Peanuts can cause severe allergic reactions in some people. Therefore, they must be labeled as an ingredient on food packaging. A large-scale study has now examined the accuracy of labeling peanuts – with a satisfactory result.
The study
In a joint research project, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) and the French authority for food safety, environmental protection, and occupational safety (ANSES) examined the accuracy of the labeling of peanuts on food packaging.
A total of 899 food samples were examined for traces of peanuts. This makes it the largest study to date on this topic with products from the supermarket. The samples all came from French retailers and – according to the labeling – did not contain any ingredients containing peanuts.
Examples of products studied included pizza, baked goods, breakfast cereals, baked goods, snack foods, cakes, cookies, and chocolate. 266 products had a peanut label on the package, the remaining 633 had no such label.
The result
Of the 633 products that were labeled without any reference to peanuts, two products still contained peanuts. Nine of the 899 food samples were affected – mostly snack items. However, the traces found were very small and just detectable, as the results state.
“Anyone who carefully reads the list of ingredients and notes can largely avoid unintentional consumption,” explains BfR President Professor Dr. dr Andrew Hensel. However, there is no such thing as 100% certainty, since every allergy sufferer reacts very individually and dose-dependently, Hensel continues.
14 allergens
The most common triggers of allergies and intolerances – 14 in number – must always be stated on the food packaging. These are the following substances and products made from them:
- Cereals containing gluten, namely: wheat (such as spelled and Khorasan wheat), rye, barley, oats, or hybrid strains thereof
- crustaceans
- eggs
- fishes
- peanuts
- soybeans
- milk (including lactose)
- Nuts, specifically: almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashew nuts, pecan nuts, Brazil nuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts, or Queensland nuts
- celery
- Mustard
- Sesame seeds Sulfur dioxide and sulfites (from 10 milligrams per kilogram or liter)
- lupins
- mollusks
