Consumers should not rely on “vegan” labeling for allergen-free claims, stresses UK industry body

20 Feb 2020 --- Misinterpreting the differences between allergen-free food safety claims and dietary vegan claims are a cause for concern, flags the UK’s Food and Drink Federation (FDF). Consumers should not rely on a “vegan” logo if they have milk, fish, crustacean, mollusc and/or egg food allergies, it notes. In a recently issued FDF Guidance on "Allergen-Free" and Vegan Claims, the FDF further outlines the clear risk that products “suitable for vegans” may not be safe for certain allergic consumers due to unintentional cross-contact with allergenic ingredients of animal origin.

“The FSA warmly welcomes the FDF’s work to improve the clarity of allergen information provided to consumers,” says Heather Hancock, Chairman of the Food Standards Agency. “Getting this right is essential to ensure that food is safe for people living with food allergy or intolerances.”

“This new guidance makes clear the requirements for free-from claims for egg and milk and it also contains important clarifications about vegan labeling, which will help prevent shortcuts and other claims inadvertently leading people with food hypersensitivity to make the wrong food choices. It is very important that industry continues to make sure food hypersensitive consumers are informed and protected,” she adds.

Each claim communicates to different consumer groups, with only the allergen absence claim being considered as food safety information, notes the FDF. The organization’s issued guidance details the current legal frameworks that regulate the use of these voluntary claims and how it may develop going forward. It also signposts to resources and positions from other relevant stakeholders both in the UK and EU.

FoodIngredientsFirst reached out to the FDF for details on the organization’s recommendations on policy making to raise the accuracy of food labeling in the UK.

The FDF recommends that a suitable precautionary allergen statement should be used alongside vegan labelling.“Vegan” does not indicate “allergen-free”
In certain cases, the FDF emphasizes that due to manufacturing processes, a vegan product may be unsuitable for allergic consumers who react to certain animal ingredients (e.g. milk) and a suitable precautionary allergen statement should therefore be used (i.e. “may contain milk”). 

Chantelle Adkins, Director of Business Development at the Vegan Society, voices her support of the newly issued guidance, commenting, “We do not claim that products registered with our Vegan Trademark alone will be suitable for people with allergies. We take consumer safety very seriously and would encourage anyone with a food allergy not to rely on vegan labeling to mean that a product will contain no trace of animal derived allergens.”

The reduction of animal byproducts from diets is expected to further flourish this year, with Innova Market Insights pegging the “Plant-Based Revolution” as its number two trend for this year. The market researcher highlights a 59 percent average annual growth in global F&B launches with a “plant-based” claim (CAGR 2014 to 2019).

Within the vegan meat space, the market researcher’s 2018 consumer survey showed one in five US consumers “have eaten less meat across the past year.” Meat substitutes accounted for 14 percent of global meat launches in the first nine months of 2018, up from six percent in 2013.

Policy revisions toward labelling clarity
At present, the FDF notes that precautionary allergen labeling is voluntary and should only be used after a thorough risk assessment and where the risk of unintentional allergen presence is real and cannot be removed. There is no legal definition of the term “vegan” in UK or EU law, however, General Food Law requires food to be safe and for its labeling or other presentation to not mislead consumers. 

Moreover, the FDF underscores the lack of a legal definition of what constitutes an “allergen-free” or “free-from” product (except for “gluten-free”) and making such claims is not mandated in legislation. These claims are therefore used on a voluntary basis; however, they are regulated in accordance with General Food Law requiring the provision of safe food. 

General food labeling falls under the remit of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), which intends to develop updated guidance on vegan and vegetarian labeling as part of its review of food information following Brexit.

“In an ever-evolving regulatory landscape, FDF strives to support food manufacturers to provide accurate consumer information and is well-aware that an informed allergic consumer is a more protected consumer. Our new guidance informs both industry and consumers on the difference between these label claims and, from a food safety perspective, that vegan should not be interpreted as meaning ‘allergen’-free,” concludes Alex Turtle, FDF's Food Law, Labelling and Enforcement Manager.

In notable food allergy related developments, biopharmaceutical company Aimmune Therapeutics recently received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for Palforzia, the first approved oral immunotherapy treatment for patients with peanut allergies. 

Meanwhile, with new guidelines instructing early introduction of peanut foods to infants between four and six months to prevent peanut allergy, peanuts have expanded in baby-friendly food formats.

By Benjamin Ferrer