Allergen Control

摘要

Increased awareness of food allergies is leading food companies to comprehensive allergen control programs. Here's what's involved. Estimates of the prevalence of food allergies continue to increase. The best current estimates are that 10-12 million consumers in the United States (3.5-4.0% of the overall population) suffer from food allergies (Sicherer et al., 2004). Even as recently as the mid-1990s, the estimate of the percentage of U.S. consumers suffering from food allergies was 1-2%. Consumer perception surveys indicate that an even larger percentage (10% or more) of households believe that one or more members of the household have a food allergy. Regardless of the medical accuracy of these perceptions, these consumers are likely to make purchasing decisions based on these perceptions. So, it's no wonder that food allergies have become a serious issue for the food industry.