For millions living with food allergy, treats like chocolate, biscuits and confectionery often come with hidden risks. Ingredients such as milk, nuts, eggs and wheat common in these products are among the top allergens responsible for severe allergic reactions in Europe.
On 19 November, EFA brought the perspective of people with food allergy to the 2024 Annual Congress of the European association of the chocolate, biscuit and confectionery industry (CAOBISCO), organised in Brussels.
EFA Senior Policy Advisor, Panagiotis Chaslaridis, took part in a panel session discussing Precautionary Allergen Labelling (PAL), alongside experts from research, industry and national food safety authorities. The session highlighted the challenges and opportunities of harmonising PAL use at the EU level and globally.
Food allergy stakeholders: different angles, but same vision to precautionary allergen labelling
For food allergy patients, the risk of going through an anaphylactic shock is a constant concern. This daily vigilance takes a toll, not only on physical health but also on their mental well-being.
Sharing the perspective of consumers living food allergy, Panagiotis stressed the importance of using PAL statements in an appropriate way. Food allergy impacts every aspect of life and the stakes are especially high when dealing with products like chocolate and confectionary, which frequently contain allergens such as milk, egg, wheat and nuts.
Despite the diverse backgrounds of participants, the need for harmonised PAL brought by EFA largely echoed across the room. From an academic point of view, prof. Ben Remington referred to the FAO/WHO expert panel’s recent recommendations for mandatory PAL based on ED05-derived reference doses. Atanasios Moschos from the chocolate company, Confiserie Leonidas, stressed the benefits of a predictable PAL framework as an enabler of innovation and quality management. Similarly, Jan Eliëns from the Dutch Food and Drug Authority shared insights of the recently adopted Dutch PAL policy. The Netherlands is one of the few countries that have adopted concrete but national PAL regulations in Europe.
Consumers do not trust PAL because it is a voluntary legislative feature, it remains inconsistent and is not yet based on defined scientific standards. The lack of trust forces some patients to avoid entire categories of food, further narrowing their choices and increasing the psychosocial burden. At EFA, we hold that precautionary allergen labelling should serve to protect lives, rather than limit them.
Towards harmonised and reliable precautionary allergen labelling
To address the current challenges, EFA calls for a regulatory framework that turns PAL into a legally binding claim based on joint EU-wide rules. Such a requirement would entail adopting common wording for precautionary allergen labelling (starting with ‘may contain…’). It would also require mandatory education around PAL for all involved actors, including food businesses, the hospitality sector, regulatory authorities, healthcare professionals and food allergy patients.
Panagiotis highlighted EFA’s support for ED05-based reference doses, as the most appropriate method to determine when PAL should be used and when it is unnecessary.
EFA is looking for collaboration and synergies from all stakeholder involved to advance on the harmonisation of PAL across Europe.