By far, the most common reason for expensive product recalls in Australia is undeclared food allergens.
The most current data publicly available shows that in the five years to 2023, they accounted for 44 per cent of the 438 recalls coordinated by FSANZ.
Neogen’s Food Safety Business sales manager for Australia and New Zealand, Hasitha Perera said he has recently noticed an increased level of interest in rapid allergen testing solutions and says there are a number of reasons why this might be the case.
“The prevalence of food allergies around the world is believed to be increasing and the potential consequences for consumers can be very serious,” said Perera.
“Governments have taken steps to improve safeguards such as mandatory labelling requirements, which means producers and importers need to be across all the risks that apply to their products.”
In February 2024, new requirements for allergen labelling came into force in Australia to help consumers find information more easily and make safer choices. Twenty-three foods and ingredients must now be declared when present.
“In addition to the public risk, a product recall can be a very costly and time-consuming exercise,” added Perera.
“That’s why it is essential for producers to understand where an allergen could enter their production line and be alerted to when it does as soon as possible.”
Diagnostic allergen tests provide a method of easily determining if a product has been subjected to cross-contact and an investigative tool to determine how and when the cross-contact occurred.
Tests can be used on raw material before it enters production, or on equipment or product at any point throughout the production process to pinpoint and eliminate possible risks.
Neogen is a leader in food allergen diagnostic tests and supplies both rapid qualitative and fully quantitative testing solutions to efficiently meet a company’s specific requirements for effective food allergen management.
Screening tests, such as Neogen’s Reveal product line, are designed to be simple, easy to use, and quick in determining the presence or absence of a target allergen with results in as little as five minutes. These devices feature an overload line to prevent the hook effect producing a false negative.
Quantifying tests, such as Neogen’s Veratox, utilise ELISA technology to determine exact parts per million (ppm) of a target allergen. Veratox can yield results in 30 minutes of testing time.
The process can also be streamlined further with the StatFax 4700 plate reader which has been designed to read and calculate the results of Veratox assays automatically.
More recently, Neogen introduced Veratox VIP which offers the same ease-of-use and 30-minute time-to-result as standard Veratox allergen tests, but with significantly enhanced sensitivity. VIP allows users to detect extremely low levels of target allergens in a wide variety of sample types, including heat-processed and complex samples.
Best of all, Neogen provides matrix feasibility studies, so you don’t have to do the preliminary work yourself.
“Just as it is critical for a consumer to be able to trust what is on the label, the producer needs to be able to trust the system they have in place to manage risks,” said Perera.
“That’s why Neogen continues to pursue method validations from internationally recognised third-party agencies, such as AOAC® International and NF Validation by AFNOR Certification, in addition to recognitions from government and regulatory organisations around the world.”
As a global company with a large local presence, Neogen provides unparalleled support to our customers through a dedicated network of scientists and technical experts in Australia, New Zealand and around the world.
Neogen’s extensive range of food quality and safety products have been designed to facilitate making critical decisions confidently and quickly, to improve efficiency, add value, and contribute to better outcomes for businesses and consumers alike.
To learn more about Allergen Testing or any other part of our expanded food quality and safety product range, visit neogenaustralasia.com.au.