Prepackaged Foods and Food Safety

We live in an instant world. The “push-button” type of world. This convenient and instantaneous life have filtered into our food systems in the form of prepackaged foods.

Whether you are a single parent, a single person, or a family person, we all enjoy the convenience of going into a store or any other such location and choosing a ready-to-eat prepackaged food item so that we do not have to worry about food preparation after a long day.

Prepackaged foods have become a staple in our lives. And this largely because, again, they are convenient. However, ensuring that they are safe for the consumer is of paramount importance. Today, I wish to explore a major consideration pertaining to prepackaged foods and food safety – allergen management and awareness.

When you think of allergen management – those familiar with food safety management systems would wax poetic about the various controls that can be used within an organization to ensure there is no allergen cross contact or any inadvertent introduction of allergens into items where they should not be etc.

For consumers of prepackaged foods, labelling and ingredient transparency serve a great role in the allergen management and awareness. Consumers generally evaluate the safety of foods through its labelling. We automatically peruse labels for key information such as shelf life, ingredient list, nutritional content, and the presence of allergens to list a few. Labels are used so that consumers can make informed decisions especially if they have specific dietary needs/ requirements or health conditions such as allergies.

In some prepackaged industries, such as retail delis, where wraps, sandwiches, dips, or spreads are conveniently prepared for consumers, the labels often do not clearly identify the presence of allergens. And this is of major concern because some can take this to mean that there are no allergens present in the product when they are.

In July 2016, it was reported that a teenager in the UK lost her life after experiencing cardiac arrest due to an allergic reaction. This reaction was stated to have been triggered by a prepacked baguette, which at the time of the incident did not have any form of allergen labelling. The teen, Natasha Ednan- Laperouse, had an anaphylactic reaction to the sesame seeds in the baguette. After this unfortunate incident, there has been the creation of Natasha’s Law (effective October 2021) which requires all food produced and packaged? in the same premises to provide a complete ingredient list. The law targets “any food that is wrapped in foil, in a membrane, or in paper bags before being sold.” The labelling requirements of this law indicate that the name of the food, the product description and the full ingredients list with allergenic ingredients emphasized, need to be clearly displayed on the packaging.

All this information is important to allow consumers to make informed decisions, and while the Caribbean may not be directly impacted by Natasha’s Law, we should be aware that the Codex Alimentarius CAC RCP 1-1969 and PAS 221:2013 both have sections which address Product Information and Consumer Awareness.

By paying attention to proper labelling consumers can enjoy the convenience of prepackaged foods while minimizing food safety risks and personal injury. But this is not solely the responsibility of the consumer, manufacturers also need to ensure that they adequately inform consumers about their products.

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