Precautionary allergen labelling in pre-packaged food

3.3.2020

Question for written answer E-001276/2020
to the Commission
Rule 138
Sylwia Spurek (S&D)

Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 provides that information on the possible and unintentional presence in food of substances causing allergies is voluntary. The main measure used by pre-packaged food manufacturers to indicate such risks is Precautionary Allergen Labelling (PAL). However, there is still no harmonised EU approach towards PAL.

Given the Commission’s obligation to adopt implementing acts concerning the information to be provided on a voluntary basis (Article 36(3)(a) of the regulation) and in the light of the ‘From Farm to Fork’ strategy, I hereby submit the following questions:

• 1.Is the Commission planning to propose EU-wide rules on the use of PAL? If so, at what stage is this work?
• 2.Is the Commission taking any action to ensure that PAL is only used where there is a genuine health risk due to the unintentional presence of an allergen, based on scientific evidence and relevant procedures such as a quantitative risk assessment?
• 3.Bearing in mind that, according to recent analyses, PAL does not always provide an exhaustive list of allergens, which is misleading for vegans and allergy sufferers, does the Commission plan to ensure that, if PAL is used, it will indicate the full list of potentially present allergens? If so, how will it do this?