Spot On: Precautionary Allergen Labeling: Informing Consumers or Just Covering Your Assets?

This is the question we ask food producers who rely on PAL when it comes to informing consumers about potential allergenic content in their products.

PAL stands for "precautionary allergen labeling", and it's everywhere these days. "May contain nuts." "Processed in facilities where soy has been processed." Such statements don't always assess actual risk and can cause more than a few headaches for allergic consumers, whose choices of food are already limited.

In this issue of Spot On, we investigate methods and practices that can make labeling be what it should be: accurate, informative, and science-based.

In this issue:

• The problem with precautionary allergen labeling
• The VITAL^® Program
• Food allergen reference doses
• 10 “Musts” of food allergen testing

Enjoy this issue of Spot On.