Claudia Lewis and Richard Starr examine the FDA’s evolving approach to food allergens and the potential implications for food companies in their Food Safety Magazine article, “FDA's Allergen Agenda Is Expanding: Thresholds, Gluten Cross-Contact, and What Food Companies Should Watch for Next.” The following is an excerpt:
Companies making products containing allergens should pay close attention: the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) approach to allergen regulation is actively evolving. In February 2026, the agency held a series of public meetings and listening sessions to discuss food allergen thresholds and their potential applications, covering how threshold concepts could affect allergen advisory statements, manufacturing controls, risk assessment, consumer communication, and enforcement.
FDA has also been separately examining gluten cross-contact, issuing a 2026 request for information on labeling and preventing cross-contact of gluten in packaged foods, including issues involving barley, rye, and oats. Both efforts reflect a years-long trend of regulatory change in this space: Congress has already added sesame as the ninth major food allergen, and FDA has issued new labeling guidance and continued work on allergen cross-contact and gluten disclosure, with more developments likely to follow.
For the full article, click here.