Food allergy is a serious public health issue impacting over 3 million Canadians. Food and beverage manufacturers play a critical role in reducing the risk of allergic reactions for consumers through preventive control measures and judicious use of precautionary allergen labelling.
Canada’s food and beverage manufacturing industry understands that managing allergens is a food safety priority. To assist you with the process of implementing food allergen preventive control measures, as part of a facility’s overall food safety program, and provide accurate labelling for consumers, the Allergen Management Guidelines for Food Manufacturers was developed.
This new resource was drafted in collaboration with the food industry, taking into account current international industry guidelines, scientific and expert community reports, and Canadian food manufacturer expertise. This guide can help your organization meet Canadian regulatory requirements and provide greater transparency to consumers.
Our thanks to the multi-stakeholder council, co-led by Université Laval and Maple Leaf Foods, comprised of food manufacturers, academia and allergists, for their expert contributions to the Allergen Management Guidelines. Read the press release.
“Food allergy is a serious public health issue and food and beverage manufacturers play a critical role in helping consumers make safe product choices. With the Allergen Management Guidelines, food manufacturers now have an industry informed framework, that provides practical recommendations for all types and sizes of manufacturers across Canada.”
Sharon Mohammed, Director, Government and Industry Relations – Regulatory Management – Maple Leaf Foods
Allergen Management Guidelines and resource downloads
The Allergen Management Guidelines provide an in-depth look into the recommended allergen management practices and how you can apply them to your business.
The Guidelines and the following resources are available at no cost for download on the Université Laval’s Food Risk Analysis and Regulatory Excellence Platform (PARERA), our partners for this program.
To access the resources please click “Download now” below. You will need to register to access the download. Once your registration is complete, you will be immediately re-directed to the resource page to complete your download.
Note: Any contact information you provide will only be accessed by Food Allergy Canada and will not be shared outside our organization. Our communication with you will be focused on providing updates and information related to the Allergen Management Guidelines and associated resources, as well as any industry-related matters regarding the management of food allergens.
Allergen Management Guidelines for Food ManufacturersRecommendations for a risk-based approach to allergen management, including the use of precautionary allergen labelling (PAL).
Additional resources
Self-assessment questionnaireHow well are you managing food allergens in your operation? Take the quiz to see if you could benefit from the practices recommended in the guidelines.
Executive summaryDo your allergen management practices result in your products making it from the grocery shelf into the shopping basket? See how you can maximize your business opportunity.
User guideReview the key component of the guidelines in this summary document, with direct links to the information you’re looking for.
Training modulesA comprehensive and easily accessible training program for all levels of employees in your operation.
Developed through multi-stakeholder collaboration
In 2020, a unique multi-stakeholder collaboration on food allergen management was undertaken, that engaged representatives from the food industry, consumers, academia, healthcare, and government, funded by the AgriAssurance Program of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The aim of this collaboration was to develop a risk-based approach to allergen management in Canada, including the use of precautionary allergen labelling (PAL).
Through this collaboration, consensus-based industry guidance on allergen risk management and the use of PAL was developed. This work was led by Food Allergy Canada, Université Laval’s Food Risk Analysis and Regulatory Excellence Platform (PARERA), and Maple Leaf Foods, and included a broad representation from Canada’s food manufacturing sector. The guidance materials developed help to support food manufacturers in their implementation of effective allergen control plans including the responsible use of PAL to better meet the needs of Canadians managing food allergy.
Guidelines developed by:
Guidelines funded by:
Stay informed and join the conversation
Allergy Insider: Food Industry NewsletterGet essential updates and insights to help you stay ahead in food allergy management and industry trends. Sections include latest news, research, Health Canada and CFIA updates, international PAL developments, articles from experts, our event calendar, and more!
Please send us your comments/feedback on the guidelines and related resources. We want to know what you found useful in your operation, as well as any suggestions you’d like to share on future updates to these resources.