The baking industry’s top priority must be consumer safety, says the American Bakers Association (ABA) following on from the association sending a letter to US Congress regarding the commercial baking industry’s implementation of and compliance with the 2021 Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education and Research (‘FASTER’) Act.
“The wholesale baking industry’s top priority is consumer safety,” explained Eric Dell, President and CEO, ABA. “We appreciate the opportunity to share with Congress how our Members have fully complied with the law in order to protect allergic consumers.”
In the UK, legislation around allergens in food became stricter after the tragic death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse who suffered an allergic reaction to a baguette which contained sesame. Subsequently, Natasha’s Law came into effect on 1 October 2021 and requires all food outlets to provide full ingredient lists with clearer allergen labelling.
The association has said the baking industry is committed to ensuring compliance with food safety laws by enforcing extensive cleaning and Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMPs) in their facilities to protect consumers. Sesame, for example, is a challenging allergen to remove from the baking environment and even the best practices cannot always remove traces of sesame.
“To better protect allergic consumers, Congress should call on FDA to use its existing authority to establish a sesame allergen threshold,” added Eric Dell. “ABA remains committed to continuing to work with Congress, FDA, and the food allergen community to find practical solutions that are compliant with the law while also feeding America.”
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