FDA Releases Food Allergens Final Guidance and a New Draft Guidance

On November 29, FDA released Edition 5 (final guidance) to revise and replace Edition 4 (2006), Questions and Answers Regarding Food Allergens, Including the Food Allergen and Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA). It contains revised and new questions and answers relating to food allergens, including questions and answers about FALCPA and the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research Act of 2021 (FASTER Act), which amended the definition of major food allergen. FDA issued the Draft Guidance for Industry: Questions and Answers Regarding Food Allergen Labeling (Edition 5) to receive comments on the new and revised questions and answers, and as appropriate will move questions and answers to the final guidance document after reviewing comments and incorporating changes. Comments on the draft are due on January 29, 2023. Food Northwest’s Operations & Technical Affairs Committee will evaluate the draft.