The Allergen Bureau’s VITAL^® Program is a standardised quantitative risk-based approach for food processors to assess the impact of allergen cross contact. Even under conditions of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) cross contact may be difficult to eliminate entirely, leading manufacturers to use precautionary advisory statements to advise allergic consumers. The VITAL^® Program produces a ‘labelling outcome’ that summarises the food allergens present in a food due to intentional inclusion as part of a recipe and where food allergens, present due to cross contact, should be included (or not) on the label in the form of the appropriate precautionary statement. This consumer centric approach of clear allergen labelling enables allergic consumers and their carers to avoid purchasing foods that may present a personal risk.

Recent changes included in VITAL^®3.0:

• New and updated Reference Doses

• Updates to the calculators’ functionality

• Changes to the training program with the inclusion of the Allergen Risk Review Program.

This course provides learners with an understanding of the VITAL^® (Voluntary Incidental Trace Allergen Labelling) system. The VITAL^® 3.0 Online Calculator can assist with testing scenarios during product development and provides for ongoing monitoring and verification of the risk assessment process to ensure any changes to the level of risk are acted upon without delay.