Ep. 4. Steve Taylor: "The number one reason for food allergen recalls is…"

Jun 27, 2017

40:51

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Steve L. Taylor, Ph.D. currently serves as a professor in the Department of Food Science & Technology and founder and co-director of the Food Allergy Research & Resource Program (FARRP) (http://farrp.unl.edu/) at the University of Nebraska. Dr. Taylor received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in food science and technology from Oregon State University and his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of California - Davis. Dr. Taylor maintains an active research program in the area of food allergies.

Dr. Taylor initiated his professional interest in food allergies and sensitivities in 1980. His primary research interests involve the development of methods for the detection of residues of allergenic foods, the determination of the minimal eliciting doses for specific allergenic foods and their use in quantitative risk assessment, the assessment of the allergenicity of ingredients derived from allergenic sources, and the assessment of the allergenicity of foods produced through agricultural biotechnology. Dr. Taylor is heavily involved in outreach to the food industry on food allergies and sensitivities and has helped countless companies on a wide range of allergen-related topics.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Steve Taylor about:

Why the number of food allergen recalls in the U.S. appears to be climbing
How U.S. regulations continue to lag behind in terms of setting allergy thresholds
The discrepancy between consumer allergy management and the U.S. healthcare system
The development of allergies in infants vs. adults, and how food allergies are less common outside the U.S.
Why allergy avoidance is not always the best treatment for consumers with perceived food allergies
Immunotherapies, mass spectrometry, and other forms of allergy treatment currently undergoing research
His industry work and ongoing research with detection methods, and his involvement with Food Allergy Research & Education, and FARRP at the University of Nebraska
Thoughts on how the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could help alleviate problems related to food allergens and product labeling
The correlation between gluten-free foods and food allergens
Whether or not food processors should have dedicated processing lines for foods made with allergenic ingredients