Codex Committee on Food Labelling Finalises Global Guidance on Precautionary Allergen Labelling

The 49th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL49), held in Ottawa, Canada, from 11 to 15 May, completed its work on new guidance for precautionary allergen labelling (PAL). The text has been incorporated into the General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods (CXS 1-1985) and will be submitted to the Codex Alimentarius Commission for adoption at its meeting in July.

After several years of discussion, the Committee finalised the guidance following two FAO/WHO expert consultations held in 2025, which provided further clarification on qualitative risk assessment approaches and reference dose levels for gluten and gluten-containing cereals.

Under the new guidance, PAL should only be used when the unintended presence of food allergens cannot be effectively prevented or controlled through allergen management measures. The decision to apply PAL must be supported by a risk assessment, starting with a qualitative evaluation and, where necessary, complemented by a quantitative assessment of the risk posed by unintended allergen presence.

The guidance also specifies that precautionary allergen statements should be used only when appropriate mitigation measures have been implemented and residual allergen levels are shown to exceed the relevant action level derived from established reference doses.

The incorporation of precautionary allergen labelling provisions into the General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods marks a significant step towards a harmonised, science-based and risk-based global approach to allergen communication, with the potential to enhance consumer protection, improve regulatory consistency and facilitate international trade.