NOV/DEC 2 0 0 8

N P M A L I B R A R Y U P D A T E

Insert this update into the NPMA Pest Management Library, which can be Updatepurchased from the Resource Center. Phone: 703-352-NPMA (6762); Fax: 703-352-3031 Introduction to Food Allergens

What is a food allergen? children can understand. Common allergens A food allergen is anything that causes a are listed either in the ingredients list, after food allergy — an adverse immune response the list, or right next to it. The labeling re- to a food protein. The food protein trigger- quirements are designed to reduce chances ing the allergic response is termed a food of an accidental allergic reaction to a food allergen. Food allergy is distinct from other product. While food labels don’t include adverse responses to food, such as food every possible allergen, they do list the top intolerance, pharmacologic reactions, and eight, which account for 90 percent of all toxin-mediated reactions. documented food allergies.

Why are food allergens Top Eight Food Allergens important? . Milk It is estimated that up to 12 million . Eggs Americans have food allergies, and the . Peanuts prevalence is rising. Six to eight percent of . Tree nuts (such as almonds, cashews, children under the age of three have food walnuts) allergies and nearly four percent of adults . Fish (such as bass, cod, flounder) have them. Food allergy causes roughly . Shellfish (such as crab, lobster, shrimp) 30,000 emergency room visits and 100 to . Soy 200 deaths per year in the United States. . Wheat The most common food allergies in adults are shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and eggs, and the most common food allergies in children are milk, eggs, peanuts, and tree nuts. The Food and Drug Admin- istration (FDA) requires food manufacturers to list the top eight common food allergens on food labels in simple terms that adults and older N P M A This list also represents the foods most Where may our industry run into L I B R A R Y likely to cause a severe or life-threatening food allergens? allergic reaction (called anaphylaxis). Perhaps you’ve never thought about your U P D A T E While the FDA does in fact list these pest management actions in relation to food items on labels for parents and affected allergy before. However, if you take a good adults to read, the products we use in pest look at the management techniques you use, management would most likely not be there may be opportunity for your actions or thought of by a person suffering from such use of products to trigger an allergic reaction an allergy. That is why it becomes incumbent in a client, or in the case of food processing upon us to think about the materials we are plants, a client’s end-user client! Most of our using and placing in our client accounts, and pest management materials are not in and of whether or not they will be safe for our cli- themselves allergy-producing, but we often ents and their environment and their poten- will try to be creative in catching that elu- tial end users. This is important for residential sive roof rat, or the hard-to-get pharaoh ant clients certainly that have this issue within colony and introduce food allergen materials their family, but it also becomes especially in the process. important as we service the more sensi- tive client accounts including schools, day Food Allergens in Pest care facilities, hospitals, and nursing homes. Management Baits, Attractants, There are many schools and day care facili- and Other Products ties currently that have peanut-free tables in Many times, we will bait our traps or the lunch room, or allergen-free designated mix something in with insect or rodent baits areas in the school. Some even prevent the in order to make them more attractive or children from bringing nuts, peanut butter palatable to the pests involved. Common sandwiches, nut candies or candy bars to attractants for rodent and wildlife traps can school. We have all seen the switch that the often include peanut butter, sunflower seeds, airline industry has made in the past several various nuts, slices of hot dogs or slim jims, years to pretzels as in-flight snack offerings sardines, anchovies, tuna fish, cat food, or over the traditional small pack of peanuts. milk chocolate candies. Common attractants The slightest exposure to peanuts (or other for ant traps and bait mixtures can often allergens) by a hypersensitive individual can include peanut butter, cat food, dog food, induce anaphylactic shock with fatal conse- canned fish or other proteins. Some cock- quences. You must keep this in mind as you roach traps and rodent trapping glue boards service these accounts. are impregnated with food attractants or extracts or pheromones that may prove to be food allergens. One should always consult with the manufacturer and the client decision maker before using such products.

Top 8 Food Allergens 1. Milk 2. Eggs 3. Peanuts 4. Tree nuts (such as almonds, cashews, walnuts) 5. Fish (such as bass, cod, flounder) 6. Shellfish (such as crab, lobster, shrimp) 7. Soy 8. Wheat Pest Management Food Allergen or school, unless you plan to shower and N P M A Containing Materials Often Used change clothes and shoes, and wipe your L I B R A R Y as Attractant Mix-ins with Bait for equipment down thoroughly, which is sel- Rodents/Wildlife/Ants dom practical or time efficient. It is never a U P D A T E . Hot dogs/Slim Jims bad idea to carry a spare change of clothing . Sardines/Anchovies or uniform in your vehicle for those times . Tuna fish you may be called back into a customer ac- . Sunflowers count after being in an account where food . Peanuts allergens are common. Pest management . Other nuts technicians and salespeople tend to carry a . Peanut butter change of clothing in their vehicles anyway . Chocolates to always look their most professional.

Personal Food Items Who should be concerned? We likely have given it little thought You will find amongst your pest man- in the past, but our clothing and all of our agement customer base that some custom- accessory equipment (such as clipboards, ers are more concerned about this issue than flashlights, pens and service tickets) may be others. Some clients, even schools, will not inadvertently exposed to food allergens while express a concern. This does not mean that we eat our lunch — in our service vehicles you should not be watchful and considerate or have it sitting on the dashboard, pas- of your pest management actions. This issue senger side seat or in vehicle cup holders; is now very much on the radar within the crumbs or bits of a peanut butter and jelly food plant industry because of compliance sandwich, a tuna fish sandwich, a hot dog laws enacted by the FDA in 2004. More and or a candy bar will all contain food allergens more schools and day cares and healthcare that can be ultimately translocated into the facilities are expressing this concern as they customer’s account with potentially detri- have an increasing experience with students mental results. Sometimes all that is required or patients with food allergies. to trigger the food allergy is the odor of the allergen. (Consider the case of an elementary Servicing Food Plants for Pest school student in 2004 who ate at the same Management lunch table an hour after another student The food plant industry does demand had eaten peanut butter there. An alert more attention in this regard. All USDA food school nurse who knew of the peanut plants are now required to be allergen-free allergy in this student immediately and must guarantee against the big eight administered an epipen as the food allergens — egg, milk, wheat, fish, student went into anaphylaxis. peanuts, shellfish, tree nuts and soy, unless Fortunately, the student recov- labeled. Due to concerns about allergens, no ered.) peanut butter or nut-based attractants may be used inside a food plant unless approved Clothing / Equipment by the plant contact. Cross Contamination Consider your route What Pest Management and previous accounts you Companies Can Do to Ensure have been in as you enter Compliance a new account, especially The new 2009 NPMA Pest Management when entering the more in Food Plant Standards manual highlights sensitive accounts, such as the food allergen issue. Food plants and schools, hospitals and day other accounts must declare if there is a pos- care facilities. It is best not sibility of any of these products entering the to schedule a grocery store or food either as an ingredient or as an inci- a food plant that handles nuts, dental additive. Food plants have expanded tree nuts, soy, milk or seafood their criteria for allergen-free in many cases products on the same day and route for any products used in the plant but not as the day you will service a hospital food ingredients, including pest manage- N P M A ment products, unless waived by the particu- lar plant. (For example, a peanut processor L I B R A R Y already declaring this allergen would waive The Actual 2009 NPMA U P D A T E this requirement for peanut containing pest Food Plant Standard as It management products. Also, some plants might not have a concern about allergen- Appears in the Manual containing pest management products and No pest management product would waive the requirement.) may be used inside any food plant if the product contains any of the The Future of the Food big eight allergens: cow’s milk, Allergen Issue eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soybean “Food allergens are high on the agenda products, wheat, fish and crus- of government agencies, consumer groups, tacean shellfish. Before products food processors, health professionals and may be used in a plant, the pest food scientists,” says Dr. Steve Taylor, head management company must file of the food science and technology depart- a copy of the statement from the ment at the University of Nebraska. He de- manufacturer that the products votes considerable time to the support of the contain none of the big eight al- Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), lergens. a non-profit organization that provides edu- cational support and increased awareness Exception of food allergies and anaphylaxis. Dr. Taylor currently serves as a member of its Medical This section may be waived by the Advisory Board (its only non-physician) and food plant. If the plant waives this is Chair of the Board of Directors. He is also requirement, a signed statement co-Director of the Food Allergy Research by the plant must be retained in & Resource Program (FARRP), an industry- the records. funded consortium with 32 food industry members currently that supports research and outreach on food allergies and aller- gens. “Food allergies are far more common than we thought when I started studying sors and regulators need to know at what 20 years ago, and they will only continue to level an allergen causes allergic reactions. increase,” Taylor says. “The question is how clean is clean enough? FARRP researchers also are working to We need to know what’s really needed to define the exact trace levels, or threshold protect people; regulators need science- doses, of different allergenic foods that based threshold information on which to cause a reaction in the most sensitive of peo- make decisions,” says Taylor. Threshold stud- ple. Food processors prepare different foods ies require global collaboration for clinical on the same equipment, which is cleaned trials. The FARRP team works with scientists before a new product is processed. Proces- at medical clinics equipped to test allergenic volunteers. International representation is important because the allergy prevalence for a specific food varies country to country, References depending mainly on how widely that food is eaten. Food companies worldwide now look http://ianrnews.unl.edu/static/0310101.shtml By Vicki Miller to FARRP for information about how best IANR News Service to protect allergic consumers and control http://www.foodallergy.org/allergens/index.html allergens. “This is the most successful food industry-funded consortium in the United http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/wh-alrgy.html States right now,” Taylor says. “It has made http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_allergy the country and world a safer place for food http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-allergies/AA00057 allergic consumers.”