On September 1, 2023, two Texas state bills went into effect for foodservice establishments: SB 577 relates to how health inspections are conducted and regulations are enforced, and SB 812 covers food allergen awareness.

The UK Food Standards Agency’s (FSA’s) recently updated technical guidance on food allergen labeling includes changes to advice on the use of Precautionary Allergen Labeling and clarification on “vegan” versus “free-from” labeling.

The Swedish Food Agency (Livsmedelsverket) and the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare have proposed, based on the findings of a preliminary study, concrete measures to improve food safety in relation to food allergens, which includes the development of a national strategy.

On June 27–28 in Chicago, Illinois, national and international nut industry leaders convened for the Peanut and Tree Nut Processors Association’s (PTNPA) annual Operations and Technical Food Safety Summit.

MenuTrinfo’s “Certified Free From” (CFF) seal can support brands’ food safety and boost sales by indicating third-party validation of allergen-free claims on a product label.

Traditional dairy processors have begun to develop various milk alternatives alongside their standard product lines to adapt to shifting consumer demand. To effectively analyze and test traditional product lines while overcoming the difficulties of testing novel plant-based milk, they must have access to adaptable instruments and accommodate specific food safety concerns.

A recent UK-based report from the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) warns that the lack of a legal definition for vegan food is potentially putting people with allergies at risk, as well as causing confusion for consumers and businesses.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have released a report summarizing a meeting on precautionary allergen labeling (PAL) that will support the Codex Committee on Food Labeling (CCFL) in the development of guidance on the use of PAL. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a draft Compliance Policy Guide (CPG) for FDA staff on the agency’s enforcement of major food allergen labeling and cross-contact. In response to FDA’s statement about the inclusion of sesame in foods that did not previously contain the allergen, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) expressed its dissatisfaction.

Approximately six out of every 10 companies in the Netherlands are not correctly providing food allergen information for non-prepacked products, according to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).