8th International Akademie Fresenius Conference: Food Allergens - Kongress / Konferenz von Die Akademie Fresenius GmbH

The FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on Risk Assessment of Allergens from 2020 to 2023 was tasked by Codex and proposed a comprehensive overhaul of the way allergens are managed globally. Starting with a review of the criteria for priority allergens and the current list, it identified Reference Doses for those allergens, guided by a clear and transparent food safety objective and following a defined scientific analysis. The Consultation then addressed the application of those Reference Doses in the management of allergens, with an emphasis on Precautionary Allergen Labelling, but also considering how they could help the definition of exemptions from allergen labelling.

The conference brings together representatives from regulatory and industry backgrounds, as well as political decision-makers to discuss about the FAO/WHO Initiative on food allergen risk assessment and the main conclusions and implications of the Expert Consultation’s work. It keeps track of clinical aspects, advances in food analysis and their suitability as well as on recent developments in risk assessment, risk communication and risk management.

A specifically hot topic at the moment is the new use of existing proteins and existing proteins being processed in new ways and moreover, we are looking at emerging allergens from a number of perspectives.

Highlights

Food allergy – clinical aspects

• Update on immunotherapy in food allergy

Food industry allergen risk assessment approaches

• Practical application of allergen quantitative risk assessment (QRA)
• Improving information for allergen risk management, including decisions on precautionary labelling

Competent authority perspective on risk assessment

• Outcome and lessons learnt from the ALLERGEN-PRO project

FAO/WHO initiative on food allergen risk assessment

• An overview of the FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on Risk Assessment of Food Allergens and key outcomes
• Too high, too low? Setting a reference dose that works.

Risk management and communication

• Risk management and communication of food allergens – the perspective of a governmental agency
• Risk communication with consumers in Ireland
• VITAL® 3.x in relation to the FAO/WHO recommendations
• Guidance on allergen cross-contact for food manufacturers

Monitoring, analytical methods and their suitability

• Standardisation of a reference prototype-MS based method for multi allergen quantification in foods as a result of the ThRAll project
• Allergen detection possibilities for the official food control laboratories
• Monitoring the Safe Introduction of Novel Foods (MoSIN) – how food allergy develops in a changing food environment

Who should attend this conference?

Professionals working in the fields of:

• Quality assurance & control
• Analysis
• Legal & regulatory affairs
• Research & development
• Diagnosis & therapy

Sectors taking part:

• Food industry
• Food retailers
• Food inspection offices
• Laboratories
• Research institutes
• Authorities
• Professional associations
• Medical institutes