Food Allergy Awareness Week
The 12 – 18 May is Food Allergy Awareness Week. It is a global week aimed at getting people around the world to understand how much of an issue food allergens are to some in our community.
As part of the recognition of this important week, the Australian Government launched a new allergen information source, to highlight some of the best techniques and information for food allergy management.
The portal is on the Food Standards Australia New Zealand website and shows several information sources for the various parts of our community.
It is the result of joint work by between Government, industry and consumer representatives and Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).known as the Allergen Collaboration. Members included; the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC), the AFGC Allergen Forum, the Allergen Bureau, the Food and Beverage Importers Association, Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia, the Australian Hotels Association, Restaurant and Catering Australia, Woolworths, Coles, Metcash Limited and Aldi Australia.
The Australian Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing, Shayne Neummann, said; “It will allow important allergen information to be picked up by stakeholders and promoted in cost-effective was, such as through social media, existing newsletter, and email subscription lists to individual stakeholder groups. It’s an important addition to the suite of tools available in promoting awareness about food allergies and how to manage them.”
The portal can be found at – http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumerinformation/foodallergenportal/
This article has been written by Rachelle Williams – The Green Food Safety Coach.