Section 11.17 All Areas: Deli, Meat, Bakery, Seafood, Produce Departments Food Safety – Ingredients and KJ Information Displays

Ingredient Information is becoming more important to larger numbers of the population looking to make an informed choice on the health level of foods, the allergen components to protect their family members and the desire or not to support new technology like GMO’s, food irradiation and other future changes.

Regulators want to ensure “value added” foods are displayed with the correct ingredient list information, the correct advisory statements about allergen risk, health and want to declare certain substances as defined in the Food Standards Code.

Allergens

Food labels are particularly important for people with food allergies. Some people are sensitive to particular types of foods, like nuts, shellfish and cereals.

A food allergy is a response by the body to a protein that the body ‘thinks’ is harmful.

There is no cure for a food allergy. The only way to prevent an allergic reaction is to avoid eating the food containing the protein.

Eating a food that you are allergic to, even in small traces, can be fatal. As an example using a chopping board that has not been washed and sanitised between different products could affect a person with an allergy.

Food intolerances are where the body cannot digest or process some foods.

Gluten, lactose, yeast, food additives and sulphites are all products which may cause intolerances in some people and while the symptoms can be unpleasant and in some cases severe, they are generally not life threatening.

Common Food Allergens

About 90% of food allergies are caused by nuts, eggs, milk or soy. According to the government, the top foods, which cause allergic reactions are:

  • Peanuts
  • Eggs
  • Milk
  • Tree nuts
  • Sesame seeds
  • Fish
  • Soy
  • Crustaceans or shellfish, such as lobster, prawn, crab or shrimp
  • Wheat
  • Lupins
Your role as a food handler

In order to not harm people who suffer from food allergens, it is essential that you follow Drakes Food Safety Program.

For example:

  • You must be able to give customers correct information about the ingredients in the food
  • If the food you cook or serve includes any of the common allergens, you must be able to provide information on ingredients to your customers
  • If you are asked about the ingredients in food and you don’t know, never guess, ask your Manager
  • All of the common allergens should be stored separately, away from other foods
  • When preparing or cooking foods using any of the common allergens, you must use separate utensils to avoid cross contamination
Regulations

The FSANZ Food Standards Code:

Purpose: The standard sets out the application of general labelling legibility requirements. This part sets out the labelling requirements of food for sale and information that must be provided in conjunction with the sale of certain foods, where labelling is not required.

Food identification requirements. 1.2.2

Purpose: The standard requires that certain information must be included on the label on a food in order to be able to identify the food in question.

Mandatory warning and advisory statements and declarations. 1.2.3

Purpose: The standard sets out mandatory advisory and warning statements and declarations which must be made in relation to certain foods or foods containing certain substances.

Labelling of ingredients. 1.2.4

Purpose: The standard sets out specific requirements for the labelling and naming of ingredients and compound ingredients.

The ‘December 2002 Food Standards Code’ requires food labelling to declare certain substances in food, and certain foods themselves. These include:

    • cereals containing gluten & products which contain them
    • Crustaceans and products which contain them
    • Eggs and egg products
    • Fish and fish products
    • Milk and milk products
    • Nuts and sesame seeds and products which contain them
    • Peanuts and soybeans, and products which contain them
    • Added sulphites in concentrations of 10mg/kg or more
    • Royal jelly presented as food or present in food, bee pollen and propolis
    • Lupins

These foods must be declared whenever they are used as:

      • An ingredient
      • Part of a compound ingredient
      • A food additive or compound of a food additive
      • A processing aid or component of a processing aid
Date Marking of Food. 1.2.5

Purpose: The standard prescribes a date marking system for food and the form in which these foods must be date marked. The standard requires food, with some exceptions, to be date marked, and prohibits the sale of food after the expiration of the used by date, where such a date mark is required.

In particular, clause 2 of the standard sets out the circumstances in which a use by date must be used instead of a best before date.

Perishable foods are generally marked with a ‘use by date.’ These foods are usually unfit for consumption once the use by date has been passed.

It is against the law to alter use by dates and to sell food passed its use by date.

If you find stock that is passed its use by date then it can’t be sold even at a reduced price. The stock must be taken off the shelf, disposed of and reported.

Less perishable items have a ‘best before date’, which is an indicator of when the food is in its best condition, but is not necessarily unsuitable for consumption after that date. However Drakes treats best before dates the same as use by dates and must be removed from sale.

Directions for use and storage. 1.2.6

Purpose: The standard identifies when directions for use and directions for storage are required to be included on a label.

Nutrition, Health and related claims. 1.2.7

Purpose: The standard sets out –

      • The claims that can be made on labels or in advertisements about the nutritional content of food and the claims that can be made on labels or in advertisements about the relationship between a food or a property of a food, and a health effect
      • Describes the condition under which claims can be made, and
      • Describes the circumstances in which endorsements can be provided on labels or in advertisements.

Nutrition information requirements 1.2.8

Purpose: The standard sets out nutrition information requirements in relation to food that is required to be labelled under this code and for food exempt from these labelling requirements. This standard prescribes when nutritional information must be provided, and the way such information is provided.

Plain English Allergen Labelling (peal)

Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code) was amended to introduce new requirements for the labelling of allergens in food (PEAL)

These requirements include that allergen information is to be declared: • in a specific format and location on food labels, and • simple, plain English terms in bold font

Legibility requirements 1.2.9

Purpose: The standard set out general and specific legibility requirements for the labelling of packaged and unpackaged foods.

Characterising ingredients and components of food. 1.2.10
Purpose: The standard sets out specific requirements for the declaration of the percentage of characterising ingredients and components of certain food products which are required to be declared.

Country of Origin requirements

From 1 July 2018, the country of origin labelling requirements will be omitted from the Code. After this date, businesses must label their products according to the requirements of the Country of Origin Food Labelling Information Standard 2016 authorised by Australian Consumer Law. The country of origin labelling requirements for a food item will vary depending on whether the food:

      • is a priority or non-priority food
      • was grown, produced, made or packed in Australia or another country.

The food labelling laws make it clearer where the products you buy are produced, grown, made or packed.

Easy to understand labels will tell you at a glance where a product comes from, so you can make a clear and informed decision.

The labels will also tell you what percentage of the ingredients come from Australia.

the following example provides the standard format for a NIP.
Example: Meat pies (4 pack)

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION Servings per pack: 4        Serving size: 175g (1 pie)
  Quantity Quantity
  per serving Per 100g
Energy 1615kJ 923kJ
Protein 25.9g 14.8g
Fat, total 20.7g 11.8g       
    – saturated 10.1g 5.76g
Carbohydrate, total 23.6g 13.5g
    – sugars 1.2g 0.7g
Sodium 471mg 269mg
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