Meeting Report: "Food Allergens: Best Practices for Assessing, Managing, and Communicating the Risks"

Stakeholders with a wide variety of viewpoints related to food allergen control met on 14–15 October 2015 in Burr Ridge, Illinois to discuss best practices related to assessment, management, and communication of risks. Among the approximately 160 participants were clinicians, researchers, regulators, public health advocates, and representatives of the food manufacturing and food service industries. The consumer was also well represented: Many attendees had personal or family struggles with food allergies. The efforts of many individuals in food industries, academia, and government, particularly those passionately concerned about food allergies because of personal experience, have improved knowledge and practices related to food allergens in the past few decades. Significant challenges still exist; however, which triggered the creation of several working groups among the meeting participants. These working groups welcome other interested participants as they develop tools to share best practices across the food manufacturing industry and within the food service sector. The meeting was sponsored by the Institute for Food Safety and Health (Illinois Institute of Technology), with organizational assistance from the Food Research Institute (University of Wisconsin-Madison) and funding through a USDA NIFA grant.