This special BONUS episode of Food Safety Matters focuses on Allergens. Concerns about food allergens have been around now for quite some time, and the food industry has done a respectable job of proactively guarding against unintended food allergens in their products. However, with the introduction of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), continued globalization of the food supply and increased regulatory activities, food manufacturers will need to keep diligent in their food allergen control plans.

To explore how the food industry can improve their odds of avoiding allergen risks, Food Safety Magazine’s Editorial Director, Barbara VanRenterghem, speaks with Tim Hendra from Neogen. Tim has been with Neogen for 21 years, specializing in diagnostic applications such as rapid testing and allergens. He has been a very active member of technical committees at various food industry associations, such as the Food Allergen Research and Resource Program (FARRP) and International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), and has co-authored several food allergen handbooks.

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In this episode, we speak to Neogen’s Tim Headra about:

  • Why allergens continue to be such an important issue for food manufacturers.
  • Food allergen trends and recalls
  • Risks to consumers and the business in the food industry
  • How manufacturers and retailers can work together when allergen recalls occur
  • Importance of transparency (for manufacturers)
  • Reasons for allergen recalls other than mislabeling
  • What the “Big 8” allergens mean on a global scale, and what allergens in other countries mean for the U.S.
  • Efforts to harmonize allergen lists and threshold levels between countries
  • Detecting allergens vs. proteins, and the relationship between the two
  • FSMA and food allergen control programs, types of allergen testing kits and methods
  • Limitations with PCR tests and LC-MS methods vs. ELISA tests
  • What food manufacturers can do when they are faced with allergen issues

Resources

Visit Neogen’s Allergen website for information on Neogen’s complete line of allergen solutions. 
Food Allergen Monitoring Handbook
Validation and Verification Handbook

To speak to a Neogen representative call 1-800-234-5333

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Author(s): Staff