December 6, 2012, Ottawa: A study released today by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) found that more than 95% of sauces, marinades and dressings tested had no detectable levels of undeclared allergens or gluten. CFIA acted on all samples containing detectable levels of undeclared allergens.
The CFIA analyzed a total of 250 sauces, marinades and dressings for the presence of allergens (soy, milk, egg, peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts and sesame) and gluten. For this survey, products collected included BBQ sauces, vinaigrettes, hot sauces, steak marinades, salad dressings, sweet and sour sauces and dipping sauces. Of the 250 samples tested, 11 contained one or more of the undeclared allergens. Broken down by allergens, five tested positive for milk protein, four for gluten, one for hazelnut and one for egg. There was no undeclared soy, sesame, peanuts or almonds in any of the samples.
It was necessary to issue one allergy alert based on Health Canada’s assessment that the product represented a health risk to sensitive consumers.
The CFIA routinely conducts targeted surveys of various food products for specific hazards to determine if they pose a potential health risk to consumers. If a human health risk is found, a public recall notice is issued immediately.
Further information on this study is available on the CFIA website.
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