Allergens in India

What are allergens?
Allergens are food or chemical substances to which some people are abnormally high sensitive (allergic). People might be allergic to any kind of chemical substances. For example few are allergic to dust while few are allergic to leather etc.,

Food allergens
In the similar way, food substances which cause allergy (abnormal sensation) to the consumers are considered as allergens. Some of the well known food allergens are

1. Milk and Milk Products
2. Soya beans
3. Wheat Gluten etc.,

For information on food allergy please refer the Wikipedia source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_allergy

In India FSSAI- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India are the Government body working with food safety and related issues. FSSAI was established as per FSS-Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 and FSSAI adopts most of the safety guidelines of FDA-USA. 

For allergens FSSAI refers the 

Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-282, Title II) -of FDA USA and the allergens defined as per FDA are 

1. Milk, 
2. Eggs, fish, 
3. Crustacean shellfish, 
4. Tree nuts, 
5. Peanuts, 
6. Wheat, and 
7. Soybeans

FSSAI also refers the 7 allergens mentioned above in the FSS Manual 2006.

Please refer Page 140 of the Manual 

FSS manual 2006- Download in the link.

While designing Allergen policy in India for food companies it is important to consider the FSSAI regulations for Allergens and including all the allergens in the policy.

Thank you,

Pragash