Published in June, the EU Alert and Cooperation Network 2022 Annual Report reported that the greatest number of AAC notifications (35%) are due to non-compliant labels and claims and, further, over 200 RASSF notifications were raised due to allergen risk.
With regulations constantly changing, managing the risks around label content and allergens is complex, especially as organizations look to streamline formulations to save costs and resources.
An effective way for organizations to reduce allergen and labelling risks is to conduct a review of labelling processes including label development, label updates, and label inventory control.
Reduce allergen label risk with these six steps:
- Require design staff to create labels so that different product versions can be easily identified by colour blocking, unique identifiers, and icons.
- Mandate that the “Contains. . .” descriptions are easy to read by the facility and the consumer.
- Conduct a full label inventory, destroy obsolete labels, and ensure current versions are the only accessible option.
- Organize labels with dedicated locations, signage, and samples of the label hanging from the space.
- Examine all storage and production areas critically to prevent mixed cases or pallets.
- Review and document the process to change a label: who gets notified, how new labels are approved, and what controls are in place upon receipt of new labels.
While this review process is effective, organizations that manage formulation changes and label development separately increase allergen risk when data is transferred from system to system, often through sharing various spreadsheets and/or manual entry.
Consolidating product innovation and label management systems is a highly effective next step. It helps reduce allergen label risk, preventing recalls and notifications, to accelerate organizational response to internal and external change requirements.
Real-time updates to compliant label data
In sixty (real) seconds, the video below demonstrates how quickly label data is updated when formulations are changed. It is from a recorded webinar featuring the entire solution that’s available to view on demand.
Please note that Recipes & Specifications supports local label compliance requirements around the world. This demonstration was for an American audience and reflects US requirements.
