Source: Michael Fielding, MEATINGPLACE, 11/17/15


USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has added an appendix to itscompliance guideline for identifying allergens and ingredients of concern to help processors identify potential sources of “Big Eight” allergens.

The finalized guidelines are part of the agency’s comprehensive and ongoing efforts to reduce the number of allergen-related recalls. This past April, FSIS inspectors met with management at every FSIS-regulated establishment in the country to discuss whether there are processes in place to ensure proper labeling. FSIS inspectors then increased the number of allergen labeling-related inspection tasks conducted in these establishments in order to ensure products are properly labeled.

"[T]hese guidelines provide a useful tool to help food companies avoid preventable, costly recalls," USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety Al Almanza said in a news release.

The guidance covers prevention and control measures of potentially allergic ingredients, packaging, labeling, storage, checklists and allergen training, among others.

If meat and poultry products contain the following foods and ingredients, they may contain the allergen listed below. This is not a comprehensive list. For the full list, click here.
Allergen         Ingredient/Food
Wheat             Worcestershire sauce, glucose syrup, soy sauce
Egg                 lysozyme, lecithin, pasta
Peanut            chili, mole sauce
Milk                 casein, diacetyl, artificial butter flavor
Tree nut          pesto, pistachio, alcoholic extracts
Soybean          edamame, miso, tempeh
Crustacean shellfish           bouillabaisse, glucosamine, seafood flavoring
Fish                  barbecue sauce, bouillabaisse, Worcestershire sauce

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