New video animations to help people understand allergy warnings on food labels | June 2023
The National Allergy Council has released two new video animations to help people with food allergies, health professionals and food service providers understand more about precautionary allergen labelling (PAL) statements on food products.
PAL statements include statements such as ‘may contain traces of….’ or ‘made on equipment that also processes…’ and are intended to warn people with food allergies about the risk of cross contamination with an allergen. However, PAL statements are not regulated by the Food Standards Code and are often placed (or not placed) on products without the manufacturer applying a risk assessment as to whether an allergen warning is needed or not.
It is important for people to understand what PAL statements mean when making food choices. Our new animations cover what PAL statements are, and how to choose products with or without PAL statements.