Ingredient Challenges: Food Allergens: Thoughts on Concerns and Control
An estimated 11 million Americans have food allergies, including 4%-8% of children and 1%-2% of adults. Food-allergic reactions are estimated to cause 29,000 emergency room visits and 150-200 deaths per year. No processor wants his product to be included in these statistics. An understanding of the foods that cause allergic reactions, controls that can reduce risk, and tools that can verify adequate control can reduce the risk that dairy and other food processors face when they produce products that contain a variety of allergens.
All food allergens are naturally-occurring proteins that are very resistant to heat, proteolysis and pH. Trace amounts at parts per million levels can cause a reaction. Sensitivity and severity of reactions varies by individual and amount of the allergenic material present. Avoidance of the allergen is the only thing that an allergic individual can do to prevent a reaction.