As a consumer, I know how important food labelling is. This is especially the case if I am preparing a meal for friends who have certain allergies. The Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) made an official reminder for producers, including importers, to meet mandatory allergen labelling requirements.
What instigated this warning? After many coconut products were recalled after they did not fulfil the mandatory allergen labelling in milk and its by-products. The first case was reported in 2014 after Green Time Natural Coconut Drink due to the presence of an undeclared allergen. More recently, Coco Joy Pure Coconut Milk was recalled in August 2015 after a similar issue. Only last month did New Zealand warned consumers to avoid coconut milk (click here to read more about that story on our blog).
After recent testing, FSANZ discovered that 10 other coconut products have been recalled for not including necessary allergen warnings. The government warns importers to be aware of the presence of undeclared allergens poses a risk to human health – people are allergic to a certain particular deadly reason!
If you are a producer, do you have to be more specific about the ingredients in your product? As a consumer, do you need to be more aware of warnings that might be announced by FSANZ, especially if you have an allergy?
If you would like more information on this topic or get the source URL for this article, then email us at [email protected]
