Guidance on assessing the allergen status of foods and ingredients made by fermentation using allergen-derived feedstocks, with supplier information to request, risk review questions and examples of fermented foods and their processes.
Published: January 2025 (Version 1.0)
Format: PDF, 15 pages
Cost: Free to download
About this guide
Allergens such as wheat and soy can be used as feedstocks in fermentation. This guide helps food business operators assess whether an allergenic feedstock remains a component of the finished food, so they can make appropriate labelling decisions. The principles apply to fermented foods and ingredients of any type, including traditional, biomass and precision fermentation.
It covers the allergen labelling obligations that apply when fermentation is involved, what information to ask ingredient suppliers for, the questions to support a risk review, and how to establish effective separation. The Allergen Bureau developed it with guidance from the NSW Food Authority.
Who it’s for
- Food business operators whose foods are produced using feedstocks and substrates
- Suppliers and traders of these foods, both local and imported
- Food business operators who use fermented foods in their formulations
- Importers of packaged foods that contain these foods
- Food technologists, product development, regulatory and quality personnel, and specification writers
What this guide does not cover
- Helping ingredient businesses validate production processes or determine how effective protein separation steps are.
- Determining the safety of ingredients produced through fermentation, such as novel proteins.
- Assessing cross contact allergens that may be present in ingredients used during fermentation or from the processing environment.
What’s inside
| Section | What it covers |
|---|---|
| 1. Introduction | About the guide and its scope: who it is for, and what it is and is not intended to do. |
| 2. Allergen labelling | The obligation to label allergens when fermentation is involved, the question to ask under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, and the meaning of “component” of a food. |
| 3. Fermentation | Fermentation processes, including traditional, biomass and precision fermentation, and the kinds of fermented materials. |
| 4. Determining the allergen status of fermentation products | The information to request from the ingredient supplier, questions to support your risk review, and establishing effective separation. |
| Appendix 1 | Fermented foods and ingredients and their processes. |
| Appendix 2 | Submerged fermentation, which may include separation steps. |