CFF Foods and MenuTrinfo recently featured an article by Allergy Force CEO and Co-founder Gayle Rigione. It delves into the food allergy community’s critical need for greater manufacturer transparency on ingredients — intended and unintended — in their products. It shouldn’t take repeated tragedies to spark change to protect allergic consumers.
The article shares how Rigione’s been deeply affected by the loss of young adults — a promising dancer and a recent college grad with their whole lives ahead of them — who suffered anaphylaxis because they trusted food labels that didn’t clearly disclose their food allergens.
It could so easily have been her adult son, even though he diligently reads labels and makes buy/not buy decisions — trusting those labels.
That’s the thing about food labels — the ‘May Contain’, ‘Made on shared lines’, ‘Made in the same facility’ statements are 100% voluntary disclosures. They’re not regulated by the FDA other than guidance that they must be truthful and not misleading.
And that’s when manufacturers CHOOSE to use them.
But not all manufacturers put those statements on their food products. And when you don’t see them, it doesn’t mean the food is free of allergens. It doesn’t mean the food product is any safer to eat than foods with the disclosures. The only way to determine if a food may contain your allergens is to call the manufacturer and ask detailed questions.
MenuTrinfo offers an accredited certification program called ‘Certified Free From’ (CFF) that certifies food manufacturers and hospitality locations (like college dining halls) ‘Free From’ after reviewing their allergen controls and process during in-person audits versus rigorous standards.
Rigione wants to see more manufacturers certify their programs through MenuTrinfo’s CFF program. It’s an opportunity for them to win the hearts and trust of the ~220-240 million people worldwide who live with food allergies and depend on accurate ingredient labels so they don’t become sick (or worse). It’s an opportunity for brands to build brand loyalty and revenue along the way.
Read and find out more about the why’s behind Rigione’s company Allergy Force and how it makes life safer and easier for the food allergy community. Find out why she jumped at the chance to serve on MenuTrinfo’s Allergy Advisory Council to help expand the CFF program globally. Get details…
MenuTrinfo specializes in food allergy and nutritional information for the foodservice industry. They offer services ranging from menu consulting and allergen training (AllerTrain), to certifications for free-from claims (Certified Free From). Their goal is to help CPG manufacturers and food service businesses provide safe and accurate information about their products and menu items, particularly for customers with food allergies or other dietary restrictions.
The CFF certification program (under CFF Foods), innovated by MenuTrinfo, validates that food products and facilities are free from one, some, or all of the nine major food allergens (wheat, soy, egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, sesame), and/or gluten as needed by their clients. The program involves rigorous on-site testing, monthly audits, annual re-certification, and is accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB).
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Credits: Thank you to CFF Foods and MenuTrinfo for featuring Gayle Rigione’s article on your blogs and in your newsletter.