The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week announced that it plans to classify five types of food ingredients as food allergens, which would need to be declared on packaged food labels starting in 2019.
The Regulations on Food Allergens Labeling (食品過敏原標示規定) implemented on July 1, 2015, show six types of common food allergens — shrimp, crabs, mangos, peanuts, milk, eggs and egg products — that must be declared on packaged food labels with a precautionary message.
It is to amend the regulation, adding five types of food allergens to the regulatory list and also modifying the existing six types, the agency said.
The FDA is allowing 60 days for public comment on the proposed amendment, it said.
The newly drafted regulation shows 11 types of allergens: crustaceans, mangos, peanuts, sesame and sunflower seeds, cow or goat milk, and nuts (including almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, Brazil nuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts, pine nuts and chestnuts), the agency said.
The list also comprises grains containing gluten (including wheat, barley, rye and oats), soy beans, sulfites and sulfur dioxide residues above 10 parts per million (ppb), and fish (including salmon, mackerel, cod, Patagonian toothfish and halibut), it said.
The allergens were decided upon after having discussions with specialists and referring to regulations in other nations, FDA Food Safety Division Director Lee Wan-chen (李婉媜) said, adding that the changes aim to protect consumers from major food allergens.
The amended regulation will go into effect on July 1, 2019, and prepackaged food products that fail to declare the 11 types of allergens on food labels would face a fine of up to NT$4 million (US$133,368), she said.
People who are allergic to certain food ingredients should ensure that they read food labels carefully before purchasing food products, the agency said.
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