FOOD ALLERGEN DATABASE

Guideline for completing allergen data for brand lists

(Version 1.0 – 2009) LEVENSMIDDELENDATABANK P.O. Box 85700 2508 CK Den Haag Tel. +31 70 3068 845 e-mail Levensmiddelendatabank@voedingscentrum.nl www.levensmiddelendatabank.nl

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Complete or partial reproduction of this guideline is only permitted after prior permission in writing has been received from the director of the Nutrition Centre. Although every care has been invested in the composition of this publication, the Stichting Voedingscentrum Nederland (Netherlands Nutrition Centre ) accepts no liability whatsoever for damage arising from any incorrect information contained in this publication.

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Food Database The Food database collects and administers data on food that contains ingredients that can cause food allergy or hypersensitivity. The data are supplied by food manufacturers and suppliers and are updated on an ongoing basis. The data are used to draw up proprietary brand lists. These lists contain a catalogue of products that do not contain the substances that cause the food allergy or hypersensitivity to the consumer. The proprietary brand lists are supplied by the Nutrition Centre to consumers, dieticians and allergologists . In order to ensure that the information is as unambiguous and reliable as possible, it is important this guideline is used when entering data in the Food Database. We suggest that your supplier should also use this guideline for entering allergens.

Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Providing product information 3. Providing allergen information 4. Substance definitions 5. Questionnaire

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1. Introduction Why is a Food database important? Consumers who suffer from food allergies or non-allergic food hypersensitivity need more information than is given on product labels. The brand lists in the Food allergen database meet this requirement. The Food database

• provides information concerning the absence of allergens in foodstuffs, so consumers know what they can eat;

• draws up lists of proprietary brands that are free from allergens (and their combinations);

• presents the data in a user friendly way; • can anticipate current questions quickly; • provides information about a slightly larger group of substances that can cause food hypersensitivity

than is provided for in the labelling legislation. What is important for you as a supplier? For you as a supplier providing the correct information is often quite a job. However, participation in the Food database will offer you the following advantages:

• when appearing on the list, consumers with food hypersensitivity are more likely to choose your products;

• you can check the status of the products that you have provided on the Food database’s website whenever you like;

• the data that you provided will be additionally checked and administered by experts; • you make a sensible selection of allergens. Criteria for the inclusion of allergens The Food database uses three criteria concerning the inclusion of substances that can cause allergy or hypersensitivity: 1. the legal provisions for listing allergens¹; 2. questions from patients and practitioners for information about a specific substance; 3. scientific evidence that there is a relationship with food allergy or hypersensitivity. Consequently, The data in the Food database differ from labelling legislation. The biggest difference is that current legislation uses a list containing the most common 14 allergens, while the Food database includes data on 24 substances. This larger number originates from the larger number of substances to which hypersensitive reactions are known but that haven’t, as yet, been incorporated in the legislation (e.g. maize). ____________________________________________ ¹The way in which the 14 major food allergens ingredients have to be mentioned on the food label in the declaration of ingredients is explained on the website: http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/labellingnutrition/foodlabelling/guidelines.pdf

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2. Providing product information It is important for both you and consumers that your product is easy to find in the list. You should, therefore, choose the product’s name and brand that consumers will recognize in the shops. Please, only include a simple brand name under brand name and not your own company name as well. Consumers can easily find your company’s name via the reference structure in the address list.

Product Brand Chocolate Sprinkle, pure sprinkle goods Hundreds and Thousands

The products in the list are classified under product group codes in order to get similar products adjacent to one another in the list. You can choose from a list containing 41 different product groups. Each product can only be classified once. If you have any doubts you can consult a list of examples or contact the experts at the databank. Product group codes 01 Bread and breakfast products 02 Cheese 03 Milk, milk products (including ice cream), milk substitutes 04 Fruit and vegetables, fresh 05 Preserved vegetables and potatoes 06 Fruit preserves 07 Legumes 08 Meat, meat products, game and poultry 09 Fish, crustaceans and shellfish 10 Margarine, fats, oils, mayonnaise etc. 11 Soups and stocks 12 Sauces, flavourings and gravy 13 Meal, meal products, grains and pasta 14 Pudding powders 15 Ready-to-eat products, salads and snacks 16 Sweet sandwich fillings, sugar and sweet sauces 17 Other sandwich fillings 18 Alcoholic drinks 19 Non-alcoholic drinks and lemonades 20 Sweets and confectionery

21 Chocolate 22 Savoury snacks 23 Pastries, cakes including spiced cakes 24 Herbs, spices and other seasoning 25 Other food and drink products 26 Baby food and children’s food 27 Meat replacement products 28 Dietary products, low sodium (salt) 29 Dietary products, sugar free 30 Dietary products, gluten free 31 Dietary products, lactose free 32 Dietary products, other 33 Sandwich fillings, foodservice 34 Margarine, fats, oils, mayonnaise etc., foodservice 35 Soups and stocks, foodservice 36 Savoury sauces, flavourings and gravy, foodservice 37 Sweet sauces and fruit products, foodservice 38 Pudding powders, foodservice 39 Ready-to-eat products, foodservice 40 Ice cream and pastries, foodservice 41 Other, foodservice

Sometimes a package unit will contain different products. It is possible to enter the name that is used for the article in the shops first, with a component in brackets. This creates multiple entries for one article.

Product Brand mix package (component 1.) Basis mix package (component 2.) Basis

If all data providers enter the information in this way, related products will be next to each other and consumers can quickly see if the shop they are visiting has a brand that can be used.

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3. Providing allergen information In order to make useful allergen information it is important that the data for the proprietary brand lists are complete and accurate. This chapter describes the best way of providing the data. You can enter and change data, whenever you want, throughout the year. This new feature of the Food databank will keep all data up to date. Thanks to this new feature, the proprietary brand lists for consumers are made on demand since 2009. When does a food ingredient cause hypersensitive reactions? It is well-known that substances that cause hypersensitive or allergic reactions can have a very low threshold value. This means that small quantities of the substance can cause reactions. It hasn’t been possible to establish a threshold value for most of these substances up to now (EFSA, RIVM). The only exception to this is sulphite (max. 10 mg/kg). In addition, we would like to stress that when including a gluten free product in the Food Database, this product has to be absolutely free of gluten. The threshold values given in the Codex Alimentarius do not apply to the Food Database. The allergenicity of a protein can be determined with the amino acid sequence or its three dimensional structure. This is why it cannot be generally supposed that the allergenicity of proteins is reduced by processing factors. A lot of allergens still cause reactions in patients even after they have been heated, partially hydrolysed or fermented. When should I use which notation? M / Recipe contains: The product contains the substance listed as an ingredient – or the substance is

present in an ingredient – according to the method of preparation. The product will not be included in the proprietary brand list concerned.

Z / Recipe without: The product contains none of the substance mentioned according to the method of preparation. The product will be included in the proprietary brand list concerned.

K / May contain: The product may contain the substance mentioned because of cross-contamination (and recipe without) (see below).

The product will be included in the proprietary brand list concerned but will be marked.

O / Unknown: There is insufficient data available concerning the presence of the substance in the product. The product will not be included in the proprietary brand list concerned.

N / Not entered: Nothing has been entered concerning the substance mentioned. This happens automatically if you do not choose one of the four other options. The product will not be included in the proprietary brand list concerned.

Cross-contamination The only allergens that have to be entered in the Food Database are those that are present as an ingredient in the product according to the recipe. Nevertheless, allergens may be present in the product unintentionally due to cross-contamination. Cross-contamination is the unintentional transfer of small amounts of the substance from a different product by a production line, process flow, personnel or the air. When, despite taking precautionary measures, cross-contamination still evidently occurs, even though sporadically, the risks will have to be weighed up:

• If the risk analysis shows that the risks are minimal, give a Z / Recipe without. • If, however, there is a real risk of cross-contamination you can choose additional labelling (‘may

contain’). This can be given in the Food database with a ‘K’. You can read more about cross-contamination in a number of manuals such as Praktijkgids Allergenen² and the manuals from patient organisations. _____________________________ ² Van Ravenhorst, M. Praktijkgids Allergenen (Practical Guide to Allergens) (2009) ISBN 978 90 12 38058 4

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4. Substance definitions GLUTEN (1) Cereals containing gluten (i.e. wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, kamut or their hybridised strains) and products thereof, except: -) wheat-based glucose syrups including dextrose (*); -) wheat-based maltodextrins (*); -) glucose syrups based on barley; -) cereals used for making distillates or ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin for spirit drinks and other alcoholic beverages. (*) And products thereof, insofar as the process that they have undergone is not likely to increase the level of allergenicity assessed by the EFSA for the relevant product from which they originated.

Cereals containing gluten (wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt or kamut) have to be included in the declaration of ingredients with their source name. Since it isn’t always possible to determine which grains containing gluten have been involved in cases of cross-contamination, an option had been provided in the questionnaire for entering “May contain” for gluten (general). Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain gluten: Bakery products, pasta, tortillas, vermicelli, breadcrumbs, oats, couscous, bulghur, breakfast products (such as muesli, cruesli, breakfast drinks, grain bars etc.). Points to note:

• in law, a product is only gluten free if it contains no gluten at all. This means that gluten free wheat starch should be given as M (recipe containing).

• gluten is often used as binding agent or thickener in meat or fish products for example; • gluten is sometimes added to flavourings and flavour components to improve how they can be

sprinkled for example;

• (hydrolysed) vegetable proteins can also contain wheat protein and, consequently, gluten; • wheat germ oil may contain gluten; • grains that are naturally gluten free (maize, rice, buckwheat) may contain gluten due to cross-

contamination;

• malt or malt extract is used in beer, chocolate and cornflakes; • glutamate is an amino acid and does not contain gluten. WHEAT (1.1) Wheat, spelt, and kamut or their hybridised strains and products based on wheat , except: -) wheat-based glucose syrups including dextrose (*); -) wheat-based maltodextrins (*); -) wheat, spelt or kamut used for making distillates or ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin for spirit drinks and other alcoholic beverages. (*) And products thereof, insofar as the process that they have undergone is not likely to increase the level of allergenicity assessed by the EFSA for the relevant product from which they originated.

NB The Nutrition Centre collects this information for anyone that is gluten intolerant or has a wheat allergy.

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Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain wheat: Wheat flour, wheat meal, semolina, wheat bran, wheat germ, wheat germ oil, wheat flakes, wheat malt, (modified) wheat starch etc. Bakery products (bread, biscuits), pasta’s, tortillas, vermicelli, couscous, bulghur, breakfast products (such as muesli, cruesli, breakfast drinks, grain bars etc.), products containing binding agents such as soap, sauces, ragout, custard, porridge, pudding and ice cream, mixed meat products, sausages, breadcrumbs, dishes coated with breadcrumbs, filled chocolate, bonbons, candy bars, vegetables in cream, ready-to-eat meals, herb mixes, pancakes, stock, salads, snacks, sweets, savoury snacks, crisps, nut snacks and vegetarian meat substitutes. Points to note: • (hydrolysed) vegetable wheat proteins should be included here. RYE (1.2) Rye or his hybridised strains and products based on rye, except: -) rye used for making distillates or ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin for spirit drinks and other alcoholic beverages. Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain rye: Rye meal, rye flour, rye starch etc. Ginger cake, rye bread, Oberländer (German bread), mixed grain bread, Swedish crisp bread, meat products, snacks. Points to note:

• Rye flour is sometimes used in the same way as wheat flour in meat products and snacks. BARLEY(1.3) Barley or his hybridised strains and products based on barley, except: -) glucose syrups based on barley; -) Barley used for making distillates or ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin for spirit drinks and other alcoholic beverages. Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain barley: Barley meal, barley flour, barley starch etc. Beer, whisky, breakfast cereals and multiple grain mixes, muesli, soup, porridge, baby food. Points to note: • Pearl barley is husked barley. OATS (1.4) Oats or his hybridised strains and products based on oats, except: -) oats used for making distillates or ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin for spirit drinks and other alcoholic beverages.

Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain oats: Oat malt, oat flakes, oat starch, oatmeal, oatmeal flour, etc. Breakfast cereals (muesli, cruesli), bran, porridge, biscuits, pastries. Points to note: • Oats do not contain gluten. However, according to the law oats have to be declared as containing

gluten, given that it’s almost impossible to buy pure oats.

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SPELT (1.5) Spelt or his hybridised strains and products based on spelt, except: -) spelt used for making distillates or ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin for spirit drinks and other alcoholic beverages. Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain spelt: Spelt flour, spelt meal, spelt starch etc. Bakery products (bread, biscuits, biscuit rusk, Swedish crisp bread), pasts, rice, breakfast products such as flakes, porridge, etc., savoury snacks and bran. KAMUT (1.6) Kamut, or his hybridised strains and products based on kamut, except: -) kamut used for making distillates or ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin for spirit drinks and other alcoholic beverages. Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain kamut: Bakery products, pasta, breakfast cereals.

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CRUSTACEANS (2.0) Crustaceans and products thereof. Crustaceans are understood to include: All crustaceans: • prawns (jumbo shrimps, scampi); • lobster and crayfish (lobster, langouste, langoustine, yabby);

• crabs. Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain crustaceans or constituent parts thereof: Shrimp pastes (trassi, petis oedang), certain types of prawn crackers, imitation crab sticks (surimi), certain salads such as prawn salad, paella, bouillabaisse (French fish soup), oriental dishes, fruits de mer, seafood, herb mixes, sambal, nam pla (fermented sauce with prawns).

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EGG (3.0) Eggs and products thereof (*). (*) Eggs from poultry in the shell, fresh or preserved, as referred to in EU Regulation 853/2004. Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain egg: Eggs, egg yolk, egg white, ovosucrol, egg lecithin / E322 (egg). A number of egg white fractions are used as ingredients: albumin, conalbumin, globulin, levitin, lysozyme (E1105), ovalbumin, ovomucoid, ovo-vittellin, ovalmucin, vitellin, lipovitellin. Mayonnaise, sauces, egg-based pastas, pancakes, savoury tarts and pastry, soufflés, salads, cake. Points to note:

• egg white is often used as a binding agent for products that are coated with breadcrumbs;

• breadcrumbs sometime contain egg; • bread improvers may contain egg;

• in some case lecithin that is based on egg is used; • eggs can be used to clear wine and cider.

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FISH (4.0) Fish and products thereof, except: -) fish gelatine used as carrier for vitamin or carotenoid preparations; -) fish gelatine or Isinglass used as fining agent in beer and wine. Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain fish or constituent parts thereof: Constituent parts originating from fish, kosher gelatine. Omega-3 oil, fish sauce, anchovy paste or cream, surimi / crab sticks, fish sauce (ketjap ikan, petis, nam pla), prawn crackers, salads, bouillabaisse (French fish soup), snacks, Mediterranean dishes (paella), oriental dishes, Worcestershire sauce, fish powder (dashi ), quenelles (fish mousse balls), bonito (fish shavings), seafood, fruits de mer, teri (small, salted, dried fish).

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PEANUTS (5.0) Peanuts and products thereof. Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain groundnuts: Peanuts, peanut meal, peanut oil, arachis oil. Peanut butter, peanut cookies, peanut sauce, saté sauce, bonbons, candy bars, filled chocolate, stock (powder/blocks), crackers, ice cream, biscuits, pastries, herb mixes, katjang (Indonesian peanut sauce), seroendeng (Indonesian grated coconut, peanuts, onions and spices), sauces, snacks, salads, soups, sweets (including nougat), coffee substitute, meat products, sausages, crisps, savoury snacks, nut snacks, vegetarian meat substitutes, ready-to-eat meals, oriental dishes. Points to note: • peanuts can also be given as: groundnuts, monkey nuts, oil nut, arachide or aracide; • peanut oil may be present in vegetable oil;

• some types of margarine contain peanut oil;

• peanut oil is used as a ‘carrier’ for certain flavourings or fat-soluble vitamins.

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SOY (6.0) Soybeans and products thereof, except: -) fully refined soybean oil and fat (*); -) natural mixed tocopherols (E306), natural D-alpha tocopherol, natural D-alpha tocopherol acetate, natural D-alpha tocopherol succinate from soybean sources; -) vegetable oils derived phytosterols and phytosterol esters from soybean sources; -) plant stanol ester produced from vegetable oil sterols from soybean sources; (*) And products thereof, insofar as the process that they have undergone is not likely to increase the level of allergenicity assessed by the EFSA for the relevant product from which they originated.

Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain soy: Soy beans, soy meal, soy flour, soy pulp (okara), soy nuts, soy protein hydrolysate, isoflavones, soy lecithin (E322) and unrefined soy oil. Soy milk, soy sauce (ketjap, tamari), meat substitutes, tofu / tahoe / soy cheese, tempeh (Indonesian soy cake), seitan (“ wheat meat”), margarines, mixed meat products, salads, savoury snacks, snacks, (filled) chocolate, ice cream, biscuits, saté, sauces, soups, sweets, ready-to-eat meals, chiang (spice paste), kinako (roasted soy bean powder), miso (spice paste), toa-tjoseitan, yuba (dried bean curd), natto (fermented soy beans), hoisin (Chinese sauce). Points to note:

• bread improvers may contain soy; • hydrolysed soy proteins should be given as containing; • soy lecithin may be used in margarine, low-fat margarine and vegetable fat;

• lecithin is often used in chocolate and in a lot of cases it is soy lecithin.

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COW’S MILK (7.0) Milk and products thereof (including lactose) (*), except: -) whey used for making distillates or ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin for spirit drinks and other alcoholic beverages; -) lactitol. (*) Milk that has been separated by the mammary gland of one or more cows or buffalo cows as referred to in Directive 853/2004/EG. Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain milk: Milk powder, (dry) milk constituent parts, milk derivatives, whey (powder), butter, concentrated butter, butter oil, butter (powder), lactoval, recaldent (in chewing gum). A number of protein fractions are used as ingredients:

Casein, caseinate, whey protein, serum albumine, (α-)lactalbumine, (ß-)lactoglobulin, lactoperoxidase, lactoferrin. Milk types, chocolate milk, buttermilk, biogarde (mild yoghurt with active cultures), kefir (fermented milk drink), quark, sour cream, crème fraîche, half cream, whipping cream, (processed) cheese, cheese spread, custard, curds, yoghurt, porridge, pudding, butter, ice cream, yoghurt drinks, dairy soft drinks, soft drinks based on whey proteins. Points to note:

• lecithin is generally added as a powder; this is almost always spray-dried on whey powder (which consequently contains milk proteins);

• flavourings may contain milk protein as a carrier;

• some types of margarine contain milk protein;

• bread improvers may contain milk protein; • lactose always contains traces of milk protein;

• meat and fish products may contain milk proteins as a binding agent; • pre-packed salmon may contain transglutaminase (a constituent part of milk);

• mashed potatoes may contain milk protein; • lactic acid / lactate is not prepared from milk and does not contain milk protein;

• consider the fat that is used for baking and roasting;

• cocoa butter is the fat from the cocoa bean and contains no milk; • milk can be used to clear wine and other drinks; • do not include here: soy milk, coconut milk, oat milk, almond milk and rice milk.

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NUTS (8.0) Almonds (Amygdalus communis L.) (8.1) hazelnuts (Corylus avellana) (8.2), walnuts (Juglans regia) (8.3), cashews (Anacardium occidentale) (8.4), pecan nuts (Carya illinoiesis (Wangenh.) K. Koch) (8.5), Brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa) (8.6), pistachio nuts (Pistacia vera) (8.7), macadamia or Queensland nuts (Macadamia ternifolia) (8.8) and products thereof, except: -) nuts used for making distillates or ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin for spirit drinks and other alcoholic beverages. Nuts have to be given with their type name i.e. almond, hazel, walnut, cashew, pecan, brazil, pistachio or macadamia in the declaration of ingredients. Since it isn’t always possible to determine which nuts have been involved in cases of cross-contamination, an option has been provided in the questionnaire for entering “May contain” for nuts (general). Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain nuts: Nut oil, nut spread, muesli (bread, bars), cruesli, almond paste, marzipan, stock (powder/blocks), biscuits, pastries, cake, ice cream, filled chocolate, bonbons, candy bars, crackers, expensive types of bread, pudding powders, nut cheese, pesto, sauces, soups, salads, snacks, sweets (including nougat), soy drinks and desserts, coffee substitute, savoury snacks, vegetarian meat substitutes, ready-to-eat meals, oriental dishes, gianduja (chocolate and hazelnut paste). Points to note:

• muesli often contain nuts;

• walnut oil is sometime present in vegetable oil; • some types of margarine contain walnut oil;

• nut flavourings may contain walnut oil such as (bitter) almond oil; • do not include here: synthetic / nature identical nut flavourings since they contain no nuts;

• do not include here: peanuts, they aren’t nuts;

• do not include here: coconuts, chestnuts, palm nuts and nutmeg; • do not include here: pine nuts, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds.

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CELERY (9.0) Celery (Apium graveolens) and products thereof. Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain celery: Herb mixes, salads, bouquet garni, herb bags, celery salt, sauces, soups, ready-to-eat meals, herb vinegar, snacks, meat products, pickles, cream cheese with herbs. Points to note: • celery seeds are used as seasoning in herb vinegar and pickles;

• all constituent parts should be considered: fresh celery, dried celery, celery seeds, blanched celery, celeriac.

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MUSTARD (10.0) Mustard (Crucifereae Brassicaceae) and products thereof. Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain mustard: All types of mustard, dressings, soups, sauces, mayonnaise, ketchup, ready-to-eat meals, pickles, herb and spice mixes and piccalilli. Points to note: • note the constituent parts of mustard seed: seeds and meal.

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SESAME (11.0) Sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum) and products thereof. Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain sesame: Sesame seed, ground sesame seed, tahini (husked, roasted and ground sesame seed), gomasio (sesame salt) and sesame oil. Rolls, muesli, snacks, vegetarian dishes, falafel (spiced, fried chickpea balls), salads, humus, sauces, dressings, helva (Turkish sweet), crackers, biscuits, stir-fry oil. Points to note: • flavourings may contain sesame oil.

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SULPHITE (12.0) Sulphur dioxide and sulphites (E-220 to E-228) at concentrations of more than 10 mg/kg (10 ppm) or 10 mg/l expressed as SO2. Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain sulphite: Fruit (preparations), dried vegetables and potatoes, raisins, tomato puree, sugar, glucose syrup, sauerkraut, mushrooms, stock, gravy, soups, sauces etc. often contain sulphite (> 50 mg/kg). Dried fruits, lemon juice, wine and treacle in particular often contain an awful lot of sulphite (> 100 mg/kg). Points to note: • because a variety of ingredients may contain a lot of sulphite, it is particularly important to consider

carry-over;

• sulphite can occur naturally in foodstuffs due to fermentation but can also be added as a preservative (additives E-220 to E-228);

• the law only permits sulphite to be added to a limited list of products. This list, with the permitted maximum sulphite concentrations, is given in the EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND COUNCIL DIRECTIVE No 95/2/EC of 20 February 1995 on food additives other than colours and sweeteners.

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LUPIN (13.0) Lupin and products thereof. Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain lupins: Lupins, lupin meal, lupin flower lupin protein, lupin concentrate, lupin isolate. Bakery products (bread, pastries, biscuits), pasta, sauces, snacks, dietary products, meat products, meat substitutes, pizza. Points to note:

• often used as a substitute for (gm) soy;

• whole lupin seeds are sometimes used as bread decoration; • sometimes used as a substitute for egg (protein).

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MOLLUSCS (14.0) Molluscs and products thereof. Molluscs are understood to include:

• cephalopoda: octopus, cuttlefish, squid,etc.;

• sea snails: slugs, snails, winkles, whelks, abalones etc.; • clams: cockles, mussels, oysters, scallops etc. Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain molluscs or constituent parts thereof: Oyster sauce, paella, bouillabaisse (French fish soup), oriental dishes, fruits de mer, seafood, dishes containing calamari (deep-fried squid rings).

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LACTOSE (20.0) Lactose is milk sugar. Legally, this substance comes under milk (see the relevant page). There is no legal obligation to treat lactose separately but it is advisable. The Nutrition Centre collects this information separately because there is a demand for it and hypersensitivity to this substance can occur. Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain lactose: Milk protein always contains lactose; see text under cow’s milk (7.0). Points to note (see cow’s milk as well):

• hard Dutch cheese contains almost no lactose because of the ripening process; processed cheese, cream cheese, blue cheese and fresh cheese like cottage cheese do contain lactose;

• lecithin is generally added as a powder; this is almost always spray-dried on whey powder (which contains milk proteins and consequently lactose);

• some types of margarine contain lactose;

• bread improvers may contain milk protein and so lactose; • lactic acid / lactate is not prepared from milk and does not contain lactose;

• lactitol (sweetener) is prepared with lactose but is fully converted and so contains no lactose.

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COCOA (21.0) There is no legal obligation to treat cocoa separately but it is advisable. The Nutrition Centre collects this information separately because there is a demand for it and allergies to this substance can occur. Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain cocoa: Cocoa powder, cocoa paste. Chocolate products, bonbons, chocolate sprinkles, chocolate fantasy, couverture, gianduja (chocolate and hazelnut paste). Points to note: • white chocolate and cocoa butter may contain cocoa;

• cocoa is sometimes used in spice mixes, especially in Mexican types of recipes; • carob is a cocoa substitute and contains no cocoa constituent parts.

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GLUTAMATE (22.0) Glutamate as a flavour enhancer (E620-E625). Glutamate does not have to be included in the legal allergen declaration. However, the Nutrition Centre collects information about this ingredient. Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain glutamate: Sauces, soups, stock, ready-to-eat meals, low sodium (salt) products, herb mixes, powdered flavourings, marinades, salads, snacks, processed meat and fish, savoury snacks. Points to note: • the additive glutamate is also known as: glutaminate, glutamic acid, MSG (monosodium glutamate),

ve-tsin (Chinese), adjinomoto (Surinamese), monopotassium glutamate, calcium glutamate, monoammonium glutamate, E620 to E625;

• glutamic acid is also naturally present in meat, fish, vegetables, grains, tomatoes, milk, potatoes, soy and many types of cheese. This doesn’t have to be included;

• carry-over of glutamic acid / glutamate additives from ingredients should be given.

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CHICKEN MEAT (23.0) There is no legal obligation to include chicken meat, but it is advisable. The Nutrition Centre collects this information because there is a demand for it and allergies to this substance can occur. Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain chicken meat: All constituent parts of chicken meat including chicken meat fat. Various meat products, snacks, stock, ready-to-eat meals.

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CORIANDER (24.0) There is no legal obligation to include coriander, but it is advisable. The Nutrition Centre collects this information because there is a demand for it and allergies to this substance can occur. Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain coriander: Herb mixes, mixed spices, herb vinegar, pickles, sauces, exotic dishes. Points to note: • coriander (Coriandrum sativum) is also known as ketoembar (Indonesian: ground coriander);

• coriander is used a lot in sauces and exotic dishes in Indonesian and Indian cuisine as well as Greek, Turkish and Moroccan dishes;

• coriander is also used in mixed spices;

• coriander is an ingredient in curry;

• coriander is used as seasoning in herb vinegar and pickles.

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CORN/MAIZE (25.0) There is no legal obligation to include maize, but it is advisable. The Nutrition Centre collects this information because there is a demand for it and allergies to this substance can occur. Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain maize: Maize kernels, maize meal, maize starch, cornflour, maize protein (including hydrolysed protein), maize oil and polenta (Italian: cornmeal). Popcorn, cornflakes, tacos, polenta, tortillas, whisky. Points to note: • glucose syrup that is made from maize does not have to be included;

• maize malt syrup does not have to be included; • do not include here: maltodextrine and dextrose made from maize. Product that are made from these,

such as iso-ascorbate and sweeteners, should not be included here either.

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LEGUMES (26.0) There is no legal obligation to include legumes, but it is advisable. The Nutrition Centre collects this information because there is a demand for it and allergies to these substances can occur. Legumes are understood to include: • all types of beans: French beans, string beans, pinto beans, flageolets, adsuki or adzuki beans, brown

and white beans, black and red kidney beans, butter beans, mung beans, green beans, bush beans, broad beans, mange tout, etc.;

• all types of peas: garden peas, yellow peas, grey peas, lentils, capuchins, chickpeas etc.;

• bean sprouts, alfalfa, katjang idjoe (Indonesian: mung beans). Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain legumes: Meal from beans (cluster beans or guar flour) or peas and protein concentrates. Pastry spices, marzipan, soups, salads, pastries, biscuits, falafel (spiced, fried chickpea balls), pudding powders, sweets, vegetarian meat substitutes, oriental and Mexican dishes, ready-to-eat meals. Points to note:

• germinated seeds such as bean sprouts are not free from legumes;

• do not include here: gum arabic/guar gum;

• do not include here: St John's bread (carob) seed meal and carob powder; • do not include here: peanuts, soy and lupin, these are legumes but they are listed separately.

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BEEF (27.0) There is no legal obligation to include beef, but it is advisable. The Nutrition Centre collects this information because there is a demand for it and allergies to this substance can occur. Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain beef: All beef constituent parts including beef fat. Various meat products, snacks, stock, ready-to-eat meals. Points to note:

• fish is often enriched with water and beef protein;

• rennet (enzyme) does not have to be included.

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PORK (28.0) There is no legal obligation to include pork, but it is advisable. The Nutrition Centre collects this information because there is a demand for it and allergies to this substance can occur. Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain pork: All pork constituent parts including pork fat or lard. Various meat products, snacks, ready-to-eat meals, sausage rolls and the like.

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CARROT (29.0) There is no legal obligation to include carrots, but it is advisable. The Nutrition Centre collects this information because there is a demand for it and allergies to this substance can occur. Examples of ingredients and products that (may) contain carrot: Vegetable mixes, soup vegetables, pickles, soups, sauces, ready-to-eat meals, atjar tjampoer (Indonesian sweet and sour pickled vegetables), vegetables for Chinese noodles and rice, vegetable spreads, hutspot (Dutch: coarse mashed potatoes containing carrots and meat), kruidenzuurkool (Dutch: herbs in sauerkraut), salads, snacks.

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5. Questionnaire Version 1.0 2009 ALLERGEN INFORMATION FOR THE FOOD DATABASE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Supplier : ……………………………………… Contents : ………………………………... Product name : ……………………………………… EAN-code(s) : ............................................. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Presence of allergens (see enclosure for explanation) LeDa code

GS1 code

Allergen Recipe without (Z)

Recipe contains (M)

May contain (and recipe without) (K)

Unknown (O)

Legal allergens 1.1 UW Wheat 1.2 NR Rye 1.3 GB Barley 1.4 GO Oats 1.5 GS Spelt 1.6 GK Kamut 1 AW (*) Gluten 2.0 AC Crustaceans 3.0 AE Egg 4.0 AF Fish 5.0 AP Peanuts 6.0 AY Soy 7.0 AM Cow’s milk 8.1 SA Almonds 8.2 SH Hazelnuts 8.3 SW Walnuts 8.4 SC Cashews 8.5 SP Pecan nuts 8.6 SR Brazil nuts 8.7 ST Pistachio nuts 8.8 SM Macadamia/Queensland nuts 8 AN (*) Nuts 9.0 BC Celery 10.0 BM Mustard 11.0 AS Sesame 12.0 AU Sulpher dioxide and sulphites (E220 -

E228) at concentrations of more than 10 mg/kg or 10 mg/l, expressed as SO2

13.0 NL Lupin 14.0 UM Molluscs Additional allergens 20.0 ML Lactose 21.0 NC Cocoa 22.0 MG Glutamate (E620 – E625) 23.0 MK Chicken meat 24.0 NK Coriander 25.0 NM Corn/maize 26.0 NP Legumes

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27.0 MC Beef 28.0 MP Pork 29.0 NW Carrot (*) Only to be used in case of cross contamination (see explanation gluten and nuts in enclosure)