Codex Alimentarius Adopts New Guidelines on “May Contain” Allergen Labelling – A Step Towards Greater Consumer Protection
The Codex Alimentarius Commission, an international body established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), has adopted new international guidelines establishing clearer criteria for the use of precautionary allergen labelling (PAL – Precautionary Allergen Labelling), including statements such as “May contain”.
The objective of the new guidelines is to ensure that precautionary allergen labels indicating the possible presence of allergens are applied consistently, transparently and only when scientifically justified. This approach aims to increase consumer confidence and further improve food safety worldwide.
Precautionary statements such as “May contain traces of…” or “May contain allergens…” are used when there is a possibility of unintended allergen presence in a food product, for example due to cross-contamination during manufacturing, storage or transportation processes. However, previous practices have shown significant differences in the application of such statements across countries and among food manufacturers, which has often resulted in unnecessary limitations on consumer choice.
The new Codex guidelines introduce a risk-based approach, according to which food manufacturers should:
- conduct a systematic assessment of the potential presence of allergens,
- analyse risks throughout the production process,
- implement appropriate preventive and control measures,
- use the “May contain” statement only when a genuine risk to consumers remains after all relevant control measures have been applied.
These guidelines are particularly significant for the food industry, food manufacturers, distributors and organisations implementing food safety management systems such as HACCP, ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000.
The new international requirements contribute to improved harmonisation of food safety practices in the global marketplace and represent an important step towards enhanced protection of consumers with food allergies, while simultaneously reducing the unnecessary use of precautionary allergen statements. For organisations operating in the food sector, these changes represent an additional incentive to further improve their food safety management systems, particularly in the following areas:
- allergen management,
- hazard analysis and risk assessment,
- supply chain control,
- product labelling,
- traceability assurance and communication with consumers.
ICS closely follows the development of international requirements in the field of food safety and provides professional support to organisations in implementing and improving management systems in accordance with internationally recognised standards, including HACCP, ISO 22000 and related food industry requirements.
Timely understanding of new international guidelines enables organisations to improve their processes, strengthen customer confidence and ensure compliance with the expectations of the modern global food market.
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