Testing for Allergens in Food

It is estimated that 3.5-4% of adults and 6-9% of children have a food intolerance or allergy of some form. These can range from mild symptoms such as rashes to anaphylactic shock, and death.

Labelling requirements

Compulsory allergen labelling on food products was introduced in 2014 in Ireland. The latest allergen regulation identifies fourteen main allergens which must be highlighted on the food product label. Eurofins companies allergen testing laboratories offer comprehensive analysis for all 14 main allergens, including:

Cereals containing gluten	Nuts, e.g. almonds, hazelnuts
Crustaceans, e.g. prawns, crabs	Celery (and celeriac)
Eggs	Mustard
Fish	Sesame
Peanuts	Sulphur dioxide, preservative found in some dried fruit
Soybeans	Lupin
Milk	Molluscs, e.g. clams, mussels

Testing for the presence of certain food allergens helps to assure a manufacturer that an undeclared allergen has not found its way into a product. For this reason, testing can also protect a company's reputation, minimising the chance of costly product recalls and adverse publicity.

Testing of final product, swabs from equipment after sanitation and/or rinse water can be used to verify the efficacy of a cleaning procedure, and can identify sources of cross contamination.

Comprehensive range of allergen testing

Eurofins companies, offer a comprehensive range of allergen testing such as ELISA, PCR and LC-MS/MS to meet the increasing demands put on our customers.

For other requirements and more information, please contact our sales team on 01431 1306 or make an enquiry.