaging of the foods.
Most facilities have developed a robust allergen program as required by FDA, USDA and the Global Food Safety Initiative, but it is the failure to execute those programs that contributes to undeclared allergens in the finished product.