Journal List > Allergy Asthma Respir Dis > v.7(2) > 1126502

Jeon, Kim, Park, Jang, Kim, Yum, Kim, Ahn, Min, Pyun, Lee, Kim, Kim, Lee, Lee, Kim, Song, Kim, and Lee: The current status and issue of food allergen labeling in Korea

Abstract

With increasing need to prevent serious food allergy reactions, Korean food allergen labeling regulation has been revised repeat-edly. This paper aims to summarize current statuses of food allergen labeling in Korea and foreign countries and to analyze the issue of food allergen labeling regulation. Korean food labeling regulation currently requires 19 items and 22 foods to be reported on labels (eggs, milk, buckwheat, peanut, soybean, wheat, mackerel, crab, shrimp, pork, peach, tomato, sulfite, walnut, chicken, beef, squid, shellfish, and pine nut). However, some common food triggers (for example, almond, cashew nut, and kiwi fruit) are not included in the current labeling regulation. Another issue is that the Korean labeling regulation has not yet been fully implemented for nonprepacked foods; thus, consumers still have difficulty in correctly identifying allergenic ingredients in food. It should be assessed whether warning statements for cross-contamination are reasonable. To prevent the occurrence of serious reactions from accidental ingestion, efforts must be made to solve recently raised issues including the items required to be listed on food labels, the system of standards for labeling and display methods.

References

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Table 1.
Comparison between the foods in current food allergen labeling and common causative foods in Korean children
Food ingredients of current food allergen labeling in Korea7,* Major triggering foods of immediate-type FA in Korean children9 Major triggering foods of anaphylaxis in Korean children10
1. Eggs (poultry only) 1. Hen's egg 1. Cow's milk
2. Milk 2. Cow's milk 2. Hen's egg
3. Buckwheat 3. Walnut 3. Walnut
4. Peanut 4. Wheat 4. Wheat
5. Soybean 5. Peanut 5. Buckwheat
6. Wheat 6. Soybean 6. Peanut
7. Mackerel 7. Shrimp 7. Meat
8. Crab 8. Buckwheat 8. Fish
9. Shrimp 9. Crab 9. Pine nut
10. Pork 10. Almond 10. Shrimp
11. Peach 11. Pine nut 11. Crab
12. Tomato 12. Kiwi 12. Soybean
13. Sulfite (≥10 mg/kg of SO2) 13. Peach 13. Cereal
14. Walnut 14. Apple 14. Cashew nut
15. Chicken 15. Beef 15. Kiwi
16. Beef 16. Pork 16. Pupa
17. Squid 17. Tomato 17. Squid, small octopus
18. Shellfish (including oyster, abalone and mussels) 18. Mackerel 18. Peach
19. Pine nut 19. Chicken 19. Almond
  20. Cashew nut 20. Chinese yam

*Revised in 2015 (Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Notice No. 2015–20).

Not included in the current food allergen labeling.

Not included in the current food allergen labeling, but announced to be include (Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Notice No. 2017–363).

Table 2.
Comparison of Food Alle ergen Labeling between Korea and Foreign n Countries
Korea7 USA11 European Union12 Canada13 Japan14,15
1. Eggs (poultry only) 1. Eggs 1. Eggs 1. Eggs < Mandatory>
2. Milk 2. Milk 2. Milk 2. Milk 1. Eggs
3. Peanut 3. Peanut 3. Peanut 3. Peanut 2. Milk
4. Walnut 4. Nuts (e.g., almond, walnut, pecan) 4. Nuts 4. Nuts (almond, hazel) 3. Peanut
5. Wheat 5. Wheat 5. Gluten-containing cereals 5. Wheat 4. Wheat
6. Buckwheat 6. Soy 6. Soy 6. Wheat Rye 5. Buckwheat
7. Soy 7. Crustaceans (e.g., crab, lobster, shrimp) 7. Crustaceans 7. Gluten-containing cereals 6. Shrimp
8. Shrimp 8. fish (e.g., plaice, cod) 8. Fish 8. Soy 7. Crab
9. Crab   9. Sulfite (≥10 mg/kg of SO2) 9. Crustaceans <Recommended>
10. Mackerel   10. Mollusk 10. Fish Abalone, squid, salmon roe,
11. Shellfish (including oyster,   11. Mustard 11. Shellfish orange, cashew nuts, kiwi fruit, beef, walnut, sesame, salmon, mackerel, soybean, chicken, banana, pork, matsutake, peach, yam, apple, and gelatin
abalone and mussels)   12. Sesame 12. Sulfite (≥10 mg/kg of SO2)
12. Sulfite (≥10 mg/kg of SO2)   13. Lupin 13. Mustard seed
13. Squid   14. Celery 14. Sesame seed
14. Pork      
15. Chicken        
16. Beef        
17. Peach        
18. Tomato        
19. Pine nut        
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