RSSL Welcomed as iFAAM Associate Partner

28 Oct 2014 --- The Integrated Approaches to Food Allergen and Allergy Risk Assessment (iFAAM) Project General Assembly has voted unanimously in favour of the inclusion of Reading Scientific Services Ltd (RSSL) as an Associate Partner in iFAAM.

The European Commission-funded iFAAM is the world’s biggest ever study of food allergies and is spearheaded by the University of Manchester. The Manchester team is working with many partners including industrial stakeholders, patient groups, and a risk management and assessor group including the UK Food Standards Agency.

RSSL has extensive expertise in supporting the food industry with allergen risk assessment and control methodologies, training, and analysis. Hence, RSSL will contribute to iFAAM Work Package 5 (Modelling Allergenic Risk), Work Package 9 (Food Allergen Management – translation to practice), Work Package 7 (Multianalyte Allergen Analysis) and Work Package 14 (Dissemination).

RSSL has been actively involved in implementing allergen risk assessment approaches for a diverse range of global blue chip food manufacturers and was a key contributor to the recently published FDE Guidelines on Allergen Management. It also has many years of experience in food allergens analysis, and its allergen testing laboratory is fully accredited to ISO 17025 for the provision of immunochemical and PCR based analysis. RSSL is also an active member of the Food Allergen Network (Manchester University) and a partner in the EuroPrevall food challenge material multi-lab analytical ring trial (IFR FHN Allergy Cluster). Its labs are also heavily involved with the validation and beta-testing of new allergen test methods and kits, including rapid methods for use in the factory environment.

Commenting on RSSL's inclusion in iFAAM, Senior Safety Consultant, Simon Flanagan noted, "iFAAM aims to produce a standardised set of regulations and management process for companies involved in food manufacturing, and will also develop the necessary tools to enforce these regulations. We believe RSSL's experience will help iFAAM to produce regulations that are relevant, applicable, easily understood, and that the industry will be able to implement for the ultimate benefit of consumers. We are delighted to be assisting in this major project."