As food allergy becomes an increasing problem it is important to gain an in-depth appreciation of the area from a food industry perspective. The prevention of allergic reactions to allergens in food products is a collective responsibility between regulatory authorities, food producers, and allergic consumers. Under the Food Standards Code 1.2.3 of Australia and New Zealand, some foods have to be labelled as allergens. Most food allergens are proteins with more than seventy foods reported to be associated with food allergies. Food additives and genetically modified foods may also be associated with food allergies. Other foods and food additives are associated with food intolerance, which presents with similar symptoms but has different underlying mechanisms. Over ninety percent of food allergies are associated with eight foods or food groups: milk, hen's eggs, fish, crustacean seafood, tree nuts, peanuts, soy, and wheat. An allergen overview of these foods includes the characterization of the allergens, changes in allergenicity associated with processing, the role that different species play, the cross-reactivity of allergens, clinical features of the allergic reactions, and epidemiology. Correct diagnosis of allergenic hypersensitivity to a particular food is of utmost importance and there are ways of detecting allergens as health risk factors. In the food industry, it is important to know how to detect allergens and to develop a risk analysis strategy for a food allergen during food production. Consumers need to know which foods contain allergens and this is communicated via labelling on packaged foods but food allergens must also be communicated to consumers for unpackaged food sold in shops and supermarkets, cafes restaurants, and in food catering.
In summary, this course will cover the foods or food groups containing the major food allergens, their epidemiology, and mode of action, common adverse reactions to food, and their management. It will also cover the importance of knowledge about food allergens in new product development and in food labelling.
This is a postgraduate online course. All lectures will be posted online and there will be assignments and online discussions. This course will help the students in careers in the food industry.