AFGC, GS1 call for digital delivery of allergy data

The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) and track and trace specialist GS1 Australia have used the start of National Food Allergy Week to call on more food companies to provide digital access to data on food allergens.

The groups have urged food manufacturers to give consumers access to such data through services such as the GS1 GoSCan app for mobile devices.

Developed in association with major retailers, local and international food companies, the AFGC, Australian universities and national health organisations including Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia, the app helps consumers with allergies, intolerances and special diets by giving them more information about their food – direct from the manufacturer.

Launched for free download in March this year, GS1 GoScan enables consumers to know if a food product suits their special dietary needs with a simple scan of a bar code.

“GS1 Australia has gone to extreme lengths in working with key groups, including the AFGC and Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia to produce a tool that shares accurate information on food ingredient content and food allergy,” GS1 Australia’s CEO, Maria Palazzolo, said.

Food allergic consumers continue to benefit from the food manufacturing industry’s long and successful track-record of working collaboratively to ensure safer food choices, the AFGC said.

“The AFGC believes that the introduction of the GS1 GoScan smartphone app will play an important part in responding to consumer demand for greater information on products,” CEO of the AFGC, Gary Dawson, said.

“This app is a good example of innovation being used by food manufacturers to provide rich data to consumers that would otherwise be restricted by the size and shape of a physical label."

As many as one in ten Australian infants suffer from a food allergy, the organiser of Food Allergy Week, Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia (A&AA) said.

Food Allergy Week runs from 13-19 May.