Food allergy testing is done to ensure labels are complete and accurate, as allergens pose a serious health concern to consumers who are allergic.
According to the FDA, food allergies are becoming a more common occurrence with symptoms ranging from mild hives to severe anaphylaxis. Symptoms of a food allergy can show up within a few minutes of eating or up to two hours later. The 8 most common foods to cause allergic reactions, about 90% of reactions, include: milk, eggs, fish and shellfish, nuts and tree nuts, wheat, and soybeans.
In 2004, to help the public avoid allergens and the potential health risks, the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act was passed requiring all foods whose labels are regulated by the FDA to identify food sources of ingredients that come from any of the 8 common food allergens.
Food allergy testing is done to ensure labels are complete and accurate, as allergens pose a serious health concern to consumers who are allergic. New ways of testing for the presence of food allergens are always being developed to better ensure consumer safety.
Need a lab for food allergy testing?
Contract Laboratory often receives test requests from companies and organizations needing laboratories to perform food allergen testing or research such as the following:
- ISO-certified laboratory is needed for clarified butter testing for total milk allergens, casein-only allergens, and total lactose content.
- Food Laboratory is needed for food allergen testing for gliadin.
- Bioanalytical laboratory needed for allergen testing. Western Blot testing of eggs using the method of detection of egg (ovalbumin and ovomucoid)by Western blot (egg).
- Europe ISO17025 Product Safety Laboratory required for testing food allergens
- Food analytical chemistry laboratory needed for dairy testing: silver ion thin layer chromatography testing followed by GC/MS testing of a milk sample to quantify total fatty acid content including CLA (C18:2), two major isomers (c9, t11, and c10, t12), and omega fatty acid ratio (6:3).
- Food laboratory needed for milk powder quality testing: Heat Instability: Alcohol Test > 75% IDF: 133:1981 Clot on boiling test Negative K.S.S 150:1982 Objectionable matter Minimal/25g MAF Dairy Division Foreign matter Absent/25g MAF Dairy Division Inhibitory substances 0.005 IU/ml Max MAF Dairy Division Antibiotics Negative MAF Dairy Division
- to view more test requests, click here
If you need a laboratory to help with any of your food or product testing, let us help! Call Contract Laboratory at 1-855-377-6821 or submit a test request on our website!
