VITAL Calculator version no.: 3.1.5
On Monday 12th of July at 1pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (3 am same day UTC), the ‘United States’ legislation in VITAL® Online was updated from v3.1.4 (previous version) to v3.1.5 (updated version) to add sesame of the list of allergens available in the legislation. Each recipe created in VITAL® Online using the United States legislation will have the option to include sesame as an intentionally added or cross contact allergen to ingredients, processing profiles and recipes.
Existing recipes, created using the US legislations, will be required to be “updated”. The update process should be done by the Account Owner of the recipe as they can update all recipes simultaneously. After the update, all recipes will have the option to add sesame to their allergen status.
Q. What has changed in the United legislation list in VITAL Online?
A. Sesame was added to the list of allergens in the United States legislation in VITAL Online on Monday 12th of July at 1pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (3am same day UTC). This change reflects a change to the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA) on April 23, 2021 to add sesame to the priority allergen labelling list in the United States. A compliance date of January 1, 2023 has been set by Congress to allow companies to update allergen control programs and labelling requirements accordingly.
Q. What is the date by which sesame is required to be declared on affected products?
A. Product information and declarations must be updated by January 1st. 2023. Check with appropriate sources to see the requirements for the implementation of this change.
Q. What actions should be taken for recipes created in VITAL Online in Australia and New Zealand legislation prior to version 3.1.5?
A. Sesame should be included as an allergen in the HACCP-based food safety and allergen management plans for foods produced under the United States jurisdictions. The resulting allergen status for sesame should be included for each ingredient and processing profile in the affected recipe. In VITAL Online, use the update functionality to update the recipe and add any appropriate changes to the allergen status or assumptions for each component of the recipe. The Allergen Bureau recommends that the VITAL Online account owner manages this process.
It is important to ensure that each ingredient and process has been appropriately assessed to determine the intentional or adventitious presence of sesame. It is the onus of the user to ensure that each recipe, ingredient and processing profile in VITAL Online is reviewed for the intentional or cross contact presence of sesame.
Q. Are recipes created using other legislations (South Africa, European Union, Australia & New Zealand) affected?
A. No – only recipes created in the United States legislation are affected by this change.
Q. What is the Reference Dose for sesame and how was it determined?
A. The Reference Dose for sesame is 0.1mg of sesame protein. Information about how References Doses are determined is available here .If you require further information, please contact the Allergen Bureau free helpline info@allergenbureau.net.
