Advancing Allergen Management: Updates from the Codex Committee

Allergen labelling standards are set through an international process most food safety professionals rarely see up close. The Codex Committee on Food Labelling shapes the guidance that eventually informs national requirements, and the decisions being made now, particularly around precautionary allergen labelling, will affect how manufacturers communicate allergen risk for years to come. In this session, Beatrice Povolo, Director of Food Safety and Regulatory Affairs at Food Allergy Canada, provides a top-level overview of the Codex Committee's most recent work on food allergens. The session covers the latest international discussions, proposed changes to priority allergen lists, and evolving guidance on precautionary allergen labelling (PAL), along with proposed best practices for PAL and how they align with current Canadian guidelines. The focus stays on what matters most to the people managing allergen risk day to day: effective labelling and communication practices that give consumers the information they need to make safe, informed food choices. For food safety, quality, and regulatory professionals tracking where allergen labelling standards are heading, this session connects international Codex developments to the Canadian context and the practical work of allergen disclosure. Speaker: Beatrice Povolo, Director, Food Safety & Regulatory Affairs, Food Allergy Canada