Canada Enforces Allergen Labeling to Protect Consumers

WEBWIRE – Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Canada’s new food allergen labeling regulations, which were announced in February 2011, were put into effect on August 4th. According to the Vancouver Sun, the food industry was given an 18 month time span to comply with the new allergen labeling regulations. Beginning next month, food allergens, gluten sources, and sulphites will be a requirement in the list of ingredients on food products.

Prior to the new regulations, it was difficult for consumers to access information on food ingredients, causing great challenges for those suffering from food allergies.

The new regulations also require the food industry to use simple language when listing allergens and gluten sources to ensure that consumers understand all ingredients. Previously, a food’s description was very in-depth making it difficult for the average consumer to comprehend. For example, an egg had 17 different descriptions on its label and milk had 12.

A recent study conducted in Canada revealed that 47 percent of respondents experienced an unintentional allergic reaction as a result of improper and ineffective labeling, failure to read or understand labels, or disregard of precautionary statement. The government hopes that Canada’s new labeling regulations will solve these issues and make consumers aware of ingredients in their food products.

“It is important for individuals with food allergies to be aware of all ingredients in their food, so that they do not put themselves at a serious health risk" states EMSL’s Vice President of Microbiology and Life Sciences, Jason Dobranic, Ph.D. “At EMSL Analytical, we analyze a wide array of food allergens, including but not limited to soy protein, peanuts, sesame, almond, total milk, egg, crustacean, and gliadin (gluten).”

For more information on EMSL’s food testing services, please contact EMSL at (800) 220-3675, email info@EMSL.com , or visit www.EMSL.com or www.FoodTestingLab.com.

About EMSL Analytical, Inc.
EMSL Analytical is a full service testing company providing quality lab services under the same private ownership since 1981. Including the corporate lab facility in Cinnaminson, NJ, EMSL Analytical operates over thirty laboratories nationwide in the US and Canada. We provide analytical services for environmental, indoor air quality (IAQ), industrial hygiene, forensics and materials science, consumer products, food safety, PCR, pharmaceutical, asbestos, lead, and radiological samples. The company has an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations, as well as state and federal regulating bodies.