The Australian Food and Grocery Council, together with not-for-profit barcode standards body GS1 Australia, have called for industry support for their new smartphone app, GS1 GoScan, which will allow extended labelling of products via barcode scanning by consumers. Initially available for iPhone, GoScan has the capacity to list accurately a large amount of “real time” product data to consumers, including ingredients, nutritional content, RDI information, dietary statuses such as Kosher/Halal/Organic... ...Read more »

New research into food allergy in Australia has alarmingly revealed that 1 in every 10 children is now food allergic. This year during Food Allergy Awareness Week (FAAW), which runs May 16th – 21st, Anaphylaxis Australia aims to reach those who don’t have food allergies. “We want to highlight the fact that there is no longer any excuse to not know how serious food allergy is. Gone are the days when food allergy was rare and people denied it was real. Researchers have watched the prevalence... ...Read more »

Coles Supermarkets has announced a recall of its Coles Bakery Fresh Mars Cookies 6 pack, which may have been contaminated with undeclared peanuts and tree nuts. The recall applies only to the 6-pack, with Baked On and Best Before dates from 25 October to 22 December. Coles apologised for any inconvenience, and said that any products can be returned to Coles for a full refund  Read More →

An expert panel sponsored by the US’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, has issued comprehensive US guidelines to assist health care professionals in diagnosing food allergy and managing the care of people with the disease. The Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Food Allergy in the United States: Report of the NIAID-sponsored Expert Panel, developed over two years, are intended for use by both family practice... ...Read more »

A new study estimates that 2.5 percent of the United States population, or about 7.6 million Americans, have food allergies. Food allergy rates were found to be higher for children, non-Hispanic black people, and men, according to the researchers. The odds of male black children having food allergies were 4.4 times higher than others in the general population. The research, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health and appears in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, is the... ...Read more »

A new food allergen guide by Anaphylaxis Australia to help restaurants and cafes provide safe foods for people with food allergies has been applauded by the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) today. Produced with support of the Coeliac Society and health experts, the new Allergy Guide Safer Meal Service contains practical steps to ensure meals prepared in eateries are safe by understanding what food allergens are present and helping customers make safe choices. AFGC Chief Executive Kate Carnell... ...Read more »

Campbell Soup Company was recently honored by the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) for its commitment to food allergy safety, awareness and education.At its Annual Patient Conference in Baltimore, Md., FAAN recognized Campbell with a Special Achievement Award for introducing a new and innovative scanning technology in its plants to improve allergen labeling on its products. Campbell helped develop the strategy for a Vision System to scan product manufacturing codes and ensure that they... ...Read more »

Dr Raymond Mullins, president of the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA), warned that food allergy in children was dramatically on the rise, and that Australia would need to be ready. “Australian hospitalisation rates due to food allergy have increased dramatically in the last decade, with recent evidence that peanut allergy has significantly increased in Australia, as it has in other developed countries,” Dr Mullins said. According to Dr Mullins, as many as... ...Read more »