allergens in manufactured foods: risk, communication and...

Allergens in manufactured foods:

Risk, Communication and Advocacy

Julie Newlands

Unilever Australasia

11th August 2015

AIFST Sydney 11th August 2015

Who we are

• Established in 2005 due to industry demand, Management

Committee, now a ‘Not for Profit’ organisation

• 10 years experience!

• The food industry are our Members!

28 Full Members;

12 Associate members; and

10 Individual members

• The Members steer the resources & projects


Our reason for being Share information & experience in the management of food

allergens by developing tools to support industry with

the needs of the allergic consumer at the forefront

Allergen Bureau Management

Allergen Bureau (‘Not for Profit’)

The Board of Directors • Kirsten Grinter (Nestlé)

• Robin Sherlock (DTS)

• Karen Robinson (McDonald’s)

• Julie Newlands (Unilever)

Our support network • VITAL®

Coordinator /support (Georgina Christensen & Lisa Warren)

• Technical expertise (Simon Brooke Taylor & Lyn Davies)

• VITAL® Scientific Expert Panel (VSEP)

• Allergen Bureau advisors – (David Henning & Fiona Fleming)

Funded Secretariat: Tom and Ray


Our Objective

Our Challenge

Our Engagement


Protecting the allergic consumer

Protecting the food industry

Consistency & industry alignment

One Program, Harmonised Action Levels

Scientific Validity, Training and Support

What we developed - VITAL®

Program • Voluntary Incidental Trace Allergen Labelling

• VITAL program is a standardised risk assessment process for food industry to determine appropriate precautionary labelling which uses action levels underpinned by scientific evidence

• VITAL Program:

Provides a consistent methodology to thoroughly review the allergen status of all the ingredients and the processing conditions that contribute towards the allergen status of the finished product.

Promotes consistent labelling across industry by prescribing when a precautionary label statement is to be applied / avoided

Delivers one consistent labelling approach ‘May be present’

• VITAL was developed BY industry FOR industry and is voluntary


Consists of a range of tools:

1. VITAL Procedure

(the 10 steps of VITAL)

2. VITAL Decision Tree

3. VITAL Reference Doses

4. VITAL Action Level Grid

5. VITAL calculator (VITAL Online or Excel version)

6. VITAL training materials

7. Guidance documents includes the Food Industry Guide to the

Voluntary Incidental Trace Allergen Labelling (VITAL) Program


VITAL® PROGRAM

VITAL® Program Resources


Getting to the heart of VITAL®

!

Knowledge of all parts of the supply chain

• From raw materials, storage, manufacturing &

distribution

• Harnessing the value of physical risk review

and analysis to validate management decisions

and assumptions

• To communicate accurately and

consistently to the allergic consumer


VITAL ® Framework:

• VITAL Program

• VITAL Working Groups

• VITAL Scientific Expert Panel (VSEP)

• VITAL Training Providers

• VITAL Communication


Allergen Bureau Projects

• VITAL®

Online & Training

• Working Groups VITAL®

Growth

• Phase 1: Allergen Risk Review

• Phase 2: Risk Communication

• Phase 3: VITAL Certification

• Risk Review Anomalies working with AI Group


Project - VITAL® Online

- Allergen Bureau and Ionata Digital have worked together

to develop VITAL® Online – the user-friendly, web-based

version of the VITAL® Calculator funding supported by

Food Innovation Australia Ltd (FIAL).

- Testing :

- Pilots at three industry sites

- trialling VITAL Online at the Allergen Management and VITAL

Training Day

- VITAL User Group (VUG) were extremely useful activities to gain

observations and feedback into the development of VITAL Online

- There has been an associated review of VITAL

Training Materials.


Highlights:

- Training the team – the importance of the whole team and

each members contribution;

- VITAL Online user interface – much more approachable,

interactive and user-friendly;

- Benefits of being able to build towards a total site or

business overview as more information is added;

- Feedback on the key functional

requirements to build towards an

effective, efficient tool.


VITAL®

Online pilot: Unilever

• The Allergen Bureau is a not-for-profit organisation with a

budget based on membership from food industry funding

• The subscription model gives significant benefit to

members

• A flexible range of subscription packages tailored to the

size of organisation and frequency of use

• Funds raised are reinvested in VITAL


Access to VITAL® Online is by subscription

Free trial option

to encourage you

to go in and try it!

• Phase 1 – Risk Review (expanding and enhancing)

• Phase 2 – Risk Communication (labelling review &

pursuing exemptions)

• Phase 3 – Certification Investigation

(pursuing a VITAL certification process)

• AB & AI Group working together

on risk review anomalies


VITAL® Growth Working Groups

Phase 1 – Risk Review (Expanding and enhancing)

• How to do risk review and what that means

• Many guidance documents already exists however risk

review is not that expanded in VITAL guidance

• Need a more ‘now’ approach to communication & activation

• Team – Sanitarium, Scalzo, Webb James,

& Nestle

• We now need Communications people to join us!


VITAL® Growth

Clear, accurate and consistent communication to the allergic consumer


Phase 2 – Risk Communication

Food Allergen Labelling VITAL® Best Practice Guide will:-

• assist industry in accessing allergen labelling guidance

from one place

• provide a link between VITAL Program labelling

outcomes and existing allergen labelling information

• provide five examples showing best practice for

declaring food allergens

• Feedback from key stakeholders

VITAL® Growth

Phase 2 – Risk Communication

(Labelling)

Clear, accurate and consistent communication to the allergic consumer


Working Group activity – Allergen Labelling Exemptions

• proposal to amend the Code for certain

highly refined foods to be exempt from

allergen labelling

• some foods, derived from allergenic

sources, are safe for people who are

allergic to the original foods i.e. Highly

refined foods

• will provide a wider food choice for

consumers without increasing the risk of

exposure to food allergens

Proposal P1031 is active on FSANZ Work Plan:

Phase 3 – Certification Investigation

• Overarching Allergen Management Principles to

support use of VITAL

• VITAL Verification Module (Product specific) designed

to be used with existing overarching Standards

• The VITAL mark permission for use dependent

upon VITAL certification

• Currently with the Board to determine

next steps


VITAL® Growth

Risk Review Anomalies

• Allergens are known to be present but are:

- Not formulated as an ingredient; and

- Inappropriate to label as per VITAL ‘May be present’

• The group will consider options and approaches

• Representatives from The Australian Industry Group (Ai

Group) Confectionery Sector Technical Committee: Mondelez International,

Mars Chocolate Australia,

Nestle Confectionery & Snacks

& Fyna Foods Australia

.


VITAL® Growth

• Remains an integral part of our

structure- they give VITAL scientific

credibility & rigour

• Meetings & interaction are supported as

the science evolves

• Brings a global perspective so VITAL

can remain a relevant tool

• Are positive advocates amongst key

stakeholder groups


VITAL® Scientific

Expert Panel

VSEP

Training Collaborations

• Training collaborations growing very quickly

Currently 16 http://allergenbureau.net/vital/vital-training/

• Ongoing industry engagement & connection

• Critical to long term success (Global consistency in approach & labelling)

• Partners to support and facilitate VITAL

implementation – FARRP, UK BRC/FDF


Advocacy


Advocacy

AUS & NZ Stakeholder meetings & Conferences :

• 10th birthday, Members update (Sydney, Nov 2014)

• Allergen Collaboration (March, June 2015)

• AFGC Allergen Forum (Feb, May, July 2015)

• NZ FGC Technical Committee- AB activities update (March 2015)

• ASCIA & A & AA Allergy Summit (Sydney, August 2014 & 2015)

• Allergen Stakeholder Day Centre for Food Allergy & Research

(Melb, Nov 2014)

• ATSIG, Analytical methods (industry best practice) (May 2015)

• Food Allergy Management Symposium and Workshop

(Sydney, May 2015) www.fams2015.com.au/


Co-chairs: Alice Lee

James Roberts

Kirsten Grinter

Robin Sherlock

Key Speakers: International

• Stephen Taylor, Joseph Baumert - FARRP

• Geert Houben – TNO

• René Crevel – Unilever

• Samuel Godefroy – World Bank

• Clare Mills - iFAAM


Advocacy

International Representation:

• FARRP Board Meeting (New Mexico, July 2014)

• UK Allergen Steering Group (FDF/BRC)(London, Oct 2014)

• iFAAM (Croatia, October 2014)

• iFAAM (Brussels, March 2015)

• University of Manchester Food Allergy Network (UK, March 2015)

• ILSI Risk Assessment Workshop (Brussels, March 2015)

• GFSI Global Food Safety Conference (Malaysia , March 2015

• ILSI SEA Seminar & Workshop on Food Allergens (Bangkok, Apr 2015)

• Food Allergy Management Symposium (Sydney, May 2015)

• FARRP Board Meeting (Colorado, August 2015)


Advocacy Integrated Approaches to Food Allergen & Allergy Risk Mgmt

• Allergen Bureau is an official iFAAM associate partner

• This means we can contribute with impact through influencing and

shaping global allergen management practices

• VITAL® has given us the credibility and experience to ensure we have

a voice and it is a strong voice!

• Our ongoing investment in VITAL® & its tools demonstrates the

importance and industry commitment

• Working groups (7) (Allergen analysis), (9) Food Allergen Mgmt

translation into practice & (14) Dissemination


VITAL®

are we delivering ? Consistent, Science based Allergen Risk Assessment & Labelling

A globally accepted and consistent approach to Allergen risk assessment,

management and communication (labelling), including Incidental Allergen Risk

Quantification, that:

• Guides industry best practice;

• Complements allergen labelling regulations;

• Enables food allergic individuals to confidently

make choices based on label information;

• Underpinned by Scientific rigor through the scientific expert panel (VSEP);

• Supported by endorsed Training providers and dedicated Help line

• Recognised by Regulators and Allergic Consumer organisations

• Protected by Registered Trade Mark ®

• Used by Industry globally


VITAL®

– What Success Looks Like

• A VITAL Program with tools, support material and

services that are globally relevant

• The science that underpins the reference dose/action

levels remains current through VSEP ongoing interaction

• Growth through global partners and training

collaborations

• Continuous development of VITAL as the industry and the

program evolves


Summary

• VITAL was developed to support a consistent approach to Allergen

Risk Assessment and precautionary labelling across industry

• It has been a successful and positive collaboration between industry

and consumer groups and we continue to collaborate

• VITAL Framework:

• VITAL program

• VITAL online and VITAL GROWTH PROJECTS

• VSEP underpins the scientific credibility – SUPPORTS GLOBAL

APPROACH & ADVOCACY

• Training

• Advocacy - basis for strong Industry Self-regulation

VITAL journey will continue!


Thank you

• Join us for the VITAL® Online launch tomorrow,

5.30-6.00pm (during break in AIFST AGM),

12 August 2015

• Trial VITAL® Online!

For further engagement and information:

• Visit the Allergen Bureau website www.allergenbureau.net

• Join Us and enjoy the benefits of the Allergen Bureau membership www.allergenbureau.net/about-us/join-us/

• Subscribe to our free monthly Allergen Bureau eNews www.allergenbureau.net/news/

• Access the Allergen Bureau HelpLine

• email: [email protected]

• Phone: +61 437 918 959 (International)


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